Leaving Corporate, Finding Herself: How This Founder Turned Burnout Into a Business & a Whole New Life - Justine Tiu, Co-Founder of The Woobles

Justine Tiu is the co-founder of The Woobles, a company that
makes beginner-friendly crochet kits designed to help anyone
confidently create their first plush.


Before launching The Woobles in 2020, Justine was thriving at
Google, where she rose from UX designer to one of the youngest
leaders on her team. But behind the success, she was quietly
battling burnout, imposter syndrome, and a sense that something
was missing. In search of happiness, she picked up crocheting—and
it quickly became her creative escape. What started as a personal
outlet soon sparked the idea for something bigger. She left
corporate life behind to launch The Woobles from their garage.


In this episode, Justine shares how she went from feeling
unfulfilled in her corporate job to testing out multiple business
ideas—none of which quite stuck—before stumbling upon a creative
outlet that changed everything. What began as a simple Etsy shop
eventually grew into a multi-million dollar business. Justine and
her husband both quit their jobs to eventually go all-in on The
Woobles, navigating everything from learning how to manufacture
physical products to handling customer support themselves in the
early days. She opens up about the steep learning curve, the
mental health challenges of building a brand from scratch, and
how customer feedback became their guiding compass. We also dive
into the real story behind their Shark Tank experience, the
importance of product-market fit over polished branding, the
power of a strong support system, and so much more.


In this episode, we’ll talk to Justine about:


* How childhood creativity shaped Justine’s career path. [03:10]


* How corporate experience helped her start her own
business. [05:59]


* Justine’s experience with fear and impostor syndrome. [08:55]


* The mental health benefits of hobbies outside work. [09:36]


* Turning a personal hobby into a business. [11:46]


* Justine’s experience working in Google. [13:25]


* Burnout and the search for true happiness. [16:00]


* Quitting their fulltime job and starting an Etsy shop. [17:38]


* Early business ideas before launching The Woobles. [19:19]


* Why owning your brand and online presence matters. [23:32]


* The challenges of quality control in physical products. [25:22]


* Mental health struggles and the role of family support. [26:27]


* How running a business differs from a corporate job. [28:31]


* The importance of focusing on what you can control. [29:32]


* Experience on Shark Tank and its impact. [31:14]


* Embracing uncertainty can lead to unexpected growth. [35:57]


* Product-market fit comes before branding. [44:32]


* Why a strong support system is key to balancing life and
business. [48:36]


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Follow Justine: 


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dilly.ofapickle/


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewoobles/


* Website: https://thewoobles.com/





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