Daily Inspiration: Meet Wes Howard

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wes Howard. 

Hi Wes, 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?
I started Poppin Off Toys in the man cave of my house in 2016. I named it Poppin Off Toys because I was going to sell an item called “Pops” and also my wife always tells me to quit, “Poppin Off”. So, it was a perfect fit. 

I never intended to create a business. I really just wanted to sell some Pops in order to buy the more expensive ones for my personal collection. Things changed one day when a wholesale company messages me and asked if ever thought about buying them at wholesale prices in bulk. 

I asked them what I needed to do in order to make that happen and then went and applied for a sales tax license. I started buying them from this company and selling them in a local Facebook group. I would even drive them to the person’s house and collect the $10 from them! I wasn’t making any money, but I was having a lot of fun. 

Once I saw that I was pretty good at selling them, I decided to cut out the middle man and try to open an account with the company that made the product, Funko. I had to call them over and over, but finally got someone on the phone and somehow was approved for an account. 

From then, it was all about learning, refining, and taking the next small step. I eventually set up a website, made a sponsorship deal with a large Funko Facebook group, then with Instagram influencer accounts to help grow my budding business. 

I ran Poppin Off Toys for 5 years from my home. I eventually quit my full-time job to run Poppin Off Toys full time and by then I had taken over our man cave, entire garage, and two other storage units. 

It was time to make the next step. In March of 2021, we opened the first Poppin Off Toys retail store. It’s located in West Nashville on Charlotte Pike. This is a dream come true for me. I can’t believe this is what I get to do for a living and I honestly can’t believe that I actually did it. 

Poppin Off Toys is now a nationally recognized company that has sales over a million dollars each year. We are currently looking for the next step to take. 

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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. No labor of love ever is. There have been MANY days where I felt that I had made a huge mistake and it was all going to come crashing down. The day that I told my full-time job that I was leaving to run Poppin Off Toys full time was the SAME day that my wife and I found out we were pregnant with our 3rd child. We cried. Not out of joy. Out of fear. 

The thing I have found that works for me is to not get too high on the highs and don’t get too low on the lows. That way, I am not blinded by an opportunity or an area of improvement. I learn something new ALL the time. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The thing I am most proud of with Poppin Off Toys is that we put “people over Pops.” Every day, I try to “do for one what I wish I could do for all.” During the pandemic, we saw our sales increase because so many people were at home and we recognized that we were in the minority. Most businesses and people were not experiencing that. So, we decided to give away as many Pops as we could to people who were hurting. We asked customers to nominate someone going through a rough time and we would send them a Pop to hopefully add a moment of joy to their day. 

We have since adopted that rule in our retail store. Every child gets a free Pop their first visit and we actively look for people’s stories to find a need that we can meet. People Over Pops always wins. 

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I have no idea what I am doing. I didn’t go to business school or intend to do this. I just found something I loved and learned along the way. You don’t need to start as an expert to be successful. You just need to start. 

Contact Info:

• Email: help@poppinofftoys.com
• Website: poppinofftoys.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/poppinofftoys
• Facebook: facebook.com/poppinofftoys
• Twitter: @PoppinOffToys
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/poppin-off-toys-nashville?osq=Poppin+Off+Toys