Emily Vaca launched MINNIDIP in 2017 as a bold antidote to sad blue kiddie pools — designing a sleek, adult-friendly inflatable that was missing in the market. She bootstrapped the brand, protected it via early patents, and slowly built a passionate fanbase. In 2024, she blew everyone’s minds with the MINNIDIP Balloon Garland: a reusable, latex-free, single-inflation cluster that sold seven figures in 24 hours with a waitlist of 51,000+. In this episode, Emily shares the constraints she embraced, how she pushed through manufacturing dead ends, and how she designs with purpose and durability in mind.

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