We had the good fortune of connecting with Austin Anderson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Austin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It’s funny you called us a business, it certainly feels like I work WAY more than I did when I was earning an income. Ha ha!

Starting puddin’ pop was born from a combination of wanting to get involved with the foster system, leaving a long-time sales career, COVID, and an inspirational post from childhood acquaintances in my home state of Colorado who were serving underprivileged children with used clothing.

I knew two things for sure when we decided to give this non profit idea a try 13 months ago:
1. Everybody I know, including my own family, has too much. Whether it’s too much Target, Neiman’s, or Gap, we all have an abundance of like new/new clothing sitting in closets or rubber bins not being used.
2. The little information I had about the foster system was heartbreaking and I knew we could share our abundance with those friends at their most desperate time.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
puddin’ pop is 100% operated with donations and by volunteers. Our goal when we started in 2021 was to share the abundance of so many with foster children who have little to nothing. In an effort to personalize our mission, we respond to individual requests resulting in each package being customized & sized for a specific foster friend. As we have grown and gained support from our community & friends, we are currently able to provide approximately 10 outfits per package, along with a backpack, book, & blanket when available. These were items that became part of our program over time which feel like part of our “brand” now. A value add we had not expected was that, in most instances, we are able to deliver the package(s) to the foster friends rather than have one more errand for their foster families to run. Volunteers have made this possible on a greater. scale so we can be at home responding to requests, scheduling deliveries, and preparing the packages. Volunteers have also taken over our laundry duties since late Fall of 2021 which is a HUGE help since every donated clothing item is laundered before being included in a package. puddin’ pop is busier than we ever anticipated and among the many things we hope people learn about foster care is how many ways there are to help and get involved. If we all do what we can from where we are, big things happen!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The foster system is the best example of “it takes a village”, so it’s perfect to recognize all of the people who propelled puddin’ pop into being and keep us going! First and foremost, without the full support of my husband, Morgan, puddin’ pop would not be here. And not in a quippy way like, “my love, my life, my partner”. Gross, lol. We made the decision together to try a single income approach while I pursued something outside of the sales arena(s) I had been in for so long. With the financial flexibility to go 100% into the unknown and the cautionary logic of my risk management hubby, 13 months later here we are!

I have to thank both of my boys as well who endured all of the craziness, laundry, and disorganization in the beginning. Dominic & Max have also helped and served along side me with puddin’ pop which is my longterm goal as a mom. To have them find a cause they are passionate about and do what they can to make the world a better place. I am very fortunate that my mom, Jan, has volunteered for various causes for as long as I can remember which set the bar for me wanting to do the same.

There have been so many wonderful surprises from people supporting puddin’ pop in various ways from all avenues of my life. Hearing from them, receiving their notes/donations/encouragement really means more than they will ever know. I cannot begin to list them all, but you know who you are!

Finally, all of the new friends we have made in the last year. One of the ONLY consistencies with the foster system is that everyone I meet who is involved one way or another, never planned for it or expected it. Finding all of these people with hearts bigger than Texas who jumped in (or were pulled in kicking and screaming) to a very broken situation to help children, are the every day heroes I look up to.

Website: www.puddinpop.org

Instagram: @puddinpopdfw

Facebook: @puddinpopdfw

Other: puddinpopdfw@gmail.com

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.