Interview with Jamie Coblentz of Kid Kustoms
Posted April 7, 2008 If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to Mommy Daddy Blog. We wouldn’t want you to miss out on our updates or giveaways ;-)! Thanks for visiting!
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new buggy in town that’s been receiving a lot of buzz across the stroller scene: the Roddler! The Roddler is a unique and creative buggy whose designs derive from classic automobile Hot Rods; hence its name Roddler. With the purpose of standing out from the “traditional” look of strollers, the Roddler adds unprecedented style to the process of transporting the kiddies around!
So when Kid Kustoms contacted me with their latest press release, I definitely wanted to learn more about the Roddler. So I got in touch with Jamie Coblentz (one of the guys behind Kid Kustoms) and he agreed to do an interview here on Mommy Daddy Blog! It was definitely interesting to learn the history, passions, and goals behind Kid Kustoms and the Roddler! Enjoy!
How did Kid Kustoms first get started, and how did the idea for the Roddler first come about?
Joe and I have known each other for upwards of a decade and have worked on several high profile branding projects before. Joe and Iacono Designs had become a household name in the automotive industry, and I started a children’s apparel company [Pinstripe Prep] that I was developing into a lifestyle brand, so a natural product extension was the best avenue. That’s how Kid Kustoms was conceived. Wildly enough, it started off as “the Baby Bomber”. We thought we would soften the name a little when we learned that we were actually going to have to sell the product through conventional juvenile product stores…plus given its clear Hot Rod roots and the fact Bush was all over the middle-east, politically speaking it was a safe bet to opt for the Roddler.
Oddly enough, Montreal, however small and remote it is, its home to Dorel, and thus a large piece of the juvenile product business. Everyone is also 2 degrees of separation removed, so serendipitous as it be, one round of Jewish geography got me the ear of the CEO. I think I sold him on my passion so they signed NDA and executives came right over. Bear in mind, none of us have kids or had even pushed a stroller before the Roddler. His people were floored at the innovation and convinced me to beg and plead to show administrators to get into ABC Kids despite the fact we had less than a month to create our show worthy prototypes. Since you already know the end of the story, it was the most incredible experience to have a product that you pour your soul into be so well received, best yet beating them all at their own game. Having been the left hand to the owner of American apparel [I say that only because he’s a righty and well if you know him, trust me you’ll understand] I was part and privy to the madness. He’s a global icon and marketing genius, and I am proud to say that despite his eccentricity, he was an incredible mentor. Since the show, we have batten down the hatches and have a clear vision on how we intend on being a force to be reckoned with. We have even been consulting for some of the industry leading companies so we can help to rent our passion to beautify the conventional product offerings before we become one. When else can you harness the 3 young creative minds and industry pioneers and have them make consumer products for kids their passion. That is the formula for beautiful things to come.
We are certainly working our way through the professional sports figures and are working through Hollywood scene. Lebron James’ Roddler took an award at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, CA. For those of you who don’t know, that’s the industries largest Hot Rod convention. That’s unheard of, it’s a stroller. We have one coming out for Carmelo Anthony now. I actually prefer the athletes to celebs, they are so much more down to earth and there’s never a camera around. Give it a few weeks till it heats up in Los Angeles and I’m sure we will be hard to miss.
What an exciting month this has been as the anticipation of Jayden’s arrival ensues! This month, we saw the ending of one giveaway and the beginning of another, we’ve been through four more weeks of pregnancy, we threw a blog party, we had our baby shower, and we saw everything from farting babies to poop time humor! If you missed out, don’t worry! It’s exactly what this monthly review is for!
We, Mommy (Sheena) and Daddy (Greg), are junior high sweethearts who are currently experiencing the wonderful pregnancy of our very first child, Jayden! Here on Mommy Daddy Blog, we will chronicle our adventurous journey through pregnancy and into parenthood! 
