New Jersey is home to many ambitious and talented women who juggle family, career, and home. A select few of these women are also extremely busy building their own companies to help better manage the balance of work and family. At NJMOM, we want to highlight these extraordinary women who build businesses in New Jersey, and learn the secret to their success.
Owner of Yummi Yogi & NJMOMpreneur:
Amy Dube
Amy Dube is a mother of two girls and founder of Yummi Yogi, a unique collection of yoga-inspired cookie cutters and cutting/ serving boards resembling our favorite poses. After finding herself without a job during the recession, Amy did what many people might not have – she turned a questionable situation into a positive by taking action and starting her own business. Today, Yummi Yogi is the product of Amy’s natural inclination towards entrepreneurship and decade of marketing experience. Paired with her passion for yoga and creating, the delightful kitchen accessories Yummi Yogi produces continue to spark creativity and inspiration in her customers and followers around the globe, and can now be found in over 150 retailers worldwide.
NJMOM had the chance to find out how Amy’s passions fueled the start of her business, what she loves most about the customers who share their experiences with her products, and her two daughters’ favorite things to do in New Jersey.
NJMOM: What do you offer to your clients and how is it different than other professionals in your field?
Amy: Yummi Yogi™ is a unique product line that symbolizes balance and strength. We offer a collection of cookie cutters designed in the shape of the five most popular and recognizable yoga poses. No icing required! And our newest item is a cutting/serving board designed in the shape of tree pose, which is truly unique to the marketplace. We also sell cloth drawstring bags to gift and store your cutters in. We try to continuously inspire our customers and followers to get creative in and out of the kitchen. Our online gallery and blog offers how-to instructions for all ages – from making a yogi-shaped bird feeder to fruit cut-outs as a healthy snack.
Our Yummi Yogi™ Cookie Cutter collection includes Crescent Lunge (Anjaneyasana), Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Warrior Two (Virabhadrasana II), and Warrior Three (Virabhadrasana III). The Yummi Yogi™ Cutting Board is made of ash wood with an exclusive driftwood teak oil finish and is embellished with a white flower on the front.
NJMOM: What inspired you to get into your line of work?
Amy: As a mom of two young girls (Elle, five years and Adi, three years) and a practicing yogi, I created this product line as a result of two of my passions: yoga and creativity. I harnessed my entrepreneurial chi and I am proud to be responsible for every aspect of the business. My hope is that we can all slow down and be inspired in our own way, and in doing so, teach our children about yoga and how to be healthy and happy.
NJMOM: What is your favorite part about your business?
Amy: My favorite part of my business is when our customers share their creations with us. I love to see how others are inspired by our brand and what they made.
NJMOM: What is your background in your business expertise?
Amy: I always knew I wanted to own my own business but didn’t know what it would be. I had previously worked for a Dutch Flower Bulb company in Lakewood, New Jersey. Initially, I didn’t have any experience in marketing when I started, but over the 10 years that I worked there, I grew into the position and gained a lot of the experience in consumer marketing. I loved creating new products, pitching to buyers, and merchandising them into major retail stores. So when the company I worked for closed down due to the economy, I used that time to take business classes and established Growing Trends Marketing LLC in 2008, a consumer marketing service company that helps small business grow their brand. I still missed the product development side, so when I was pregnant with my first daughter, Elle, I decided to create Yummi Yogi™. Now I feel like I have the best of both worlds – creating products and marketing them.
NJMOM: What are you most proud of in your career?
Amy: I love that our products are all made in the USA. I worked hard to find reputable companies to manufacture our products and they ended up both being in Vermont. I am also proud that I created everything for the brand, from sketching the molds, to developing the packaging concepts, to packing and shipping right out of my in-home office. Our company has now grown in size and we also have over 150 Yummi Yogi retailers worldwide.
It’s also great to be recognized in national publications who share our inspirations with their readers!
NJMOM: What is a charity/cause you are most passionate about?
Amy: We have worked with Arc of Monmouth, a NJ non-profit agency that serves adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities with vocational services. They are a wonderful organization and our business has given their employees continuous work over the past five years. We wouldn’t be where we are today without them!
NJMOM: Who is your role model?
Amy: Wow, there are so many! I admire my parents for providing me with such a wonderful upbringing. My parents have shown me what supporting your child with unconditional love is like. They have guided me with great advice and always supported my decision to start my own company, and even helped assemble and pack orders in my kitchen when we first started! My husband has been a huge supporter of my entrepreneurship, and life balance between work, home, and hobbies. From a business and mindset standpoint, I listen to Marie Forleo and Gabby Bernstein weekly. I also admire my yoga teacher for her knowledge, dedication, and to desire to teach us every week. I couldn’t have done it without all of these people, plus many, many more.
NJMOM: What is the best piece of advice your mom ever gave to you?
Amy: Try your very best; that is all you can do. If you know that you are, then you can’t go wrong.
NJMOM: Do you have a favorite quote you live by?
Amy:
What you practice grows stronger.
This resonates with me in every aspect of my life: work, family, mind, and body. It’s so simple, yet challenging!
NJMOM: What are your favorite things to do in New Jersey with your family?
Amy: One of my favorite things to do is ride bikes to the beach after work. We head to Sea Watch Beach in Manasquan, grab a pizza, and just enjoy on a blanket. I also love taking the girls to the farms to pick fruit seasonally. It is a memory I have from growing up and I hope to continue the tradition.
NJMOM: What is the best part about being a mom for you?
Amy: The love. It’s so tremendous and is an unbelievable feeling. The love in their eyes is priceless and we (me and my husband, Dube) keep reminding ourselves to soak up every second.
NJMOM: What are your favorite businesses in New Jersey?
Amy: My two current faves from being on the Manasquan beach this summer is grabbing something from Playa Bowls or a packed salad at Eat Poke Bro. So fresh and yummy! Ice cream with the kiddos is at Hoffman’s in Point Pleasant or The Main Scoop in Manasquan. I can’t go without stopping down the block at Anna Banana’s in Brielle; they make the best Green Eyed Monster Juice!
NJMOM: Where do you reside and vacation in New Jersey?
Amy: We just moved to Brielle a year ago and couldn’t be happier to be a part of this amazing town! The library and park are across the street. The school is K-8 which will be wonderful for the girls to have long-lasting friendships.
NJMOM: What advice might you have for a fellow NJMOMpreneur who is just starting out?
Amy: Listen to your instincts; if something feels right, then go for it. Just like we trust our intuition with our kids, we should do the same for our business. For me the progress has come from a grassroots style of sitting down at my desk, focusing, and putting in the hours. Most importantly is to ask for help when needed, as we can’t do it all ourselves. I think I secretly tried to be a hero and conquer it all in the beginning, but that only created stress and unproductivity. So having a plan and getting support will help reach your end goal. There are also a lot of local woman biz groups and mastermind groups that are amazing because you can share and collaborate on ideas and get advice where needed.
NJMOM: Anything else you’d like to tell moms in New Jersey?
Amy: I always love to chat about business, so if you simply feeling stuck, reach out to me any time. Sometimes all we need is to connect and recharge.
To learn more about Yummi Yogi, visit their website and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
