Joe Kuelker created a store with 黑料门 to provide his son and other kids with diabetes small scaled replica devices (insulin pumps, CGM) for toys and stuffed animals.
We discuss what this product can mean for kids with diabetes and for parents that first learn of the diagnosis
We discuss the 黑料门 Instant Site, social media marketing, Facebook Groups and other options for Joe to get the word out on this business that also has a social mission.
Transcript
Jesse: Hey, guys! Jesse Ness here with the 黑料门 podcast show back again with my
Richard: Richard Otay. How are you doing, Jess?
Jesse: I鈥檓 good, I鈥檓 good! It鈥檚 a beautiful day here in San Diego and I鈥檓 super excitied today, we actually have another local San Diegan or Rancho Bernardain, Joe Kilker, here to talk about his site, Heroic Kid. Joe, welcome to the show.
Joe: Hey! Thanks for having me guys.
Jesse: Absolutely!
Joe: This is a new experience for me. Thanks for having me and talking about this thing that I called heroickid.com.
Jesse: Awesome! Well, yeah, I鈥檓 a new podcaster for myself, so we will take it easy on you. Richard鈥檚 here to guide us along. But, you know, what I wanted to let the audience know, I chose this site because I thought it was an awesome story and I thought it really helped highlight, you know, what we do at 黑料门. So I want to hear your story — give us a little background on heroickid.com.
Joe: So, heroickid.com. I just kind of look at it this way: it鈥檚 just a website I put together to put smiles on type 1 diabetic kids鈥� faces. I think what we鈥檙e most known for is creating these tiny replicas of medical devices that these kids have to wear to stay alive. Why did I create this? That鈥檚 because my son is a type 1 diabetic. In 2014, at the age of 1, he had symptoms of diabetes. One symptom is constantly being thirsty and frequent urination. He is also very agitated and weight loss. So, we took him into the hospital, a quick and easy check, and sure enough, he had type 1 diabetes.
Jesse: Wow! That鈥檚 tough for a
Joe: Remy.
Jesse: Remy, okay. So, you know, for other parents that might be listening, so what are some of that the symptoms, you know, so like, you mentioned frequent urination in you鈥檙e changing diapers like every half an hour.
Joe: Yeah! He had, like,
Richard: And then I will send you to realize he鈥檚 not holding all this water.
Joe: He鈥檚 not. It鈥檚 coming out in this diaper that weighs as much as a brick. So, we knew something was wrong, and unfortunately, it was type 1 diabetes.
Richard: Yeah. So, what was it that inspired you to come up with these, as you鈥檙e saying, replica patches? So, they鈥檙e obviously not using these patches themselves.
Joe: No鈥�
Richard: And you showed us a couple of packages here, I鈥檓 sure we鈥檒l direct people to see what they actually look like. So this is tipped to help the kids feel more comfortable with these devices on their body.
Joe: It is. Last year my son would be four. He鈥檚 just starting to get to an age where he鈥檚 kind of understands that he has to wear these stuff, these important devices, and his preschool friends don鈥檛. And I noticed that he鈥檚 kinda questioning that and he doesn鈥檛 like it.
It鈥檚 kinda normal for him because he was diagnosed so young. But he鈥檚 getting to the age where he understands that he鈥檚 wearing these devices. One being an insulin pump, the other being the CGM. CGM is a continuous glucose monitor. So, around that same time, I鈥檓 a product development engineer. I purchased a 3D printer for a different project, but one of the first things I did, because he was questioning why, you know, why. There鈥檚 no easy answer for that.You can go online and kinda show him pictures of other diabetics. Even though it affects millions of people, going outside, and you just don鈥檛 see random people wearing, you know, an insulin pump. And in preschool, no kids have it.
And if you were to go maybe to the beach, he might see you maybe, maybe see someone has one of these devices. I just wanted to create something that he can see almost on a daily basis. So, one the first things I created was an insulin pod that kind of matches his, that would just be on stuffed animals. And the look in his eyes when I gave it to him, it was like that cheerful happiness, it was more of like a look: “This is awesome, thank you so much.” A deep look of content. It was a
Richard: I feel for you, Joe, and we, Jesse and I both have young children. The word that comes to my mouth is just “wow” like in the midst of all this going on, and all that you have to deal with as a parent and not knowing how to explain to your child, kudos to you for not only trying to find a way but actually turn this into a business that, you know, will get into more whether what you鈥檙e going to try to do with the business and we鈥檙e going to grow the business. Just to even turn that into something else that can be helping other families that are going through this. To me that鈥檚 really the American dream, you know. People talk about the American dream in various ways but to me, you can help children and make a business that might even be able to help more, it鈥檚 a beautiful thing, so just kudos to you for having the wherewithal to go through this, while you鈥檙e going through this.
Joe: Yeah. Thank you very much. My goal was to鈥� I just wanted to get it out there for other parents. So, that was basically my goal. I created this small thing for my child, he鈥檚 happy with it, and I know there鈥檚 other kids out there too. I鈥檓 not out looking for the American dream, though it all sounds great. It鈥檚 just really to get something out there maybe to help other parents.
And it is for parents too, because we don鈥檛 want to see our kids in this situation. We deal with this on a daily basis; we see what our kids go through. To a normal person, they will see him maybe at school around about for few hours, he looks like a normal kid; you don鈥檛 see the battles that are going on behind the scenes. Usually, one or two episodes daily even, you know, oftentimes in the middle of night, 2 in the morning, you鈥檙e up to get the kid a box of juice. So, it鈥檚 a battle, and I want to bring a little bit of fun into this really difficult disease that we鈥檙e kinda forced to deal with.
Jesse: Absolutely. So, it鈥檚 just the way that, you know, help your son feel normal, really, like, you know, all of his heroes, all of these, you know, characters, I guess, so, for people who are on our podcast, so not looking at the website鈥�
Joe: Right!
Jesse: But, tell us an example of one of the first products you made for him.
Joe: So, the first product — he wears an insulin pod, this is called an omnipod. So, that was the first thing I created. It鈥檚 very simple. I鈥檝e worked on some very complex engineering projects for me, so it didn鈥檛 take very long for me to do it at all. And I have a 3D printer as I said before. I just printed it out and pinned it on one of his, it was a bear. It was the first thing that I鈥檝e created on. It鈥檚 removable, it has a pin on back, so it鈥檚 pinned to many stuffed animals. And if you guys have seen those
Richard: At what point did you decide “I鈥檓 going to make this into a store and get this in for other parents”?
Joe: I think it was when I saw the look in his eyes.
Richard: You knew right away.
Joe: Yeah, I knew at that point that I should at least offer this. I didn鈥檛 know if anyone would buy it, but I wanted to have at least that opportunity for people to buy this product. So, that鈥檚 how the story came about.
Jesse: Yeah, so instead of waiting for this like password of mouth, like: “Hey, let鈥檚 start building these and let鈥檚 get this out there.” So, all these other parents that have to鈥� I imagine there鈥檚 a lot of type 1 diabetes children in the country.
Joe: For me, I鈥檓 all about getting the product, I have a good product. It can be a perfect product, but I don鈥檛 know how long the perfect product will take. And I can make the perfect product if there is more interest in this. For the perfect product, it would take a lot of money. The hard tool and injection plastic. The perfect product, it is easy to assemble, and it鈥檚 a lot of labor for me to put this together. And I鈥檓 okay with that. Because again, it鈥檚 for the kids, that kind of thing. Where was I going like that?
Richard: No, no, this is good! I just see, you know, when I brought up the American dream I don鈥檛 mean: “hey I鈥檓 going to make a bunch of money off parents that have kids.” What I really mean is like, the fact, that you can build something and make money, that whatever you decide to do with it, whether it鈥檚 buy a house for your family or put it back into. I have a feeling based on a couple of things we were talking about, before you have some bigger vision that you have with this money, so we鈥檙e going to get into that too. But it鈥檚 okay to make money helping other people, right. It鈥檚 okay!
Joe: Yeah, thank you!
Richard: And especially when you鈥檙e helping all kinds of, I mean, how are these parents, what are they going to get to see that look in their kid鈥檚 eye too. This is the wonderful thing; you鈥檙e a hero, Joe! Keep it up; this is good stuff. And so, like, when you were doing it of all the other things to do, so you鈥檙e an engineer, you鈥檙e father dealing with all this, a husband, you鈥檙e going to build a store, you got a tool out this stuff. If we tried to make it perfect and probably never would have gotten out there. So, all the sudden, now you鈥檙e an
Joe: This store is probably one of the easiest things out of the whole process. And I that鈥檚 really what I wanted, and that鈥檚 kind of how I came across 黑料门.
Jesse: You did. And thank you! It鈥檚 a good reason for the podcast, so 黑料门. How did you find 黑料门?
Joe: I think the same way, everyone. I did Google search, I just did some research, and I know there鈥檚 a few out there. And I saw the many positive reviews for 黑料门, and I went in and I just kind of browse around the website. I also noticed that we鈥檙e neighbors, you have some offices in San Diego. I just did it. I mean, that鈥檚 what it comes down to, I just decided to go with it, I did it. And it was very simple, the easiest part of the whole process.
Jesse: Way easier than using a 3D printer!
Joe: Yeah.
Jesse: I鈥檝e never used one, so鈥�
Joe: It takes some learning, but, yeah. Definitely easier than a 3D printer, for sure.
Jesse: So, this was a way for you to kind of essentially get the product out there, test the concept and seem, you know, fast and easy way to do it.
Joe: Yes, I didn鈥檛 know, I鈥檓 sure there were some parents that would have some interest in it, but I didn鈥檛 know how many. So, I didn鈥檛 want to spend a whole bunch of money and have a website build. These are cheap components of keeping the prices cheap, so I鈥檓 not making tons of money off these things. I can do WordPress, but I didn鈥檛 want to have to spend all the time and effort to create a WordPress, I want to get out there as soon as possible. That鈥檚 a big thing for me; I鈥檓 all about getting something out there and seeing if it works, it is always time to make it, do the perfect.
Richard: So, sounds like you鈥檙e a fan of Reid Hoffman, that heard him say after he left PayPal and did LinkedIn, he said: “If you鈥檙e not embarrassed by your first release, you waited too long.” It鈥檚 all about getting feedback from customers, basically.
Joe: Yeah, I mean, that鈥檚 what it is, it鈥檚 getting feedback from customers. Some of the stuff like, this PC can鈥檛 see it, this is a podcast. So many tiny replica tubes and it鈥檚 called the tube pump, insulin pump. That was not something I had my website originally, I only had like four things on my website. But someone, that had a child that use this particular style pump, and I said: “okay, I鈥檒l make it, sure.” And I put it on the website.
Jesse: So, it means that at least one person had come to the website!
Joe: Yeah! So, the socials around Christmas time, we call the buttons. There are different sizes, you can see it on the website, different sizes for different kind of toys. We have one that called “the buttons,” it鈥檚 just like a button, like little stuffed animals. They just happen to be a perfect size for the Elf on the Shelf. So people are putting this on the Elf on the Shelf, and they鈥檙e posting pictures online, and before you know it, I鈥檓 filling orders, like at 3 in the morning for like a month straight.
Richard: But I鈥檓 sure it鈥檚 making you smile along the way.
Joe: Yeah, I mean, every order I ship out, I know it鈥檚 going to someone just like me and my kid. So, it鈥檚 a good feeling.
Richard: Awesome!
Jesse: Yeah, I mean, I鈥檝e been in
Joe: I created a company just about two months before Christmas, so I didn鈥檛 know what to expect, so this year I鈥檒l have a better understanding what to expect.
Jesse: Let鈥檚 back up. So, you created this on
Joe: I think
Richard: From concept — Wow!
Joe: That鈥檚 how you do it! There is no reason to wait, you just do it. That鈥檚 kind of how I do everything, even in mechanical design engineering. You know, just do it, get out there.
Richard: So, from start to finish, I think where Jesse was going with that or at least partially go with that鈥� You started in
Joe: The store was fast, and I think I got the first sale at the beginning of November. But soon after that, it was like a domino effect, as soon as other people that have a bigger following me on a social media, posted pictures of these products, toys, smiling kids. Naturally that kind of brings more people to the site.
Jesse: It would be a viral toy. In certain communities, probably Facebook groups, different parents and things that this would probably go crazy.
Joe: There are Facebook groups, there is a big type 1 diabetes following, a lot of people on Instagram too.
Richard: I mean, you could almost, I so love this, by the way, some of these ideas I threw out real quick I could beat shots in the dark or but I came from Hollywood, so you only need one to stick out at 20 and it pays for the next 40, so. But I mean you could come up with your own
Joe: You have to feed the business, yeah.
Richard: This is kind of when I brought up the American dream earlier. But I鈥檓 here, and you鈥檙e keeping your engineering job for the foreseeable future you鈥檙e still, right. This is something you鈥檙e doing on the site, but I could hear in your voice, man if this could grow into something that you get to help other families. I鈥檓 seeing the light in your eye, like your son might see, because I feel what you鈥檝e gone through. And I can see the smile on your face, but I can tell what you鈥檝e gone through. And I鈥檓 sitting here and thinking how many ways I can help.
Joe: I鈥檒l take it.
Richard: I鈥檓 just thinking now, the virality potential of this is crazy, because people will want to share this, right. It鈥檚 not like your have to ask for a share.
Joe: I鈥檓 using the business to feed it, so, any money I usually make, pretty much gets a roll back into the business.
Richard: So, you were talking about other people told you about bringing on another product you started another. What do you get, what鈥檚 going on?
Jesse: For people that are not here in the studio which is everybody listening, there鈥檚 a mystery box, that you brought here, so let us know.
Joe: It鈥檚 actually the box, it looks familiar.
Richard: It鈥檚 looking like a cake or donate box.
Joe: It is a cake or donate box. Here is the thing, that鈥檚 part of it. Type 1 diabetes is not caused by sugar. And there is a misconception, that diabetics can鈥檛 eat sugar, they can. But in the box is some things that I put together. This is a concept that I think will start giving his away in a couple weeks. Just has a few items in there that I want you give to a newly diagnosed type 1 diabetics. It has one of our hats in it. It has a letter, which I think is one of the most important things, a personal letter from me or I鈥檓 thinking about reaching out and have another parents right, like a personal letter to give to a newly diagnosed family. It also has a cookie cutter, which is an insulin bottle, because again, this is like a good tool maybe to use for new family, because, you know, when the kid gets diagnosed or newly diagnosed, people think that they can鈥檛 eat sugar. They can, this is kinda fun way for the kids and kind of teach people that: “hey, it鈥檚 okay to eat cookies, I have a cookie that鈥檚 shaped like a insulin bottle”. It鈥檚 just a little bit fun and also we have a glucagon kit. This accepts glucagon like an emergency, this is something I actually created for my kid for preschool. It鈥檚 a clip that accepts glucagon which is used emergency situations when the kid has low blood sugar.
Richard: Like a syringe?
Joe: It鈥檚 a syringe, yeah. You would use it when the kid is very low, almost at the point passing out and you would break out this kit immediately.
Jesse: So when this happens, the alarms from the glucose monitor are buzzing, like insane.
Joe: Get to have one, not all kids have one, but yes. Most kids do have them. You usually can give them a juice box, but there are times where, you know, they could pass out and then you can鈥檛 give them a juice box, you can鈥檛 get an M&M in your mouth so if he uses kit. This glucagon kit, it was made to ease my mind for one, ease other caregivers minds for two, because you just put it in the same spot every time, like, you know where this is. You can mount it on a wall; we have I have a binder at school that it鈥檚 in it鈥檚 always in the same spot. That thing with diabetes, you have so much stuff, and the stuff is always going, you鈥檙e always going through it, and can get tossed into a spot where you can鈥檛 find it. And I can tell you from experience as a T1D dad — type 1 diabetic dad, when the kids low and you need to give him some kind of sugar, like, right away, a juice box is like something you would grab typically. Just getting that stroll out of that, little cellophane, those three seconds seem like minutes. You鈥檙e struggling and shaking. So, anytime saved trying to get this like emergency kit, that is the goal for the clip.
Richard: Perfect.
Joe: So, this is something I鈥檓 going to start giving out to newly diagnosed.
Richard: So, this is an even a skew. This is something that you are going to be giving to people?
Joe: This is something that鈥檚 going to be fed by the company of the store. This is something that I鈥檓 going to do to give back.
Richard:One more reason we want to help drive traffic to you, basically. So, how are you going to find out, or is this going to be part of people sharing?
Joe: I鈥檓 just going to drop them off at the hospital. When you get diagnosed for three days, you gotta take like a crash course, and it鈥檚 it鈥檚 really tough time, so that鈥檚 kind of I鈥檓 going to do something like this.
Richard: Just only to make sure, because we only have three minutes, or so. Just to make sure we drive traffic, where can we find you, let鈥檚 spell it out, let鈥檚 get a couple of the socials shares. What do you get?
Joe: It鈥檚 Heroickid.com. And it will bring you to my 黑料门 site, and then at the bottom, because it makes it so easy, there is actually links that go to all me social pages.
Richard: So that鈥檚 Heroickid.com.
Joe: Yes, sir.
Jesse: And will make sure to have the link to that on the show notes and then on the page. We want to help support it so, you know, yeah I鈥檓 actually looking forward to seeing some of the social posts so we can we can talk about this on 黑料门.com as well. A part of the reason we wanted to have you on, obviously we love the story, but the other reason I wanted to have you on is because you actually use the Instant Site. I want other merchants, other people, that are building their dream to know, like, it doesn鈥檛 have to be like this you don鈥檛 have to hire a consultant, you don鈥檛 have to have web design and development knowledge.
Richard: So, even if you are an engineer.
Jesse: You鈥檙e an engineer that can use a 3D, a little bit (laughing).Yeah, I want this to be an example for other merchants, you know, just get started, just make it happen. Talk a little bit about this store you鈥檙e able to figure it out, you set up an account, you are able to figure it out pretty quickly?
Joe: You, pretty quickly. I think I had four items, like, from the beginning. I guess the toughest part about it all is, like, I think the top banner, requires a certain size photo, so. That鈥檚 not my forte. Graphics and all that stuff, so. That wasn鈥檛 tough at all.
Jesse: I do see that the header you have right now is the Incredible Hulk with a patch on it, yeah, so very cool. But you got that done.
Joe: Yeah. All of the photos have been taken on iPhone. There鈥檚 a lot of improvement for me to do on the website.
Jesse: There is always something you can do. There are million different things, you know, love to talk about some ideas, that we have, you know, maybe we can do that again another day. Any questions you have for us, like, “hey, what鈥�”, you know. Can you do next is there.
Richard: Anything you鈥檝e been wanting to do or what that you could do.
Joe: With the website?
hosts: Yeah!
Joe: Is there a way to recommend other products, when they click on a certain product? That鈥檚 one thing.
Jesse: Oh, yeah. That might be a
Joe: I鈥檇 love to listen.
Jesse: Yeah. Absolutely, so. Perfect, Rich, any last thoughts?
Richard: I鈥檓 just super proud and thankful from other dads out there, that are just as cool as you are.
Joe: I鈥檓 sure you guys would do it too.
Jesse: I hope so! So, Joe, thank you. Heroickid.com, looking to see more for that. This is Jesse with the 黑料门
Joe: Thanks, guys.
Jesse: Thank you.
