Student Spotlight: Andrew Hummel - Hummdog.CO
Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes, and so do their dreams! While some work to develop the next million-dollar idea, others pursue business for the joy it brings. This dream of bringing joy to a greater community inspired to create his sticker brand: Hummdog.CO.
Ƶ Andrew
Andrew spent his childhood learning and growing up in Denver, the Mile High City. Despite his proximity to the University of Colorado Boulder (Ƶ Boulder), Andrew was too busy making friends and exploring the wonders of Colorado's natural lands, mountains, and winter sports to venture to Ƶ Boulder. But that all changed when it came time to apply for college. When Andrew first arrived on campus, he instantly fell in love with the town of Boulder and surrounding areas. He knew this was where he was going to attend college. Looking back, Andrew comments,
“There’s no other university that I’d rather be at. Boulder is my home, and I’ve made some of the best memories of my life here. Even though I grew up only 45 minutes away from Boulder, I have met so many new people and tried a number of new things each day.”
Ƶ Hummdog.CO
Every idea begins with a spark of inspiration. Andrew got his in a digital marketing course at Ƶ Boulder while exploring the various features of the Adobe Creative Suite. Inspired by the Grateful Dead, Andrew worked with a skull graphic that could be associated with a variety of themes. In love with his creation, Andrew shared the design with close family and friends. He adds,
“I wanted to put something out there and see where the ball rolls.”
The positive feedback, interest, and joy Andrew’s design generated inspired him to create something tangible, like a sticker! After finalizing his design, Andrew used his savings to explore various sticker manufacturers who could create high-quality, water-resistant stickers that would last without creating a sticky residue when removed. He stated,
“[To find the right product,] I would walk around Boulder, feel stickers I saw in stores or stuck on different surfaces, and then research the features I liked about them. I knew that if someone put a sticker on something they really cared about, and it faded away or peeled off, that would reflect poorly on me and my brand.”
After finding a manufacturer, he started small by sharing his stickers with friends and posting them on . His designs quickly gained traction among his followers who wanted to make purchases. To meet demand, Andrew created on Instagram and sales grew exponentially. To date, Hummdog.CO has sold over 1,200 stickers! Andrew comments on his success,
“I run everything by myself. I create all the designs, manage all the finances, and distribute all of the stickers. Hummdog.CO has become a big part of my personality. I even keep a stack of stickers with me everywhere I go. I simply couldn’t do any of this without the support and encouragement from my friends and family, therefore it has given me a new appreciation for the people in my life”
Andrew sells and distributes all Hummdog.CO stickers and relies on word-of-mouth marketing. Andrew noted,
“I’m not focused on brand publicity or bringing in income. What matters the most to me is being happy, and Hummdog.CO makes me happy.”
Thanks to Andrew’s dedication to joy, he has successfully built a community around his brand.
“Seeing where my stickers end up makes my day! For Example, I had a friend who was studying abroad in Barcelona, and he sent me a video of a Hummdog.CO sticker stuck on a stranger’s back.”
In addition to locations as obscure as this, Hummdog.CO stickers can be found in a variety of locations around the world! Andrew highlights his customer’s photos on the official Hummdog.CO Instagram page.
Upcoming Projects and Events
Andrew is working to develop an official Hummdog.CO website to streamline his sales and distribution. Additionally, he has begun developing partnerships to expand his brand. You can now find , , and , custom Hummdog.CO stickers in their stores on Pearl Street! Andrew reflects,
“I loved the fact that we were both able to support each other's small business and develop a sense of community through these partnerships. Having people who really care and want to see me grow makes everything that I’m doing worthwhile. These partnerships really motivated me to push Hummdog.CO even further”
Andrew has also made a batch of custom stickers for use as currency at the Burning Man festival. Andrew adds,
“I shared one of my stickers with a Ƶ alumni BS BLAW ‘92, at a Red Rocks concert. He loved my design so much that he got my contact information and connected with me to create custom stickers for Burning Man. It felt like a full-circle moment since we both had ties to Ƶ and a passion for entrepreneurial projects as well as the Grateful Dead.”
Andrew is on track to graduate this spring with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising and Public Relations from the College of Media, Communication, and Information with a Leeds School of Business Minor in Marketing from Ƶ Boulder. After college, he plans to continue bringing joy by producing stickers for Hummdog.CO while pursuing career opportunities in the marketing industry to create advertising and promotional campaigns.
Advice
Andrew provides the following advice for current students,
“Instead of taking a class just to get a good grade, focus on learning new skills to keep in your back pocket. Also, if you want to do something, you should just do it. Confidence is key because you truly never know what could happen.”
If you happen to run into Andrew in public, there’s a high chance you’ll score a free Hummdog.CO sticker! For updates on Hummdog.CO’s new sticker releases, or to inquire about a custom sticker design, follow along on Instagram.