Make a splash. That’s the story of this week’s Wild Business Growth podcast guest, Emily Vaca. Emily is the Founder and CEO of MINNIDIP. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and your other favorite podcast platforms.
Episode 299: Emily Vaca – Designer Inflatable Pool, MINNIDIP Founder
Emily Vaca, the Founder and CEO of MINNIDIP, joins the show to share her journey from living and breathing design to creating the original designer inflatable pool. Hear how to find a manufacturer for your product, perfect your R&D process, get distribution in major retailers, the most beautiful sight from a Chicago roof deck, and some zingers from the Queen of Puns. This episode covers everything from one-liners to Little Italy. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- What gets Emily inspired about design
- How did MINNIDIP get distribution in Target
- What is RF Welding
- How often does Emily make puns at work
- What is a Balloon Garland
- Where is Emily from in St. Louis
- What’s her favorite pun of all time
- Is it pronounced gyro or gyro
Connect with Emily at MINNIDIP.com and on Instagram @MINNIDIP and @ShopLaVaca.
Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.
Show Notes
- Intro & Design
- [0:25] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
- [0:34] Connect with Emily at MINNIDIP.com and on Instagram @MINNIDIP and @ShopLaVaca
- [2:12] The Queen of Puns!
- [2:32] How do design and design thinking impact Emily’s daily life
- [3:19] What gets her inspired about design
- [3:40] Photoshop
- [4:39] How do you combine fine art and graphic design
- [6:45] What projects has Emily done at La Vaca Designhouse
- The MINNIDIP Story
- [9:56] Where did the idea for MINNIDIP come from
- [10:51] Stock Tank
- [14:05] How do you find a manufacturer for a new product
- [14:18] IP (Intellectual Property)
- [15:55] NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)
- [16:45] Got her
- [17:03] What is RF Welding
- [17:28] MINNIDIP.com
- [18:01] What’s the R&D (Research & Development) process for MINNIDIP
- [20:25] What is a Balloon Garland
- [21:47] Who knows
- [22:51] Let’s goooooooo
- [23:19] How did MINNIDIP get distribution in Target
- [25:08] Technology (Tech)
- [27:04] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Emily
- [27:05] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
- [27:07] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23
- The Punusual
- [27:30] What’s Emily’s favorite pun of all time
- [28:11] Does she make any Vaca puns
- [29:15] Krystal Proffitt – Wild Business Growth Podcast #203: Binge-Worthy Strategist, Confident Content Creation
- [29:30] The Poddy Report
- [29:45] How often does Emily make puns at work
- [31:05] Oh boy
- Rapid-Fire Q&A
- [31:45] What MINNIDIP SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) would Emily keep at her home
- [33:32] That rhymes
- [34:00] Where is Emily from in St. Louis
- [34:15] How is the St. Louis-Chicago sports rivalry
- [35:02] Is it pronounced gyro or gyro
- [35:36] What’s the most beautiful sight from a Chicago roof deck
- [37:02] Connect with Emily at MINNIDIP.com and on Instagram @MINNIDIP and @ShopLaVaca
- [37:44] What are Emily’s Final Thoughts
- [38:23] Follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
- [38:32] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Emily
- [38:51] Check out the Wild Business Growth podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
- [38:54] Connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and Threads @MaxBranstetter and TikTok @WildBusinessGrowth
- [38:58] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
- [39:03] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
- Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo
What is the Wild Business Growth podcast?
Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.
How do you start a podcast?
Interested in starting a professional-sounding and professional-looking podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.
Thanks for listening to Emily Vaca on the Wild Business Growth podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about it. And go MINNIDIP-ing with them. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!
