Embracing Diversity and Overcoming Challenges: Samantha Ong of Joeydolls Featured on "This Mama Got Drama"

I am thrilled to share my experience of being featured on "This Mama Got Drama" with the wonderful host, Lady Ray. It was an incredible opportunity to dive deep into the journey of Joeydolls, a company dedicated to creating diverse Asian dolls that celebrate the rich tapestry of Asian cultures.

In the podcast, Lady Ray and I kicked off the conversation by discussing the challenges of juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship. As a mother of two, managing my family while nurturing Joeydolls has been a balancing act. We delved into the origins of Joeydolls, which began during the pandemic amid the rise of anti-Asian hate. With my wedding photography business at a standstill and my newborn daughter by my side, I found myself grappling with the identity of being a new mom and an entrepreneur. Watching the news unfold, I was determined to create something that would instill pride in my daughter about her Asian heritage.

Joeydolls was born out of this desire to provide children with dolls that not only looked like them but also celebrated their mixed Asian identities. Finding such dolls proved to be challenging, which highlighted the need for representation. Our dolls include Vietnamese, Filipina, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Indian dolls, each wearing traditional cultural attire. This variety underscores the diversity within the Asian community, a broad label that often overshadows individual stories.

Creating these dolls was no easy feat. Without any funding or expertise in product manufacturing, I bootstrapped the entire project. From learning to sew to sourcing materials, every step was a learning curve. One significant hurdle was ensuring cultural accuracy, which I addressed by engaging with the community. Feedback from followers and supporters was invaluable in refining the dolls, ensuring they resonated with people on a personal level.

One of the most touching aspects of this journey has been hearing stories from families who purchase Joeydolls. These dolls are not just toys; they are symbols of pride and identity. Many parents and even grandparents have shared their emotional reactions, seeing themselves represented in these dolls.

Overcoming obstacles such as finding the right manufacturer and ensuring quality has been daunting. But my dedication to this mission kept me going. As Lady Ray highlighted in the podcast, it's about creating a sense of pride and confidence in children through representation.

To all the moms out there with a vision, I encourage you to persevere. Surround yourself with support, be it family or community, and stay true to your mission. The journey may be challenging, but the impact you can make is profound. Thank you for joining me on this incredible journey with Joeydolls. Let's continue to celebrate our heritage and embrace diversity with Joeydolls.

Click here to listen to the full podcast of Joeydolls on "This Mama Got Drama".

Joeydolls on ''THIS MAMA GOT DRAMA'' Transcript

(00:01): This is Mama Got Drama, back for another episode. I am your host, Lady Ray. Our co-host Drina Gonzalez will be back with us for our next episode. But we have a lovely guest today who I'm so excited to talk to because there's so much that we have to dive into with this conversation. Joining us today is founder, creator, and mom extraordinaire. Let's make some noise for

(00:23): Samantha from Joeydolls. Yay, thank you for coming on. How are you doing today? I'm great, thank you. How about you? I'm good, I'm good. I'm excited. We're kicking off a fresh new episode, which means that we always get to talk about something new that our babies are doing. I mean, we like to kick it off that way because

(00:45): you know, whether you've got an adult baby or a new baby, there's always something new in this thing we call Mamahood. Is there anything new going on with you? Oh, just mainly just, you know, working away with the business, you know, like with my two kids also at home, so it's just like juggling everything. It's

(01:06): just trying to manage, really. And it's interesting because, you know, you have two kids, but your company is like your baby also, right? Exactly. Like you're having to nurture it. You're creating it, basically, and all of the things, right. I know. Over in my house, we just celebrated a birthday. So my son just turned six,

(01:30): and the new thing is my daughter is consistently announcing it to every and anyone that comes in our pathway that he just celebrated a birthday. So that's been fun and exciting. But let's jump in and learn more about Joeydolls for folks that don't know. Give them a little bit of information about what Joeydolls is, the importance of it. I mean, there's so

(01:51): much, right? Yeah. So I really started the business during the pandemic, like with the rise of anti-Asian hate. Actually, I was a wedding photographer, and during the pandemic, I actually lost all my income for about two years, and so I was really left, you know, at home with my daughter. And so I was actually just recently a new

(02:13): mom. She was just turning one around that time. But even struggling with that identity of being a new mom and then also losing my entire business during the pandemic, I struggled with that so much. And so I was just sitting at home watching the news unfold, watching the rise of anti-Asian hate, and thinking, what can I do?

(02:36): But also, you know, when you become a mom, you kind of relive your childhood through your child. You think, I don't want them to experience the same things that I did. And so I'm watching what I'm seeing, and I had this feeling of flashbacks of shame of being Asian or wanting to be someone else, you know, so

(02:58): I'm worried about how I look, and I don't want that for my daughter. And so, you know, of course, we're at home, we're alone, and I'm thinking I want her to feel proud of who she is and how she looks. And so, of course, we're alone at home. So I'm thinking I'm going to find her some dolls that she could feel comforted with,

(03:19): and I'm struck by how difficult it still is to find dolls that are playful and joyful and that look like her and that also celebrate mixed Asian identity because, of course, we fall under this broad label of being Asian. But does that really encompass the beauty and

(03:46): diversity and that rich tapestry of Asia? And I think it's such a broad label that often we get kind of lumped into this one big group and that all our stories don't really get told. So, you know, she was turning one, and I remember wanting to put her in, like, I'm Chinese Malaysian and my husband's Korean, so we were going

(04:10): to put her in both those outfits. And I was just thinking, well, if we do this with our children, why don't we do it through our dolls? And I want her to see that through her dolls. And that's how that whole idea came about. And it took me a long time to bring to life because I really am just a mom. I don't

(04:33): have any funding. I really bootstrapped this entire company, especially during the pandemic. I didn't have a lot of money, I didn't have income coming in, I didn't have income to fund this new project. So I was really struggling with trying to do everything on a shoestring budget, trying to DIY things, trying to figure out—I don't have

(04:58): expertise in selling products, making products. All of that was completely new to me, and so I just took it one step at a time. And of course, my daughter was at home the whole time, so I could only work when she was asleep, and she wasn't a good sleeper. I will say I could hardly get anything done. But yeah, I just made it my

(05:21): passion. I just really wanted it. I made it my mission. Really, it became a passion, and I really made it my mission to bring these dolls to life because I just realized how important it is. Like, if I wanted this for my daughter, I'm sure that there were many other families out there that would want the same thing. And I was just so struck by the fact that

(05:42): it hadn't been done before. Right? And the cool thing is, like you said, it's not about just grouping us in this one category of Asian, right? I really like the fact that you've got everyone included. I mean, you've got a Vietnamese doll, you've got a Filipina doll, you've got a Chinese doll, a Korean doll, a Japanese doll, and an Indian doll. I mean, it's really cool that you've got all this inclusion in

your dolls. And then you even have, you know, shirts that say...

(06:05): proudly Asian, proud to be a Vietnamese baby. I mean, all of these things, right? That we didn't grow up with, right? And to have a doll that looks like you, that is celebrating the culture and wearing cultural clothing, I mean, all of that goes into it too. Why do you feel like it's so important for us to even see ourselves represented when

(06:27): when it's playtime? Yeah, I just reflect upon my own experience thinking, you know, when I was younger, I used to play with blonde dolls because that's all that was out there. I just, you know, of course, on TV, that's all you see, and so you just have this like, you grow even though it's not told explicitly to you, you grow up with this feeling that, of course, if you're not on TV, you're not shown in your playtime, you're not like, you're not worthy. You're meant

(06:51): to be on the sidelines. You're not meant to be anybody of value, I would say. So I really grew up thinking that, that I was just meant to be on the sidelines. I wasn't good enough. I remember looking at my child, like my classmates, thinking they're so pretty and they're so lucky to be blonde that way. And of course, like all of

(07:14): those things are learned from, you know, childhood. So I think if we can try to foster that sense of pride and, you know, and, you know, positivity about, you know, your heritage, I think there is so much that we can instill in children about, like, inclusion and, like, diversity and, like,

(07:39): and celebrating our differences instead of thinking that they're bad. Yeah, I mean, I think you said all the important things right of wanting to celebrate your heritage, your culture. Feeling a sense of pride is so important and instilling that at a young age really helps to create that foundation for confidence. And, you know, just the educational piece there is so vital,

(08:03): right? And so when we think about this idea of, like, inclusion and diversity, our moms didn't get that right. Like, our moms didn't get access to this idea of, like, you're included, you're represented. I mean, do you think that your mom or my mom, even who's Filipino, like, do you feel like they would see themselves in these dolls? Yeah. So,

(08:26): you know, I've gotten so many stories of people that not only buy them for their children, but they've bought them for themselves, for their inner child and their healing, and that they've also bought them for their lola and their, like, their grandma. So, and like, to hear the stories that, you know, what we've received, like, you know, tears of happiness and, like, that healing

(08:52): of like, oh my gosh, like, this is what I would have wanted as a child, or, like, you know, I've had stories of when the child receives the doll, they're like, oh my god, like they actually say grandma. Yeah. They look at the doll and they know that's Grandma. Oh Ma. And so I think that's such a narrative shift that we

(09:13): haven't had before, like to look at something and really identify. So I think, like, these dolls aren't just for children. I hope that they offer something entire families can really enjoy. And this is why I also created the dolls with such happy faces, because they wanted to really just spread joy, especially

(09:33): with all that's going on in the world. I just wanted children or families to receive the dolls and feel that joy in celebrating our heritage. I love it. I love it. Like you said, it's those moments, right, that you're creating with your family, they really just resonate. And the other thing too, is, you know, you talked about it earlier, having a relatively

(09:56): newborn baby. You know, you had little to no income coming in and you're trying to create this vision, right? Like, you have this vision, this idea and seeing that there's a need for it. I mean, what are the obstacles that you came up against? I mean, we already talked about the fact that sleep deprivation was one of them, right? Because you had a baby that had a hard time sleeping through the night, and those

(10:20): are the only times as new moms that we can actually work is when the baby is asleep. So what were some of the obstacles on this journey that you faced? Yeah, so it's definitely that, especially, yeah, definitely the funding, like not knowing where to go, like where to find that information. That was like scouring the internet trying to find resources. Even like, I didn't know anything about sewing or factory production. Wow.

(10:45): Everything was a complete learning curve. So I was like literally borrowing books from the library, and of course during the pandemic the library was closed. Yeah, I had to, like, find ways to get the books and, like, put them on hold and, like, go get them. And so I would, like, borrow books, like find, like, resources online, like how to make dolls, and, like, even

(11:07): just doing in like Facebook groups and asking questions. So there was just like so much involved, but also like learning the toy safety and all of that. And so initially I had this great idea of wanting to do it sustainably and locally and all of that, but of course I had so much trouble finding just even fabrics that would represent different skin

(11:30): tones because it was so important for me to show those. Like, at the very beginning, I was told, why don't you just start with one doll and master that first? And I was just like, no. I had this vision for at least six dolls because I really wanted to make a statement about the diversity of skin tones,

(11:52): the diversity of cultures within Asia, and I really wanted to have at least six to make a statement to show how beautiful and diverse the Asian community is. With just one doll, I don't feel like I could really do that. And so that was my whole struggle, like finding the right fabrics, and I

(12:13): couldn't believe how difficult it was to just find different shades of beige or different shades of brown. And so it ended up that I had to go overseas because I had to find more fabrics and more availability, and especially with the cultural clothing, I really

(12:33): wanted it to be as accurate as possible. And I also wanted it to be of great quality, and so I just didn't have that variety of supplies locally, and that's when I had to go overseas. And then of course, when you're dealing with overseas, I don't know, I can't visit the facility in person, and so there was a lot of working late

(12:56): nights to try and meet the time zones and trying and, you know, getting them shipped over with the shipping taking forever during that time. So, so that's why it just took so long and just trying to find—I went through three different manufacturers. I was so, I was

(13:18): so particular about the quality. And then even when we did go into production, I did three separate inspections just because I really wanted to make sure that quality was consistent and, you know, passing my standards. I felt like I was such a perfectionist. So I really just wanted

(13:39): that. The reason why I was so, you know, committed to all of these things is that I really wanted them, when someone receives a doll, to feel that sense of pride and that love and care that was put into one doll. Each of our dolls are handmade, so all that time

(14:03): that went into the doll. So I didn't want just to get any old doll that was just kind of put together. Right, right. Someone that when they do receive the doll, they go, "Wow, I'm so proud to have this doll in my family and be able to show that to others." And I think that's so important because that's the whole part of

(14:28): being proud to share ourselves and who we are, and

(14:28): express that freely. Yeah, I mean, I'm hearing the fact that you stayed dedicated. You took every opportunity to connect with people and to learn and to just educate yourself on the whole spectrum of things, right, whether it was like sewing the dolls, finding materials. I mean, that takes dedication and really

(14:52): just a drive to see your vision become a reality. I mean, do you think there was anything that was like really pivotal for you in terms of breaking through some of these obstacles? Yeah. So one thing that I was worried about was that cultural accuracy piece. And so of course I was doing a lot of research,

(15:13): borrowing books from the library and all of that, but I still struggled, like, is this the right thing? And so I can always guess and all of that and ask particular people, but there's nothing better than asking a community of people. And so that's where I really went online. I started to develop a following, and I really put

(15:35): it back to my followers and supporters to put out, like, what do you want to see? What do you think? And even vote on the name. With the name, something as small as the name of the doll, I wanted that to really be meaningful to people. It really was. It was

(15:56): such a significant part of our process, and so we put it out there, like, suggest names to us, what does that mean? And then I really took it upon myself to make corrections. Like, even with the Filipina dress with the shoulder piece, we had it what I thought was correct, and then I had feedback like, actually, this part shouldn't

(16:18): be pleated at the bottom of the sleeve. So I went back to production and we did it completely all over again, and all of that required deconstructing it and recreating it again. So there were so many prototypes of the dolls, and it really did come through this entire process, like this whole journey from the initial concept to the final concept that we finally were able to

(16:41): finalize. And so I'm really happy that I did that because it allowed people to feel part of our journey. But also I could get the feedback from people and know that that was right, like that was accurate.

(17:04): Yeah, because I didn't want to be pretending that I knew. I didn't want to misrepresent anyone. I just wanted people to feel proud that these dolls represented their heritage. And it's obvious

(17:25): that you took the time to put in the care. You took the time to pay attention to the small details that really mean a lot to people. And I think, you know, one of the things that can be scary for someone who's taking on a project like this is to be as on point as possible, right, because there are going to be millions of people looking. And the fact that you took your time, did your research, and even employed

(17:48): a whole host of people shows how much you care about this product. And as you have been able to take it from paper and make it into a real doll and then actually have kids play with it, I mean, were there points where you were like, yeah, this

(18:10): is, this is like, I don't know if this is really gonna happen. Like how do you pull yourself through those moments? Yeah, when I was going through my second manufacturer, I thought, okay, finally I found a manufacturer that was able to produce the different skin tones because the first manufacturer couldn't do the different skin tones. And so when I found the second, I

(18:32): was like, yes, I'm finally gonna produce these dolls. And then when we were designing them all and I finally received them in person, I was like, oh man, this is not the quality I was expecting. Wow. And then I was just like, I've spent nearly two years on this, and I was like, I can't fathom bringing these dolls out to the public while they have

(18:56): my concept in mind. Like they look kind of like how I want it, but when I feel them, it just didn't feel like that was it for me. So, I was like, oh gosh, can I do this? Should I just give up now? And that's when I actually connected with a Gale Wade, she's a

(19:18): toy industry expert. She coaches other toy entrepreneurs on starting their own toy journey. So she really encouraged me to keep going, like, no, you gotta keep going and bring this. There's nothing out there like this, and that I have a market for this, like this is what people are wanting, and I can do this.

(19:41): All I have to do is find a manufacturer, summon all my energy. And so as much as I felt so defeated, I just had to keep going back to my why. Of course, I felt completely defeated, but there were so many people

(20:03): following me at that point, and I just knew that I wanted to do this for the community. I wanted to do this for my children, but I just knew that there was such a need out there. So yeah, I had to summon all my energy to go find a new manufacturer. It felt like I was

(20:25): restarting everything from scratch, but at the same time, I had still come such a long journey, such a learning curve up until that point. So I was able to go through that process a lot faster, even though it was starting from scratch. And then finally

(20:48): bringing them to life. That I think was such a pivotal point for me that I really at that point thought I couldn't do it. And you did it. You pushed through and you summoned all that energy. It takes a lot, right, because you're thinking about all of the time, tears, sweat, whatever you want to call it, that you're putting into this. And then you factor in that you're a mom.

(21:10): you don't just call in sick; you have to be there, right? And so, you know, we talked a little bit earlier about juggling time to work and your own self-care, right? But how do you structure launching this business, having to travel overseas, with being a full-time mom? How do you find the structure there?

Yeah, it was tricky. I think it was such a low point for me at that time because I think it coincided with me finally... when was it? Uh, yeah, so I gave birth, I think it was like I gave birth to my second child shortly before that. So, of course, you've gone through those stages of postpartum, and I remember because, yeah, I gave birth to her in November, and around December was when I received those dolls. And I was just like, I don't know if I can do this, like too much, like it's too overwhelming. My eldest daughter was two and a half, so it just felt like I really had two babies plus this business. And then I still was managing, of course, my photography business, which was the one that was still, you know, bringing in some money, not a whole lot of money, but, you know, at least some for me to sustain. And so, yeah, it was a lot to handle. Really just leaning on my husband, like, he was like, I could not have done it without him. He really took the time off work to help me and see this through, like he really wanted me to make this happen. Actually, it wasn't actually his idea because when I was looking for dolls, I kept complaining to him, like, I can't find dolls. I can't believe how hard it is to find

(23:04): dolls. And he's just like, well, if you can't find it, why don't you just make it? So, yeah, you're right, I guess I could make it, right? Yeah, I hadn't thought about it, and he just came up with this brand new idea and really challenged me. I think being such a team together, and of course it was just chaos that whole... even until now it's still chaos. But being a team together is such an important thing to be able to say, hey, you take this, I'll take this on. Otherwise, you could just completely lose yourself in everything.

Yeah, I can see that. I could see that. I mean, if there's a mom listening and she's got this idea, she just needs to figure out how to make that leap, right? I mean, it's scary. You think about, you know, I have this great idea, I know how to execute it, but I don't have the funding or I don't have formal training in this particular industry. But I do want to start a business or put together a product. What words of wisdom or gems would you give to that mom?

I think really believing in your why. And I even went back to this so many times. As long as you have a solid why, then it will propel you to keep going. And that's when, like, if you really believe in it and you know that it's going to make a difference for

(24:51): so many people, that's how I thought about it. Then I knew I had to keep going. And so I summoned all those resources that I could to make it happen. And I kept looking at my children, like, if I want this for my children, then it is important. It's so important. And so, yeah, I just kept going back to that and knowing that I was going to make a difference for people, that it was

(25:32): significant for me. I just made it my whole mission to be able to do that. And I, yeah, I don't know what else to say about that, but other than just going back to it because it was such a pivotal point, that just kept me going.

Yeah, no, I think that alone is huge because once you identify that, like you said, it definitely gives you the energy. It propels you, it keeps you on a particular path, and everything kind of falls right into place as you need it. So, I mean, I think the one thing that most of us working moms struggle with is this idea of self-care, right? Because we know how to pour into others,

(26:18): we know how to pour into our children, pour into our mission and our ideas. But then it's like, wait a minute, none of that can happen if we're not taking care of ourselves. Do you feel like you've figured it out, or do you feel like it's still a work in progress?

It's definitely a work in progress. I think sometime during the pandemic, I remember just feeling so overwhelmed and I finally took the guts to reach out to a therapist. It was the best decision ever, not only just doing it for myself, but I also encouraged my husband to do it. We use the same company that caters to parents, but especially

(27:06): new parents, but of course we have our own therapists. I think that was such a critical step for us because as we've been coming into this new identity of being new parents and juggling everything, work and family, and taking on such a big project like this where there's so much stress and financial risk and time and everything, and

(27:33): handling and managing the two kids, there's going to be times where you don't agree on things, or you feel like you're going crazy. So, I think for us to be able to talk about things to someone else and then be able to try... For myself, I definitely don't do enough self-care. Actually, with all that I feel like I have to do, I always want to do more, right? And just like you said, I can't do more if I can't take care

(28:19): of myself. And that's a frequent topic that I have with my therapist, to be able to sleep more, because as I mentioned, I was sleeping so late and I was doing all this work, and that was all the time I could get it done. But the next morning, I just felt like crap because I felt like I wasn't a good mom. I felt like I was not doing enough, and I was cranky as ever because I wasn't

(28:41): sleeping and all of this. So there's this constant cycle. But also going back to, I think, even my childhood, that feeling of not being good enough, like I'm not good enough, and that's the cycle of trying to be perfect or trying to overdo things because I felt

(29:02): that feeling of not being good enough. So this is like a whole full circle thing that I hope, through the project, I can learn for myself but also for my children that we are good enough. We need to learn that, and that, you know, I don't want myself to feel like I am this person because of my work, you know? Like I'm a mom

(29:26): first, or I'm a daughter first, like all of that is what's important to me. I think it's always been sort of like work first because I've always felt like that has defined who I am, right? And then I struggled with all these other identities of being a mom and all of that, and then I feel like I'm not a good enough mom and all of that. So it's

(30:11): like everything fits together in this whole cycle, and it's this whole learning and unlearning of what I've gone through in my life.

Yeah, I think that's already a huge step, though, that you had the courage to get a therapist, and encouraged your husband to get a therapist. I think culturally, we're already kind of looked upon as if that's a shameful thing to raise your hand and say you want to do some therapy. So, I think you're already on your way to mastering this

(30:33): thing of self-care. That's awesome that you're advocating for it because, like we said, culturally, it's not... it's still not a thing. We're in 2024, and people still kind of have a stigma around mental health and wanting to add that to your list of self-care things, right? So, I think that's amazing that you and

(30:53): your husband are doing that. I'm excited to see where Joey Dolls goes and how amazingly you guys grow. You made this statement with your start of all the dolls at one time, covering all the various cultures. I love that, and like I said, I can't wait to see you continue to share these memories that families are making once these dolls are

(31:15): opened and shared. It's such a beautiful thing. Can you give us one more time the website, maybe your social media, that way folks can start putting their orders in?

Yeah, yeah, so you can find us at Joeydolls.com, that's J-O-E-Y D-O-L-L-S dot com, and the same for Instagram and Facebook, it's just Joeydolls. Also on TikTok, it's the same, Joeydolls.

(31:37):Love it. Thank you so much. We had such an amazing time talking to you, Samantha, and I think we're probably gonna want you to come back around the holidays because we're gonna need to remind people these are the coolest things to have in your gift basket as we get ready for the holidays.

Of course.

(32:00):Thank you so much for having me and sharing that story.

Thank you.