28/05/2026
Today, we are crowning The Woobles founder, Justine Tiu, as our 👑
Tiu built a successful career as a user experience designer at Google, eventually becoming the design lead for Google Classroom. But, when she was asked to take on the role of manager for the team, she felt a drop in her creativity and an increase in burnout at work. She turned to new hobbies in hopes of finding something to rejuvenate her and boost her confidence, and during this time, she found herself immersed in the Japanese art of amigurumi, or crafting small stuffed creatures out of yarn. Tiu says that learning to crochet helped her feel like herself again and reminded her that she could always learn something new. This experience inspired the creation of The Woobles, a company dedicated to beginner-friendly animal crochet kits.
Tiu is now an example of turning an impactful hobby into a flourishing, successful business. Along with her husband, Tiu launched The Woobles in 2020 out of her parents’ basement, and at the time, the company was run solely by the couple. She created her own Shopify site, designed ads, personally answered customer questions, and shipped every package by hand. She wanted to learn what it takes to build a business and grow her company. The Woobles has now taught more than one million people how to crochet and is estimated to have a net worth of $20 million.
Tiu has placed teaching and community at the heart of The Woobles’ business. Each kit comes with a code that unlocks a coordinating tutorial, recorded by Tiu, that gives crocheters a step-by-step guide through the process. She’s also fostered an online community of over 200,000 “Wooblers” who take to Facebook to share their creations and ask for advice and support from fellow Wooblers. At its core, The Woobles isn’t actually about crochet. Tiu says it’s about remembering that you can always take on whatever comes your way and learning something new, “because if you can turn a yarn ball into an adorable penguin, what else might you be able to do?”
Thank you, Queen, for empowering others to follow their passions and believe in their creativity 💜