Building Boon Mail

It's our very first blog post!

I’m so excited to share this new addition to the Boon Mail website. This blog will be a tool for sharing feature small businesses, amazing handmade products, stories of kindness, and maybe a few stories about Boon Mail. I thought for my first blog post I’d share the story of building Boon Mail care packages.

It started with me. Hey, April Hatchell here. 👋 In January 2021 we were all still under restrictions caused by the pandemic. I, like many, started working from home full time without the option to go into an office. I was starting to go crazy starring at the same walls and computer every day. But, there were more than just feelings of confinement. The world just felt too heavy. People were sick and businesses were closing every day. Feelings of helplessness and depression were taking hold of me. I needed to do something not only for myself but also for others. I wanted to find a passion and creative outlet outside of my corporate job. But I didn't have a clue what to do or how to do it in the middle of a pandemic trapped inside my home. Plus, I wasn't sure I had the time as a full-time working mom to take on anything more.

During this same time, a dear friend was fighting breast cancer. I've never seen a friend suffer as she did. It was a scary and very eye-opening time for me. I couldn't physically be there with her to support her so I did my best to find other ways to support her while she was going through hell. I made her a care package, prayed hard, texted her often, called, and video chatted. I felt like I never had the right words but I realized my actions could be more healing than anything else. It was during this difficult time that I got the idea to start a care package business. I thought, a business focused around giving to loved ones is exactly what my heart and soul needed.

I still didn't know how to make this idea work. I contemplated kick starter and researched e-commerce. I was so scared of failing that it made it hard to even begin. Then, the idea of investing in a bunch of products just for everything to not sell was flooding my mind. When I finally got the nerve to start Boon Mail, I decided to test the waters by selling drop-ship home decor products first. This allowed me to learn the ins and outs of starting a website and running an e-commerce business. There were lots of sleepless nights trying to set up a website by myself. The funny part of this whole struggle is that my corporate job is in the technology field. If only I were more tech-savvy! Thank goodness I finally got the hang of the daily operations. After a few months I decided it was time to start making connections for building my first staple care packages. 

In July of 2021, my husband encouraged me to go for my care package idea and he helped me gain the confidence I needed to purchase inventory to fill my boxes. It helped that this wasn't just any inventory. I decided that Boon Mail was going to be different and stand out by supporting USA products, artisans, and small businesses. I wanted these care packages to build up women and men working hard to keep their small businesses afloat. Especially after the pandemic had broken down so many business owners. My mission was set and I started making the most amazing connections with women and men making soaps, marshmallows, candles, and cookies. It’s been the best experience! Here's how the boxes looked when we first launched.

Now, Boon Mail has officially been selling care packages for over 6 months. We have been purchasing and supporting over 25 small businesses and growing. The community supporting Boon Mail has been so amazing! I’m just so proud of this small business that's growing every day. It not only feeds my soul, but I hope it feeds the soul of every small business owner we purchase from and every gift giver and receiver of a Boon Mail care package. 

That's our story so far! Thank you for reading and being part of that story. I hope you’ll stick around and be a part of Boon Mail’s future as well. 🥰