We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dotty Mayle. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dotty below.

Hi Dotty, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Once I found the small business world, I was hooked. Meeting and getting to know fellow small business owners has been such an integral part of my business model. Seeing how hard they work to master their craft and create their items and knowing that their sales help them support their families is so important to me. Being the middle woman between my clients and small business vendors is an honor. I fully represent my friend’s businesses when I showcase them in my gifting orders. I take the time to showcase my OG Small Business Squad by sharing their stories and products. My clients know that when they shop with me, they’re supporting a whole network of small business owners. It’s truly a great feeling to know you’re making an impact in our community and bolstering our local economy.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Oh Goodie! was created when my son was five and I entered the kid birthday party scene. I watched my friends running around trying to throw these fun parties with entertainment, food, and kids expected goodie bags that my friends had no time or interest in making! I quickly realized that there was definitely a market and need for goodie bags. I tapped into my knowledge of what kids interests are from my own children and my third grade students. In twelve years, my business has evolved and each line was created out of the needs of my clients. I make welcome bags for out of town wedding guests, Reception Refresher baskets filled with toiletries and fun things in a basket found in the bathroom to keep guests fresh and happy to get back onto the dance floor fast, Teacher Appreciation gifts, celebratory sports bags, sympathy baskets, corporate gifts, Basket Raffle Baskets, and so much more. My custom gift tags are personalized with themed illustrations or logos. I really try to provide my client with something that they want to provide without having to do all of the planning, shopping, and assembling! I am really proud of the community that I have built around Oh Goodie! I have met so many wonderful people through my business; clients, vendors, non-profit organizations, and so many of them have become my friends. We genuinely support each other because we care. My most recent entrepreneurial venture has created a female founders networking business called SheConnects. Joining forces with Tesha Parker, Juweria Dahir, and Tina Anderson to create our business has been invigorating and exciting to work with like minded energies all united to support and uplift women in business and the non profit world. When strong women work together, they are unstoppable and I am so excited for what’s to come!

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

It is really wild how close knit the Buffalo community is. I have met so many wonderful people along the way in my journey running Oh Goodie for the past twelve years. As the Community Outreach Coordinator for Delaware Soccer Club, I also worked with local small businesses and non profit organizations to support each others endeavors. Through those relationships, I met Tesha Parker, the founder of Rooted in Love, a local non profit that provides fresh produce and essentials to those in need on the East Side of Buffalo. Our work in the community helped form our friendship and Tesha recently asked me to join her, Juweria Dahir, a marketing consultant & adjunct professor, and Tina Anderson of Creative Juices Marketing & Events in a business venture. Tesha recognized that each of us were all driven and successful women who naturally founds ways to amplify and support women in our community. I am thrilled to be partnering with these three powerhouse women to create SheConnects, a networking business focused on female founders in small business and the non profit world. We plan on hosting events that will bridge the gap between sectors, be a hub for resources, and connect others to uplift and amplify their mission.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I first started Oh Goodie! twelve years ago, it was to fulfill a need in the market to assist busy parents by creating goodie bags for kids birthday parties. As my business grew to meet the needs of my clients and I developed my role as Community Outreach Coordinator and running the social media for Delaware Soccer Club, I realized I had an opportunity to do so much more than just make goodie bags. I created Hug-In-A-Bag, a bag filled with warm weather essentials for those in need on the streets of Buffalo during the cold winter months. These bags contained small blankets, gloves, mittens, scarves, hats, hand warmers, toiletries, snacks, and a $5 Tim Hortons giftcard to get a warm treat, which a special gift for those on the streets. I shared my mission on social media and through word of mouth, people either bought bags to keep in their car to distribute when they encountered someone who looked like their could use a hug in a bag or they paid for a bag to be distributed on their behalf. I reached out to Regina Weise, the founder of Friends Feeding Friends, and I joined her in her weekly food distribution events and when she passed out warm homecooked meals on the street, we also shared Hug-In-A-Bags. Through our collective efforts, we were able to distribute over 40 bags to our friends on the street! Seeing those smiling faces and knowing that we made a difference was such an amazing feeling. In that moment, I knew that I would be channeling my work through Oh Goodie! to make a positive impact on our community and I haven’t stopped since.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ohgoodiebagsny.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohgoodiebags/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ohgoodiebagsandbaskets
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dotty-mayle-575b0558/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/OhGoodiebagsny
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/oh-goodie-buffalo

Image Credits
Mother in Nature Photography Ryan Bartholomew Photography KC Kratt Photography Byrd Photography Jim Jakubowski