Today we’d like to introduce you to Theresa Vuong.
Theresa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
At 20 months, my son Davin had a speech delay. He was on the spectrum and barely spoke two words. I was introduced to bubbles as a form of effective therapy for a multitude of child development issues. So, we tried it and Davin just lit up with joy! The action of puckering up and blowing bubbles strengthened his facial muscles and helped promote his speech. I could visibly see his confidence grow. It was really out of my personal needs that the idea of BubblePOP was created.
I wanted to expand on the simple idea of bubbles. I wanted to create something that would engage children and motivate them to learn and further their development, all the while offering a place where families can come together, have fun and create lasting memories.
I partnered with Jennifer Li to make this come to life. We recruited a team of talented individuals and got to work. We crafted special solutions to provide the right properties like increased surface tension, engineered innovative patent-pending apparatus that optimize a child’s interaction and developed educational curriculum to guide families while they are in our space. We wanted an engaging and immersive experience and focused our efforts on hiring the right energetic personalities.
BubblePOP is a place for people of all ages and all backgrounds, including those on the spectrum with learning disabilities. BUBBLES ARE FUN and they present a special opportunity for education, linking many concepts of math and science. We partner with schools to foster passion for STEM, support homeschooling groups and have lesson plans for field trips. It’s rewarding to see how fun learning has become at BubblePOP!
Built upon a foundation for education and child development, BubblePOP has grown in ways we could not have anticipated! It’s now an immersive experience housed in a venue for many different events – field trips, special needs playdates, birthday parties, corporate events, book/product launches, and family fun days.
When I take my son to “work” with me and see the absolute joy that comes across his face – it reminds me why I am driven to bring this unique experience to every family.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
“So, what do you do?” That question rings in my ears as no one understands what an “interactive bubble experience” really is. Explaining what BubblePOP is has been one of our biggest challenges.
When we opened our doors, nobody knew what type of business BubblePOP is – and even today, a good number of people ask us, “what is the place?”. Yet our local community gave it a chance and ended up staying for hours with glowing reviews for us. We almost solely operate on word of mouth and it’s the families who have been to BubblePOP that really spread the awareness of our small business. Now we have visitors from out of state who have heard of us and stop by to visit on their trips to California.
Still, finding our business is difficult online. If you want boba, you go online and search for boba and 50 places in your area come up. But how does one search for a business that is an entirely new concept?
The pandemic has been another challenge. After suffering a 16 months closure, we regrouped, pieced together all of our emotions, and worked to rebuild our BubblePOP Family. It is our quality team that brings the energy and makes the magic come alive for those who come into our unique space. The pandemic has made this an incredible challenge as talented staffing becomes more and more limited. We are proud of the team we managed to cultivate and are excited to open our doors and continue on our journey once again.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
BubblePOP is vibrant, full of energy, and brings magical bubble experiences to the entire family!
You are greeted at the door with the scent of soap bubbles and walk through our 4,500 square foot indoor facility entirely immersed with all things bubbles! Want to hold a smoke-filled bubble in your hand? We have that. Want to be enclosed in a giant bubble? We have that. Want to make 10-foot-long bubbles? We have that too. BubblePOP holds a patent and is one of kind. It accomplishes one of the most important goals – bringing smiles and joy to all that participate. Everyone – grandparents, young children, special needs individuals – can come together, interact, and create lasting memories.
We believe in being an active and involved member of the community. We host events for organizations like Juvenile Diabetes, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, and United Cerebral Palsy. We partner with local businesses to support each other. We work with non-profits to host fundraisers and fun days. We work with schools, striving to promote education and STEM in an upbeat environment. BubblePOP is dedicated to providing a safe indoor place filled with soap, where families can come together and share a happy break from the world.
Additionally, we host private events, birthday parties, corporate family days, business meeting spaces, open family play, author book releases, quincineras, and so much more! We strive to make our events as convenient as possible so our BubblePOP families can focus on the celebration and less on making it happen.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Even though we have been in business since August 2018, most days I still feel like we are just starting out. So from one owner who is just starting out to another, I would advise to keep an open mind and talk to everyone.
We love meeting new people and think there’s always a chance to learn from everyone! I have met so many amazing and interesting people since starting BubblePOP. You never know when opportunities may present themselves. Someone who may seemingly have no connection to your business and what you do can wind up being a great referral or reference for a future project.
We are continually learning every day, and new challenges present themselves all the time. If we could go back to the beginning and start over, of course, there are so many things that we wish we could do differently, but in the end, we can’t dwell on them too much and have just learned to pivot whenever needed and (as Walt Disney would say) “keep moving forward”.
We have been lucky in our business partners, business acquaintances, and mentors – and look forward to a fun and exciting future for BubblePOP!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.gobubblepop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocbubblepop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OCBubblePOP
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bubblepop-tustin?osq=bubblepop
Image Credits:
PC: @wesleykongportraitz and @monicaplus_2
