Friendship can tie people together, but two friends have gone a step farther.  In addition to their intangible bond, the two are bound by bows. Hair bows, that is.

Pink Hippo Hair Bows, to be exact.

Julie longed to return to her Iowa roots, but refused to reduce her relationship with Gretchen to long distance phone calls.  Somehow, the two planned (no, really they schemed) a Midwest move for both families.

It took some convincing, but they soon sold the idea to their husbands.  Before you knew it, they were building homes right next door to each other in Johnson, IA.  No, seriously.

Life was good.  Then, one day they stumble on this pathetic little hair bow that someone had made.   As the mother to two girls, Gretchen had always been frustrated with the poor quality and selection of hair bows she bought for her kids.

Julie, mother of 3 boys, was pregnant...with a baby girl.  They made it their mission to make a hair bow that stayed in place.  A hair bow that was trendy and fashionable.  They did what many a entrepreneur does: they packed up a laptop and headed for the nearest Starbucks.

That is where The Pink Hippo was born.  It is also why we are all addicted to coffee.

After offering their hair accessories at craft shows and farmers’ markets, they decided to take the next step.  The Pink Hippo retail boutique debuted in the fall of 2007. The store was a huge success.  This is when the idea grew bigger. 

By September 2008, they had opened a second location in Naperville, IL.  By October, the company had legally established a franchising system.  And by November, they had sold their flagship store as the first Pink Hippo franchise. 

The duo and their manufacturing crew of 10 are currently transitioning into their new production and design studio in Urbandale, IA.   They are working with people from several states and plan to open 5 franchises in 2009.  They have projections to open 200 locations in the next 8 years. 

The Pink Hippo is certainly turning heads..... and making them look better, too.