ONE NIGHT HE HAD AN A HA MOMENT
THAT WOULD COMPLETELY CHANGE HER
LIFE.
>> I HAD A PUZZLE LYING AROUND
AND PICKED IT UP AND IMMEDIATELY
IT CLICKED.
>> FOR KAOLIN, WORKING AT A TECH
START UP REQUIRED FINDING WAYS
TO UNPLUG.
>> I STARTED DOING ABOUT A
THOUSAND OF THESE PUZZLES EVERY
WEEK AND STARTED POSTING ALL MY
COMPLETED ONES.
AND MY FRIEND WERE LIKE WOW.
>> THROUGH HER NEW HBOOBBY SHE
FOUND A MISSING PIECE IN THE
PUZZLE MARKET.
>> SAYING THIS IS SOMETHING
HERE.
>> I STARTED THINKING WHAT WOULD
MY DREAM PUZZLE LOOK LIKE?
AND THE FIRST THOUGHT WAS THE
ART ITSELF NEEDED TO BE BETTER.
SPENDING 8-10, 12 HOURS OF
SPENDING EVERY EDETAIL, THAT I
WANT TO CONNECT WITH IT.
>> THAT THE LED HER ON A MISSION
NOT ONLY TO ELEVATE PUZZLES BUT
EMPOWER FEMALE ARTISTS AS WELL.
>> YOU ARE ABLE TO INCORPORATE
ARTISTS WHOSE ART MAY NOT BE
SHOWN.
TELL ME HOW THAT CAME ABOUT.
>> I REALLY WANTED TO BAKE IN
FROM THE BEGINNING PROFIT
SHARING AND GIVING ARTISTS THE
PLATFORM TO HIGHLIGHT THEIR
WORK, TO HAVE IT BE INTERACTIVE
WITH AND HOLE NEW WAY.
>> THE 360 EXPERIENCE OF
BUILDING THE PUZZLE, WANTING TO
BE INVESTED IN THE 3MTHEME OF TH
PUZZLE, THEN BEING ABE TO
DISPLAY IT.
>> GOING DOWN THESE RABBIT HOLES
ONLINE TO SEE IF PEOPLE WERE
DOING THIS.
AND -- THAT IT WAS CERTAINLY
NOT -- NOT PRODUCT TIES OR
COMMERCIALIZED FELT THERE WAS
SOMETHING THERE I COULD REALLY
TAKE HOLD OF AND BUILD SOMETHING
AROUND.
>> SO SHE DID. IN NOVEMBER 2019 WITH JUST
$25,000 OF SAVINGS, CALEN
OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED JIGGY.
RIGHT AWAY IT WAS A HUGE
SUCCESS.
BUT WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT JIGGY
SOLD OUT THEIR ENTIRE INVENTORY.
>> YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE PROBLEM
IN THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE
BUSINESSES WERE STRUGGLING
BECAUSE OF DEMAND.
YOU HAD DEMAND BUT NO PUZZLES
LEFT.
>> EXACTLY.
AND WE SAW IMMEDIATE SFIEK IN
DEMAND AND SALES AND TRAFFIC.
SO WE TRIED TO RUSH BACK INTO
PRODUCTION WITH THE SUPPLY
CHAINS AFFECTED.
I’M LIKE, I AM A FIVE-MONTH OLD
COMPANY.
HOW I DO STILL CONTINUE TO GROW
AND BE RELEVANT AND BUILD OUR
AUDIENCE WHEN I HAVE NOTHING TO
SELL?
>> UNDETERRED, CALEN PIVOTED AND
HAD ARTISTS PAINT DIRECTLY ON TO
BLANK PUZZLES CREATING ONE OF A
KIND PIECES AND MUCH-NEEDED
MERCHANDISE.
>> WE HOSTED THEN ESSENTIALLY AN
ART AUCTION AND SPLIT THE
PROCEEDS BETWEEN THE ARTISTS AND
COVID RELIEF EFFORTS IN NEW YORK
CITY.
>> Reporter: TODAY SHE’S SOLD
MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS IN
PUZZLES IN ALL FIFTY STATES AND
DOZENS OF COUNTRIES.
>> YOU EVER IMAGINE THAT YOU
COULD MAKE THIS MUCH MONEY AND
REVENUE IN PUZZLES?
>> I DEFINITELY HOPED.
I WASN’T SURE BUT ONCE I SAW IT
CLICKING I KNEW WE WERE ON TO
SOMETHING.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR
BIGGEST LESSON THAT’S HAPPENED
IN THIS YEAR AND A HALF JOURNEY?
>> JUST BEEN SUCH A STEEP
LEARNING CURVE AND A MILLION
THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW EVEN KNOW
THEY WOULD NEED TO LEARN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IN THAT IT’S KIND
OF MOST FULFILLING THING TOO
JUST TO REALLY SEE HOW FAR I
HAVE COME AND TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT
TAKING A BET ON MYSELF HAS BEEN
REALLY REWARDING.
>> I LOVE TALKING ABOUT SILVER
LININGS.
OUT OF THIS MESSY YEAR.
AND THIS SPRING CALEN EVEN
LANDED A DEAL ON SHARK TANK WITH
MARK CUBAN OFFERING HER A HALF A
MILLION DOLLARS FOR 15% STAKE IN
THE COMPANY.
SO WE COULD ONLY ASSUME THIS IS
JUST THE BEGINNING FOR GETTING
JIGGY WITH IT.
AND I EVEN GOT IN ON THE CRAZE
AND DID THIS PUDSALZZLE WITH MY
FAMILY.
I DIDN’T FINISH YET BUT I PLAN
TO FINISH VERY SON AND FRAME IT
AND PUT IT AROUND THE HOUSE.
AND -- BEHIND ME WHEN I WORKED
WITH LINDSAY.
HE WAS ONE OF MY -- THERE WHEN
HE GOT DRAFTED.
WISH I WAS IN STUDIO WITH YOU.
>> WAIT THAT -- TELL ME ABOUT
THIS BALL AGAIN BEHIND YOU?
>> HE SIGNED.
>> WHEN I CAME TO NEW YORK THE
ENTIRE 2006 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
SIGNED THAT.
AND DWAYNE WADE WAS ON THAT
TEAM.
I THINK HE WAS FINALS MVP THAT
YEAR.
>> COOL.
>> JILL MARTIN, LAYERS.