How She Built a $40M Bootstrapped Brand From Her Garage | Megan Trottier (Oh My Mahjong)

Speaker A: Coming up in this episode of Professional Jealousy.

Speaker B: As a woman, sometimes I definitely feel like I have imposter syndrome sometimes. But I do feel like sometimes less than where what has been built is really incredible. One of the most important skills I think especially entrepreneurs can have, but people in life is being able to pivot. People would be like, mahjong, what in the world? Like, who's playing mahjong? And I'm like, well, they will. I would describe myself as like a leaf going down the river. And if you hit a, if you hit a rock, you know, you have to like, you're going to go with where the water takes you. If you overthink stuff, you're just going to stay paralyzed.

Speaker A: Hi, I'm Natasha Jakubsky, chief innovation officer at Anomaly, a global marketing agency in New York. And this is my podcast, Professional Jealousy, where I am lucky enough to Talk to founders, CEOs and creatives that I'm impressed by and, yes, a little envious of. So today I'm, um, so excited that I'm talking with Megan Trottier, the founder and CEO of oh My Mahjong, a company launched in 2022 that designs modern, fabulous looking mahjong sets. Um, I'm looking forward to talking to her about how she's turned a passion into a business, her approach to creating a design and personality led, and her theories about why Mah Jong is on the ascendants. Um, Megan, thank you so much for coming on. Uh, for people who don't know the oh My Mahjong brand, can you give us the elevator pitch?

Speaker B: Yeah. So Mah Jong is an ancient Chinese game that came over to the United States and around the 1920s, 1930s, it was standardized by a group of Jewish women. They created the National Mahjong League. And then it was really historically passed down through the group of women. Um, around 2020, it's had this massive resurgence and continues to grow. So what is Mahjong? It is, like I said, it's an ancient Chinese style game. It is tiles. Think tiles, kind of like cards. You have suits and numbers and you're trying to make hands out of those tiles. So you're trying to make order out of chaos. Um, you are sitting around a table with four people and the first person to get their hand wins. That's what the game is. And then what's happened since 2020 is, um, OMM or oh My Mahjong was started in 2022 to start bringing and adding some color and funk and modernizing, um, the accessories and all the things that go with mah jong, so. Oh, my. Mah jong stays true to the traditional Chinese imagery. But then we've just added a bunch of new design and not reinvented it, but made it beautiful in all kinds of ways that still honor tradition. And it's really. It's wild. What. It's. What's happened to mahjong, I would say, in the past three years, um, it has become a cultural kind of phenomenon across the US Everyone is learning and wanting to play, and that was definitely longer than an elevator pitch. I apologize. But all in all, I mean, I

Speaker A: feel like you've gone, uh, you've given a good overview of mahjong. I was saying before we started that I am trying. You know, I've been learning mahjong, uh, in classes with friends, which I think the with friends part has made it slow. But do you think it was Covid that brought it on, or why do you think it started back on the scene, how it went from, you know, a few grandmothers playing it to actually, uh, becoming culturally relevant?

Speaker B: Yeah. So my personal journey is, I learned 20 years ago in college, and no one played. And then during COVID which I think happened to a ton of people, a girlfriend said, hey, my aunt plays this game. Do y' all want to play mahjong? And I was like, yes, absolutely. I've carried a game around with me for 20 years, so I think people were craving connection. Um, I think they were craving a way to get together and put their phones down. Um, they were craving something that they could share with one another, which I think is why it's continued to take off and continues to spread and grow. As, you know, it's super difficult to play. Like, you have to be really focused, so you can't be on your phone. You can't be distracted. Like, you have to be sitting there engaged with the people at your table.

Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I. I definitely am still getting the hang of it. Uh, you know, one of the reasons I want to start playing. A really good friend of mine who. Who grew up playing it, says that she loves playing it with her mother because they can't really talk that much, and. But they can still spend time together without arguing, which I thought was an amazing. An amazing thing, like a way to connect. But actually, you can.

Speaker B: You.

Speaker A: You can really focus, and you don't need to talk all the time. And I think my problem has been I've just been talking all the time.

Speaker B: Um, the talking makes it hard. I feel like it's harder to pick up when you talk. But I like that what your friend says, because it is really cool. So even if it's someone that you would normally get in arguments with or have disagreements with, if you're sitting playing mahjong, you don't really have time to do that or the mental capacity because you're so focused on what you're playing. Um, so I think that. And also I think what's really neat about mahjong is that it transcends generations. Right. So a mother and a daughter, a grandmother and her granddaughter, a great grandmother, like all generations can sit at a table and play one game together. Yeah.

Speaker A: Weirdly, it's a little bit like. Although it's probably. It goes even older than, like, you know, I feel like pickleball is being quite, you know, multi generational, not necessarily playing against each other, but you see, you know, a range of. It's a similar thing in a weird way. Um, the castes that I've been to have been literally from seems like 80 to, like, teenagers, which is kind of amazing. There's not many things you can kind of see that.

Speaker B: Uh, no, even like, we see like in schools and elementaries, they have mahjong clubs for after school. So, uh, agreed. Like, it's just really neat how anyone from really young to really old can play this game.

Speaker A: So when did the idea from the brand for the business change from fun thought to, I'm, um, actually gonna create this thing. I'm gonna actually create a business.

Speaker B: Yeah. So it. It was interesting because it started as just this concept with my weekly group of, why don't you make a box that we could put our tiles in? I had a manufacturer overseas doing some other acrylic, like, really small things. Um, and so I tried it and it sold. And then it was, why don't you make a mat? And this was, you know, three and a half years ago before there were mats, tons of mats with different instructions. There was nothing. There were. There were barely even any mats. And it was, why don't you make a mat with all the nuances of Mah jong, of American mah jong to help. So I did that and it sold. And so that's when, like, my brain started ticking. This actually could be something. Um, and then I thought, I want to design a set of tiles that are based on the traditional. What really, like, have a design element to them? And I did that and they sold. And so it was. It kind of was a snowball effect. And I think it was in the spring of 23 that I thought, oh, this is truly could be something. Um, and each year I feel like I exceed all expectations that I had of what that year was going to be. And it just keeps on getting bigger and bigger.

Speaker A: So, uh, what were you doing before? Like, what? Uh, yeah, what were you doing before? You said that you were making acrylic kind of boxes or. Yeah, what were you doing before?

Speaker B: Yeah, so I have a background in sales. So prior to. Prior to the art thing, which I'll get into a second, um, I was in medical sales, copier sales in my 20s. I've always been a seller, um, someone that loves to sell and be active. But during COVID I started an art business. I'm out of my garage, I have three boys. I needed something to do creatively that, uh, could get my mind away from the current situation. So I started making art, and I thought, how can I make this reproducible that I'm not having to touch every single piece to sell? So I got some of my artwork and manipulated it and did some different stuff with it and found a manufacturer, um, overseas to make acrylic trays with my art. So that was where the whole kind of entrepreneurial journey started. And I got these trays made, but not a lot like they sold, but not. It wasn't anything crazy. And I thought, this is gonna be something else. I just don't know what it is. But I kept, like, always being really open to things. And then that's where the acrylic box came in, is. My friend said, hey, make a box. You have a manufacturer make it for our tiles so we can show em off.

Speaker A: Yeah, that's amazing. And, um, I was reading that you've hit, like, 40. 40 million.

Speaker B: Yep. So we did 40 million, um, in 2025. So we've had just incredible growth. But it's been because of a ton of hard work, um, a ton of amazing team members that I think, especially in the beginning, one of the key things was always being able to pivot. I tell my kids this, I stand by, stand by. It is one of the most important skills I think, especially entrepreneurs can have. Uh, but people in life is being able to pivot. Like, if something works, don't get stuck on it. Just try a different way. And so that was the whole. You know, we tried a lot of things in the company in the early stages, and it didn't work. And we pivoted and went to the next thing. And so we never got hung up on something. And it was just constant, like, working fast, producing things quickly. Um, I think is a huge component of how we got to where we are now.

Speaker A: What are some of the biggest, uh, pivots you had to make in the learning process? The kind of test and learn, see what works?

Speaker B: Yeah, that's a great question. Like, so I think there's, like, been different areas, right? Like, product wise, I think we've always been really honed in on, like, what the right products are, but actually there have been some things. It's, it's. This is a really good example. So two years ago, we came out with a pool mat and a. A, uh, mahjong pool mat. So you can sit in your pool and you can play mahjong. Well, two years ago, mahjong wasn't what it is in 2026. So they barely sold. I couldn't get rid of the dang things. And I was like, we're not reordering these. We are not making any more pool mats. They're 50% off. Like, take a mat, anyone gets a pool. Matt. Well, then a year later, so we pivoted. We're like, we're not doing a pool mat anymore. Last year, everyone was like, why don't you make pool mats? We came out with a pool mat this year, and we've sold so many pool mats in January of 2026 because everyone wants a pool mat. So it's. We pivoted, we didn't do it, and then we came back to it because then the demand was there two years later.

Speaker A: Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, I feel like you're kind of creating a category and you're, you know, you're both creating the demand, uh, and you're riding on the. This interesting growth of a. A, uh, game, sl sport. I don't know. Like, it's interesting. How do you think about that in terms of, um, the way you grow your brand, the way you market your brand?

Speaker B: It's a good question because I feel like that's when people ask, what's the market size of mahjong? Um, if you look at what the market size is right now, that's nowhere what it'll be in six months or a year. Um, there's so much growth to be had. If we look at a map of our business that is primarily in the southeast right now, and it shows that there's, like, in the Midwest and the west and the east coast, like, like Northeast coast. So we're creating it, we're introducing people to it. We're developing this whole new marketplace that didn't exist. But then there is a Reason that the people who have played mahjong for so long continue to play. Because once you start playing, it's something you never want to give up. Um, I equate it kind of like a chess because it really works your brain. It's not, it's not a simple game. It takes concentration, it takes strategy. So people become really hooked on it and they don't want to give it up. Like they're never, they're going to play it throughout their whole life. But it's introducing all these new people to it.

Speaker A: Yeah, it's interesting thinking about. Yeah, I don't know. How many people do you think play mahjong today? Like what's the penetration of in the States?

Speaker B: I mean very, very small. Like 3%. I mean I think maybe a million people. A uh, couple of million. But I think if you look at who the market can be. Right there's, it's really anyone like you can play. Like it's not limited to a certain demographic of people. I know who our main demographic is, but I also think that that's what's so neat about it is it can. Anyone can play it just like cards or.

Speaker A: Yeah, I feel like with your kind of look and feel, I can kind of guess your main demographic. But who are you designing for? Who are you mostly selling to?

Speaker B: I mean I think it's 30 to 65 year old women. Um, however, we're starting to really get into younger too. So we've done a lot of um, really intentional designs and intentional products that target more the like skills to younger. Um, we have some potential partnerships that could really skew to younger to get, you know, that junior high to college. We're doing college game day stuff, sorority events. So but really it's that 30 to 65, but we even have Manjong and we have um, things for men. Like it's just all kinds of, you know, it, it's becoming anything for couples to do, um, for a husband and wife to have a date night with another husband and wife and play mahjong. So it, there's just, there's a ton of different avenues.

Speaker A: Yeah. So many ways to grow. So how do you market? Like how have you scaled so quickly?

Speaker B: Um, so in, in the beginning I had this really small Instagram page that I sold my art on and that's where it started. And so I would every day make some kind of social content that would go up and post about the art. And then it was the trays and then it was the mats and then for a really long Time, it was just social media and I had no clue what I was doing. I would boost the ads and do all. There was no analytics behind it. I will say we've gotten much more sophisticated in the way we operate that now. Um, the girl that is just so smart and does so much of our stuff, she's been with me since the beginning. She's our marketing officer. Um, she is doing a ton of Google thing, like Google Ads and, um, a ton of. She has a ton of like email things that she does through Klaviyo and all these different processes now to bring people in. But in the beginning it was just social media and it was just like simple, like boosting posts and things like that.

Speaker A: Yeah, I feel like, um, do you, I assume that people get people into it. It's that kind of brand and category as well. Is that, Is that true? Is that something you incentivize?

Speaker B: Yeah. So I think one of the huge growth factors that has also propelled oh My Mahjong is in the beginning, um, I took the brand wholesale. So I went to these wholesale markets where, um, other brands were only direct to consumer. Well, I wanted to get it into stores. So I would go to these markets and these stores would come up to potentially buy product for their stores. And they would say, this is great and cute, but no one in Meridian, Mississippi or Augusta, Georgia, or these small towns, no one in my city even knows how to play mahjong. So how in the heck am I going to bring it into my store and people are going to buy it? Um, and so what we realized was that it wasn't just only a product. We also had to educate people on Mah Jong. And so there were teachers in Dallas that were teaching mahjong. So we got them to come and in a way, partner. So they're not. They're not a paid employee of oh My Mahjong. They're their own independent, um, they have their own independent business. But then they would work with the store and they would fly to all these different cities across the US and host mahjong lessons for these stores to host. Well, when they would do that, you know, 8, 12, 20, people would learn, and then they would become addicted, and then their friends, they would make them go to the next set of lessons. And so it was turning, you know, a city that no one knew how to play by the lessons and word of mouth, hundreds of women, all of a sudden within a couple of weeks are all playing mahjong and hosting at everyone's home. So it becomes this very like, snowball effect of everyone wanting to learn and play and be in on it.

Speaker A: I love that. It's almost like. So they're almost like. Like independent sales slash. Brand ambassadors.

Speaker B: Like brand ambassadors? Yeah. Like, it's. They're. They're, you know, they get an affiliate code where they are able to give a discount to their students. They charge for their lessons. Um, they teach on our product. And so then usually, I mean, as you know, when you learn mahjong, it's a lot. Like, it's so much m. Your brain feels like it's exploding. And usually the tiles you learn on are the tiles you're going to go buy because you're like, I can't figure out something else. And this complexity of mahjong and like, it just is. It totally makes your. Makes you feel really stupid in the beginning. I feel like, um. And so they're teaching on the tiles. People are buying the tiles every. And then everyone wants to get in on it because they're. Everything's so pretty. And so there's tons of customers that are like, I have no idea how to play, but I've purchased everything. I'm committing to it because it's also pretty and I want to have it in my home.

Speaker A: Yeah. I love how you've kind of gone from a product to almost like a lifestyle. So you can. All the accessories that you've expanded into. Um, is interesting because I'm assuming people don't buy multiple mahjong sets. So it's about accessorizing and creating incremental kind of purchase opportunities.

Speaker B: Yeah. And that. Well, I. So a couple of notes on that. You would be surprised how many people do own multiple sets. So it's almost become like, I equate it or compare it to like, handbags. Like, do you need four black handbag? No, like you don't, but. Or do you need four different sets of china or different entertaining pieces? No, but, like, do you want to have them because they're beautiful and they bring you joy? Yes. Um, so people have, I would say, a very good share of people own multiple sets. So maybe they have, you know, a set they use during the holidays or a set they use and it's spring and they want really bright colors and maybe fall they bring out their darker colored set. Um, the mats they have. I would say people are collecting the mats where. Depending on who they're hosting and what they're hosting for. Um, but it is all the accessories, right? It's the bags, it's the mats, it's. It's become this whole statement piece where let's say four different friends have their own setup. Well, they could all have the same tiles, but they could have different accessories. And so when they're hosting, it's a totally different aesthetic feel than the other friend who has the exact same tiles. And so it's a really way to almost express yourself, like clothes or home decorations and be able to express who you are through your mah jong choices.

Speaker A: No, it's very similar to home decor in that way. So changing out, uh, the pillows and by season and. No, that's so interesting because these are, they're expensive. Like how much is, uh, if to get the kind of all over set, it's pretty.

Speaker B: So to get the tiles, um, ranges like we have some of our plastic tiles that are around 300. And then if you're getting the acrylic tiles, it's 4 to 500. Um, so it's definitely an investment that there's no doubt about that. But I think once you get the tiles and you see them and how beautiful they are and the detail in them, um, they're handmade, they are. By artisans overseas. Like, it's truly incredible the art and the craftsmanship that goes into these. Um, but they're, they're almost like little tiny pieces of art. Each tile.

Speaker A: Yeah, I love that. Um, so you were doing art before, so you designed all of them?

Speaker B: No, so I actually am not the designer. Um, I found, it's a funny story, I found a woman, when I start, you know, had this idea. I found her on Etsy and she was currently kind of like semi retired, raising kids at home. Um, she was a graphic designer and she had some stuff on Etsy that was mahjong related. And so I reached out to her blindly and said, I would love to speak to you because I have no idea how to operate anything like Adobe or any of that stuff. Reached, um, out and I said, I had this idea. I want you to help me design mahjong tiles. Um, and she is, she is Filipino, her husband's Vietnamese. So they, you know, mahjong was part of her and she, her grandparents played and her parents played. But she was like, no one plays mahjong. Like, that's what she told me on the phone. I said, no, no, I promise this is going to be something. Can you just help me? And she was like, I'll help you, sure. So she designed the first set and it was, you know, it started really small where I was like, I can afford X amount of dollars for you to design the set this month. And then, like, a month or two later, I would call and say, can we do another design now? She's our creative director who does all the designs, and she's brilliant. Um, but it's also really too. It's also really neat because she has gone from a stage in life where she was raising her children and now they're older, to then, oh, my mahjong kind of came in at the most perfect time and gave her this new, new sense of self. I think, too, of having this really cool design job where she gets to do all these beautiful designs that she's getting to see all over the place.

Speaker A: Amazing. Um, so how did you brief her? Like, what was your. Like, how did you explain the kind of look, feel, and, uh, personality that you wanted for this brand?

Speaker B: So I think in the beginning, it was. It's always been important or always been key to all of our designs for the tiles to stick true to traditional Chinese. So I said, everything a bamboo needs to be a bam. A dot always needs to be some form of circle. A crap always needs to be the Chinese character. So I said, you have full creative freedom. Just. It has to stick within that. So do the bamboo however you want, but it needs to be a green bamboo. Um, that was the first thing. And then once we started getting into the design of the mats, um, now if you look at, you know, our first mats to where we are now, they're two. I mean, they've come so far. Um, but it was all I told her. I was like, layers upon layers upon layers. More is more. I want color. I want happy, I want cheerful. Like, it needs to be almost like a grand millennial southern vibe of color explosion, um, where everything mixes and matches, and it's just a really fun, like, a fun home that you walk into, and there's just different patterns everywhere. Is my design like your background? Like my background?

Speaker A: Yeah. That's amazing. Um. Um, are there any, uh, any early decisions that felt risky that ended up kind of defining how you do things? I mean, like, it sounds like you grew bit, you know, iteratively. So, like, talk to me about some of the most important kind of milestones or decisions that have kind of helped build this over time.

Speaker B: Yeah. So I think, um. I think one of the really key parts that has made us successful was everything we did was based upon, like, what we had learned from before. Um, and, like, I remember moving into our first warehouse space, so everything was operated out of our garage, my husband and I's garage, the worker would come in and out of our front door and pack boxes. Getting our first warehouse space was the most petrifying thing to me because it was like, oh, this is real. Uh, yeah, that huge decision. And then moving into a much larger warehouse space felt petrifying. Which now we've gotten two of those spaces because we've grown so much. Um, how do you think of other things? I think in the very beginning, wiring my first large payment to China felt petrifying. Um, but I remember my husband, who's been an entrepreneur, entrepreneur his whole life, said, if you're in, you've got to do it. Like, you're either in 100% or you're out. So you just got to commit to it and see what happens. And so that's where I was like, okay, I'm just, I'm going to do it and I'm going to hold my breath and hope everything works out. Um, and that was definitely one of the scarier moments. But I think if I thought about everything to its like full, like fully thought through it, I would probably want to crawl under my desk and say, what am I doing? But it kind of putting one foot in front of the other and not thinking too much about it and just doing more and more action.

Speaker A: Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about starting a brand in an emerging category like you have?

Speaker B: Uh, yeah, I have actually several things. So I think one, there's a really good chance where you start, it's not going to be where you end up. You know, I've started thinking I was going to make acrylic boxes, or first I thought I was going to be doing art, and now I'm making all things mahjong. So I think the, um, the ability to be flexible in your thinking and being able to pivot when something works, go for it. If it doesn't work, pivot and try something else. Um, acting quickly like things will never be perfect. And so getting it out there in the universe and then doing new versions of it, I feel like is a much better way than having analysis paralysis and getting stuck and scared to do something. I think, you know, I, I listen, I love listening to entrepreneurial stories. And it's the action, like, it's just constantly taking action that I think is where you're going to come. There's going to be mistakes, there's going to be walls that you run into, but it's just constantly doing action. To move forward is really what propels you and the whatever brand you're starting, um, you have to have thick skin. Like, it's. It's not. It's not for the faint of heart. Um, my husband would laugh because some days I would be like, we're shutting the whole thing down. Sales were horrible today. Like, this is just. This is a joke. What are we doing? And then the next day, it would be some good day in sales, and I would be back on the wagon. That OMM's gonna be amazing. So, I mean, it's just these highs and lows that trying. Attempting to stay level through is really important. But to know that you're gonna feel like you're on a roller coaster all the time.

Speaker A: Yeah, totally. I see it. Even with my husband looking at the sales every morning, as soon as he wakes up, uh, which it is. It just kind of. It's so up and down. Um, have you had to raise money or have you been kind of bootstrapping and building as you go?

Speaker B: Nope. So we've never raised a dollar. Um, my husband and I own it. It's. It's bootstrapped itself. There's never been any money raised. Um, so, yeah, it's. It's given us a lot of freedom, which has been great. And I think. I think it's put a lot of. It was scary, right? Like, when my husband. This was actually probably. I forgot about this moment when you were talking about, like, kind of those scary moments. He quit his job at one point. He was in, um, he was an entrepreneur and then ran businesses in private equity. And he wasn't. He was in a place in his job that he wasn't loving. And I said, well, come work for omm. And so he called me, um, the next day, and he said, when do I start? I just quit. And I was like, oh, okay. We have three kids. We have a mortgage. We've got to make sure we have health insurance. Like, it was like, oh, hell, we're really doing this. Like, we are all in. Um, that was, like, one of the probably or scarier moments for us. Um. Um. And it was like, we have to make it work, but also, if we don't, we can go get another job. Like, so I. It was not too catastrophic in my mind, but, um, yeah, that was. That was a big moment.

Speaker A: Yeah. How is it working with your husband?

Speaker B: It's interesting. No, Some days it's really good. He really does stay out of a lot of it, um, because he knows that what me and the team have is really good. So he helps with a lot of. Like, he really was instrumental in, like, building more of the Structure for the company to continue to grow.

Speaker A: Um, what sort of things like the

Speaker B: organization chart and making sure we had the right employees in the right places. He's really good at hiring. He's got an amazing read on people where he can talk to him instantly and be like, that's not the right fit personality for this job. I, um, think giving us. He's really key and more of like my mentor because he has so much business knowledge of his past. Um, so he's my sounding board for a lot of things. Um, he does a lot of, like the legal stuff, a lot of like the back end stuff that's not fun but needs to be done.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Um, but you know, he hired an employee. It was actually really interesting who is my assistant now. And I had never spoken to her. And he was like, she's going to be good. I trust like. And I was like, I trust you. And so when she started her first day, she said, I find it fascinating I never spoke to you and I'm going to be your personal assistant. And I was like, I don't need to talk to you. Like, I didn't need to interview you because I trust Kevin so much and his decision that if he thought you were a good fit, then I knew you were going to be a good fit.

Speaker A: Amazing. I love that. Um, and also showing the importance of having, well, someone you can trust, but also different skills. Um, you have the stuff that you focus on and he has the stuff that he focuses on. You both trust each other, I guess is the way to make it work. Um, yeah. You talked about you're in, you loved sales. I feel like, how do you. Do you think sales has been an important part of why you're good at an entrepreneur, why you're good at telling this story for oh my marjong?

Speaker B: I think so. Because I think you get used to rejection a ton. And so, you know, hearing no multiple times does not mean stop. It means you just keep trying. Um, I remember in my 20s, I was in copier sales and I would go hide in the bathroom when you're like canvassing floors, handing out your business card. And so you develop really tough skin. And then you would make cold calls and get hung up on or get yelled at. And so I think it just becomes part of like the normal day to day. And so when you, you know, starting this company, being told no didn't beat me down. It just made me more excited to keep going. Um, I do think it's really, it's fascinating because the bigger we've Gotten, the more I realize I don't sell the brand as well as some of the people on my team. And I think it's because there's a personal connection, and I've poured so much into it now that I could sell ice to an Eskimo. But if someone's like, I'm really not into mahjong, I don't think my. My customer base says, I'm like, okay, well, I'll see you in a year.

Speaker A: It's.

Speaker B: I don't have the, uh. There's something. I don't know what it is. That kind of inhibits me a bit. But I think in the very beginning of the company, it was key to. To all the no's I was told to get us to where we are now.

Speaker A: Yeah. Looking back, what do you wish you'd known when you started?

Speaker B: Um, I don't. I. I truly. I believe that everything, like the knowledge that I had prior to starting a company was paramount to getting me to where I am. I think if I would have known too much, I maybe would have been too scared to actually do what we've done. Um, so I. I don't think I would change anything. I think, um, that it's been the journey of, oh, my mahjong and where we've come over the past three years and the growth we've had. If I would have known too much, I probably would have not done it. Um, so I think. I don't think I would want to know something in particular. I think the path was necessary to be where we are.

Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. Um, and actually, you know, it's interesting. I've spoken to quite a lot of founders now, and I think that is, you know, I think that's a trait that a, uh, lot of founders seem to have. You know, it's no point worrying about the past. Everything that you've done has got you, ah, where you are. It's very kind of growth mindset. Do you think that's part of why you've been able to do this, why you've succeeded?

Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, 1,000%. I think if you. If you overthink or you, like, if you overthink stuff, you're just gonna stay paralyzed. Uh, and so I remember, especially in the beginning, um, when I, you know, had no idea, I would have never imagined that we would be where we are. Um, but it was. I would describe myself as like a leaf going down the river. And if you hit a. If you hit a rock, you have to, like, you're going to go with where the water takes you, you. And so that led me to where we are today. But I think being open and not having this really clear cut, this is what's going to happen, allows for so much more to happen than if you are really set in a particular path.

Speaker A: Yeah. Is there anything that you still feel insecure about as a founder?

Speaker B: Um, oh, 1,000%. Um, I think I have, um, it's, it's my husband's always like you, you know, when you're operating the business on a day to day basis, you have so much confidence and you're such like a boss and like not a bad way. But like I'm very like, I make decisions quickly. I don't, I don't hesitate. Um, I am very direct and upfront. But then I think too. And this sounds trivial but like as a woman, sometimes I feel, I don't know, like it. I definitely feel like I have imposter syndrome sometimes and, or that I'm not. I can't speak the fancy talk. Um, but I have the like. So I do feel like sometimes less than where what has been built is really incredible. But then I feel like I am, you know, be in a room where I'm like, I don't feel like I'm up to their standards or whatever.

Speaker A: Yeah, I mean what you have built is incredible. Um, and I wonder for, again for, uh. I feel like there are so many people out there that have, you know, reasons why they, they have an idea but they don't do it. Um, I think especially, especially women. Um, like any, any insights or mantra or I don't know, like what would you say to those people?

Speaker B: No, I, I agree. I think women especially. And it's, it's an interesting thing in our like thought process because working with all these really amazing women, I'm like, women, it's, it's wild what women can do and it is wild. The multitasking and the level of productivity that they can get out in a day. Um, but I think we doubt ourselves a lot. And so I think a lot of this self doubt which kind of pulls into what I said a second ago. Like there's always this doubt in the back of our mind that we're not good enough or we're not smart enough. Um, but I think just taking that action. So if you have an idea, start it small. It doesn't have to be some massive thing that you have some massive investment. Um, like the, the capital that I started OMM with was tiny and then it just kept being reinvested so it's start small and just take daily action, um, and do the grind and don't give up because it is, it's a lot of work. Um, but I think if you truly feel like you've got something, even if everyone tells you you don't, which people would be like, mahjong. What in the world? Like, who's playing mahjong? And I'm like, well, they will. And now those are the people coming back to buy from us, from, you know, at the different markets. But it's, it's. If you believe in it and you think it's there, start small and do it. Yeah, try it.

Speaker A: Um, out of interest, what do you think your initial outlay was to start, like end game? What do you mean in terms of how much do you think you had to put in to begin starting your business? In terms of.

Speaker B: Oh, sorry, um, I mean, a couple of thousand dollars probably. And then, um, it was, I mean, the sales we did then, you know, it, it would, we would pre sell things, we would do all kinds of different stuff, but it was not much. Like it was very small compared to even the tiles. I, um, think my first tile purchase was, I don't know, in the low, low thousands, like single digit thousands of dollars, which seemed, that was petrifying to me. Um, the other things were a bit smaller and not as petrifying. Um, but it wasn't any, it wasn't anything wild.

Speaker A: Yeah, I love that. I mean, it's insane that you've gone from, you know, an outlay of a few thousand to over 40 in a few years. That's pretty impressive. Um, you've done so much already, but I do feel like, you know, with barely anyone, you know, population wise, playing mahjong. What are your goals in the near, near and long term?

Speaker B: Um, I mean, I have a lot, but I think the most immediate, like the lowest hanging one is spreading mahjong far and wide across the US like there's just so much growth and potential. Um, something else that we're really big on is that we keep coming out with new. So our tile designs, our mat designs, our bag designs. Nothing stays stale. So even if you think you have all the stuff you could ever want from, oh, my mahjong, six months later, you may have a major crush on some of our new products that you have to have. Um, so I think continuing to come out with new and then expansion across the US and making these, these places that no one's heard of mah jong or they've only seen It. On a TV show or a movie, making them become, um, in love. Fall in love with the game is like our most, you know, our. The things that are highest on our list. And then outside of that, we have a lot of other really neat ideas that we hope to be implementing, um, that can just. It'll just help spread mahjong.

Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. I feel like that's the interesting thing. Like the growth, the education, the community, um, they're all so intertwined, aren't they?

Speaker B: It's a really fascinating flywheel of a business.

Speaker A: Totally. Totally. Um, yeah. No, it's amazing. Um, what do you do outside of building Omai mahjong? Do you have. Do you do anything else or how often do you play mahjong still?

Speaker B: That is a great question. Um, I do play weekly or try to play weekly. I play on Wednesday night. Um, I have looped my husband into playing some with me. Like, on the weekends, we'll play just one, like Siamese mahjong, where it's just two people playing. Um. Um, I feel like I have been in, you know, it's. It's. I have three kids, um, two of which are small, that are 8 and 10. And so life is filled with sports and practices and all the different things. Um. Um. So I feel like being a mom and being a business owner is. Consumes most of my time. Um, in this stage of life. I think in another stage of life, I will have more time to do other things, like maybe cook dinner or play tennis or hang out with girlfriends more. Um, but it's pretty limited right now.

Speaker A: Okay. All right. Um, I'm gonna get to the last section of some quick fire. Uh, more frivolous questions.

Speaker B: Uh, okay.

Speaker A: What is, uh, one lesson that you've learned the hard way?

Speaker B: Oh, hold on. Oh, I think there's been lots of lessons that I have learned. I think trust your gut. Right. Like there were, and take action. Like, I know I keep saying that, but, like, if something's not a fit, don't try to make it a fit. Um, I think, you know, employee, like, figuring out the employment, how to employ people and how to find the right people has been. It's. It's hard to do. Um, and that, ah, it's not personal. It's. If they're not. If it's not a fit, it's not a fit. Um, that's been something that is hard. But for. Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, what's a daily habit that grounds you, if anything?

Speaker B: Well, I worked out this morning, and so I feel like that is a success. And that's the first time I've done that in a very long time. But I do know that working out does ground me. It is just something I've gotten away from. Um, I do require, like. So I feel like, you know, it's meeting after meeting and it's all this stuff, but having, like, a good amount of alone time just to, like, decompress is definitely necessary. Um, and as a mom, sometimes I feel like you can feel guilty for going and hiding in your room and, like, taking a moment for yourself, which that does. I feel bad about it, but then I also feel really good because it makes me be able to function.

Speaker A: Yeah, I. I can empathize with that.

Speaker B: Um.

Speaker A: Um. What do you. What do you think your superpowers are that have helped you be successful?

Speaker B: Um. Um. I think. I think fast, and I don't doubt myself. I. There's, um. I make a decision and I stick with it. There's no, like, contemplation. I go with what my gut is. It's. If you asked me business decisions right now, I'd give you an answer on how we're going to proceed. Um. If anything ever takes me longer than a couple of minutes to decide, usually I'll be like, let me give you an answer tomorrow. But most things, decisions are made on the fly, and it's what feels right to me. And I think that's been really. It's something that the more I see, I don't think it's like a. I think a lot of people hesitate a ton. Um, but the confidence and the answers I give, I just stick by it and I never really doubt it for the most part.

Speaker A: Do you have any mentors?

Speaker B: Um, so I really like. This sounds cliche, but I think my husband, like, he has so much business knowledge and he's. He's done all these different plans, programs and stuff where he is my confident confidant. He's my mentor. Like, he's the one that I really like, talk through all my business problems with. Um, and I'm sure he gets tired of it. He tells me at night sometimes, like, we cannot talk about work. Um, but I feel like that he is my mentor in the. In business.

Speaker A: Amazing. Um, do you have a favorite play on the mahjong card?

Speaker B: Oh, yeah. I love wins. They're so straightforward and easy, and I feel like they're the most under thought. Like, no one goes to them. Um, I even had someone tell me our te. A teacher told me not to go for wins. And I'm like, what wins Are my favorite because it. Because an N is an N, an E is an E. Like, there's no confusion on which tile you have to use. And so if I'm really tired, if I've had too many cocktails, I'm always going for the win section. And people always get rid of wins for the most part.

Speaker A: I'm pretty sure I was told to go for wins.

Speaker B: It's fascinating. And I'm like, those are the most straightforward. I feel like that should be the one that all beginners go towards because it's just very easy.

Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. And everyone gives them away.

Speaker B: They always do. It's. It's fascinating. So go for the wins. And maybe you're going to. It's. You're going to start having wild success.

Speaker A: Going to try that next year. Um, um. Anything you wish you'd learn earlier in your career?

Speaker B: Um. Um. I mean, I do think, like, the managing people, like, I will say that's. I think the hardest part of the business. Of a business is managing people, um, and hiring the right people. But I. There could have been some growth from that, for sure. Um.

Speaker A: Um, any. Any kind of tip or advice for how you pick the right person.

Speaker B: You have my husband interview him. I'm just kidding. Um, no, I mean, so we're really big on making sure the personality fit is, like, the personality type. Um, so we do do now, like, personality testing to make sure that, like, you know, that. That you. The type of personality you are, is going to fit within this role and you're okay with, you know, the same thing being done every single day. Are you someone that needs a lot of challenges and changes? So making sure that their personality is a fit for the role that we're hiring for I think is something that we have found to be one of the biggest indicators. And now it's like, well, clearly this person was not a right fit, because look at. Look at how they are. Like, yeah, nothing's wrong with how they are. They can excel in another area within the company, but maybe not the position we hired them for.

Speaker A: Yeah. Just out of interest, which system do you use?

Speaker B: Um, that's a great question. I have no idea. Kevin. And our team handles it.

Speaker A: All right.

Speaker B: Um, I'm very big on, like, giving. I'm like, y' all just go do this. You're in charge of it. I don't need to know the details. Just tell me the results.

Speaker A: Oh, Megan, I'm gonna reach the last question. Um, so tell me someone, uh, that you're professionally jealous of.

Speaker B: Um, Sarah Blakely. With Spanx, I feel like what she's created, her mentality, um, something that I've taken, you know, I've passed along to my kids that she said in a book or something that I listened to of hers was fail. Like, her dad always like pushed them to try something and fail. And I think that's the most important thing, like trying things and it's okay if you fail. Um, where she said her dad would ask their weekly failures, what did they try and fail at? And that's really stuck with me because it's, everyone's going to fail. Like, it's, it's key to be able to learn and grow. Um, but I think her, the, what she's done and created is remarkable. And talk about someone, you know, being told no so much and she rose above it and created something incredible, amazing.

Speaker A: I mean, it's funny because she popped to mind when you were talking about all the no's in the beginning. Yeah, uh, yeah, yeah. I think there's very similar, similar elements in terms of growing and just persevering and creating something different and new and just thinking, no, people are going to love this.

Speaker B: They're going to love it. Yeah. And so she's, she's just really an incredible person, um, with an incredible, like, positive outlook on life. I feel like.

Speaker A: Yeah. Similar to you. Thank you. Um, and just like, so, uh, yeah, your story's just so interesting and amazing in terms of how quickly it's all happened. I'm so grateful for you, uh, coming on.

Speaker B: Well, thank you.

Speaker A: All right, well, thank you for listening. Please, like, subscribe. Take a look at some of the other episodes too. You can find them on all the normal, uh, platforms, Spotify, Apple, YouTube. Um, get in touch if you have any questions, feedback or would like to recommend anyone to be on the podcast. Thank you so much to shimmy my producer and, um, yeah, hopefully I'll, uh, see you next time.