Meet Brooke Happe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Happe.

Hi Brooke, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The journey of b.e.happe is one that started from a personal challenge. I was stepping away from my career as a Doctor of Physical Therapy to stay home with my two boys and soon to be newborn daughter in 2015. I wanted keep my hands strong as I used manual therapy for most of my rehabilitation techniques and challenged myself to learn something new for this new season of life.

After countless yards of yarn and many hours of teaching myself to crochet via the internet, I made a hat! I continued to practice the art of crochet, donating hats to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa where we lived at that time.

As I transitioned from a medical profession to stay at home mom, I was searching for a hat that I could wear when running errands, dropping off at school and to simply feel put together as a mom of three kiddos under four years. I decided to design my own hat after not being able to find what I wanted and crocheted what is now the b.e.happe Simple Slouch.

After friends and family urged me to start to sell my items, b.e.happe was born in 2016. For the first two years, we had a “Buy one hat, Give one back” to Blank Children’s hospital with each sale.

In 2018, after a lengthy PICU stay with my middle kiddo at Blank our family realized that there is a much greater need for giving back and it opened our eyes to how precious life really is. We were blessed by Child Life Services and appreciated everything that they did for both my son and his siblings to make them feel safe during the stay. It was at that time that we transitioned to ‘hats that give back,’ using a portion of sale proceeds to donate wish list items for child life services.

In 2019, we knew we wanted to maximize our time together and simplify our lives. We made a major change and sold our house and almost all of our belongings, to travel the country full time in an RV for an adventure of a lifetime and to grow b.e.happe.

We looked deeper into what b.e.happe meant to us…it is more than just my initials and a brand that gives back. b.e.happe is a mind frame to never stop dreaming, a lifestyle, our hope and direction as we took a leap of faith as a family of five and travel the country.

As our family spends time together and creates a lifetime of memories we run b.e.happe from our 42 foot fifth wheel. We give back to the local children’s hospitals as we travel the country by donating to their “Wish List” items, all while teaching our children that they can do anything they put their minds to and to never stop dreaming.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think that there are always struggles or bumps in the road during in each season of life. Juggling a growing small business and being a mother has its challenges. But I have found that time blocking my day between enjoying our travels, working on b.e.happe and homeschooling has helped me tremendously. As the brand grows from our tiny home on wheels, space is becoming an issue. When we started traveling b.e.happe was a hobby however in two years, it has grown tremendously between retail and wholesale.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I taught myself to crochet and then knit via YouTube and Pinterest. It was a skill that I wanted to challenge myself to learn to keep my hands strong. When I could not find a hat that solved my problem, I decided to create my own! Our slouch hats are b.e.happe best sellers, they are the perfect multi-seasonal hat!

Pricing:

• Adult Pom + Slouch hats-$48
• Youth Pom hats- $44
• Toddler Pom hats- $40
• Baby- $32-38

Contact Info:

• Email: b.e.happedesigns@gmail.com
• Website: www.behappedesigns.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behappedesigns
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/behappedesigns/