Our Story
We’re those people now…
You know… the people who swore they would never get a dog.
But we got a dog.
Then we swore that the dog would never sleep on our bed.
Ha! Joke’s on us.
We’re now the people who have a fuzzy blanket in every room of the house just for her, including one on our bed.
And now she’s the inspiration behind this venture. We are glad to be “those” people now because our hearts will never be the same.
#neversaynever
What is a Wiggle Butt?
If you have a dog, you instantly know what “wiggle butt” means. But if you are not, you may imagine that the term is slang that the kids are using for people over 40 attempting to twerk.
When deciding on a name for our company, we wanted something fun and memorable. Angela is usually too serious and so it was up to Rich to bring the fun.
Rich looked down at Sadie who was doing her “wiggle butt” because she wanted a treat, and said, what about, “Hey, Wiggle Butt?”
Angela couldn’t stop laughing and promptly Googled “Wiggle Butt” to make sure it wasn’t something that belonged in the, ahem, adult entertainment industry. She was relieved to see that “wiggle butt” is all about dogs. whew!
Done and done. Welcome to, “Hey, Wiggle Butt.”
Meet Angela, the artist and cool auntie
Something you should know about me is I’m allergic to small talk and unsolicited advice. And I’m also the artist of the Hey, Wiggle Butt cards.
As a kid, I was happiest when I was reading or doing ANYTHING creative.
My first business was a jewelry design business; I even got published a few times in beading design magazines. One of my designs was worn on the red carpet of a Twilight movie premiere. (Twilight… is that really something to brag about? #sorrynotsorry)
But creativity slipped away from my life as I let my career and consulting business take priority. I learned the hard way how important creativity is to my life and my mental health.
But in 2017, I invited creativity into my life again. My first obsession was large-scale acrylics and pour paint. Then it was alcohol inks. Currently, it’s watercolor.
One day in 2022, I had an idea about turning some of my art into greeting cards. I asked Rich if he wanted to do this together and here we are.
I’m passionate about mental health, neurodivergence, and trauma healing. I know what it’s like to not fit in #neurodivergent and how to live life and run a business while also managing mental health challenges.
I warned you that I’m allergic to small talk. 🙂
A motto I live by: You always know your answers. Trust yourself more.
Meet Rich aka the smartass who gives the best hugs
As if 2020 wasn’t hard enough, my dad died. The man that sparked pure joy everywhere he went, was gone. He was the person who made a lasting impression. He had this motto where he wanted to leave things better than they were before he got there. Even more than that, when you were with him, you knew that you mattered.
After his funeral, Angela and I had a conversation about if we were giving back in a way that meant something to us. Would we be leaving the world better than it was before we got here?
Our hope is that with our cards, the people sending them, and the people receiving them, will find that the day they get one of our cards, was better than it was before.
I’m a smart-ass writer and tell awful, I mean awesome, dad jokes. I’m the uncle that the kids run to and I remind people to have fun. I have a distinct laugh that you can spot in a large crowd.
Growing up dyslexic, I didn’t see anyone like me be a writer. But my dad, who was also dyslexic, started writing later in life. So now, I write. I tell stories. I capture the moments that matter in life with words so we can remember them.
A motto I live by: Letting people know they matter, is the only thing that matters.
Sadie’s (Wiggle Butt) Adoption Story:
Get ready for a story that spanned over 10 years…
In 2012, Sadie was in an animal shelter in North Carolina curled up in a corner when two red-headed sisters walked in and instantly saw the sweet pup was THE ONE they were going to adopt.
They got her home and realized that she didn’t in fact have gray fur, but had so many fleas that her biscuit-colored coat was hidden. For months, Sadie slept in the only place she felt safe: the closet.
Slowly but surely, she felt safer to be part of the family and along with her sweetness, her playful side came out, too.
So how did two red-headed sisters adopting a dog in North Carolina turn into Sadie being our CEO in Utah?
When Covid shut the world down and we were isolated, Angela’s mental health needed a furry friend.
She called her sister, one of the red-headed pair who originally adopted Sadie, to ask if she could “borrow” Sadie for just a few days. (Sadie and Angela were big fans of each other.)
Sadie was with us for a few days and that turned into a few weeks.
We all realized that Sadie was getting older and did really well in a quiet environment with no kids. The red-headed sister and her family wanted to foster another rescue dog, so everyone agreed that Sadie’s new home would be with Rich and Angela.
(Are you tracking this story so far?)
Now… we are the people we swore we’d never be.
Sadie is spoiled and loves sitting on fluffy blankets. She has to be right by her humans at all times and still dances and twirls whenever she knows a treat is coming. She is very spry for an older pooch and loves her walks.
Our little “Wiggle Butt” has healed our hearts in ways we couldn’t imagine.
Remember one thing…
This was the guy who insisted we would never get a dog, now they have the same hair.
