What do Chris Pratt, pink hair, pumpkin spice lattes and babies all have in common? All things beloved by Hänni Baatz, shop owner and “Chief Childhood Magic Maker” behind Wolfe and Scamp. The mother of dragons – and dinosaurs – chats with me for a bit.
Many may not know that Baatz initially launched Wolfe and Scamp in January 2015 by sewing burp cloths, bibs, headbands and baby bummies. “This was all stuff I was making for my friends’ baby showers and people kept asking how to buy from me,” Baatz recalled. “My first year in business, I ended up $700 in the hole at tax time. From a dollars and cents standpoint, I was wildly unsuccessful. But from a personal development perspective, running the business was therapeutic; it made me learn new concepts and skills, pushed my creative bounds, and most importantly forced a tired new mom to have “me” time (because sewing is a solo activity).” By 2016, Baatz scrapped the baby business and refocused her attention on Wolfe and Scamp’s signature dinosaur hoodies, which she had been sewing for her son Wolfe, the shop’s namesake. “I also got on Instagram and had my first team of brand reps. During my first month on Instagram, I made more money than my entire first year on Facebook, “ said Baatz. In 2018, she quit her “well paying but boring corporate 9-5 job” and went all in with the shop. “It has been a dino dream-come-true ever since,” she exclaimed.
Baatz’s dinosaur menagerie has expanded significantly over the last three years and now includes imaginative shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, and rompers. And, the dinosaurs have gone global. Wolfe and Scamp regularly ships apparel around the world from the shop’s headquarters in Houston, Texas. “Over the past few years, the shop has continued to grow in popularity and we’ve added things like unicorns, dragons and adult spikes to the mix.” All of the Wolfe and Scamp merch features colorful spikes in various patterns and designs and the dragon hoodie includes a playful heart-shaped tail. Sizes range from six months up to adult sizes. You can also build a custom hoodie by selecting the color, sleeve length, size, and spike designs (like pop art, watercolor, zebra and Jurassic camo prints). Live in a warmer climate? Go sleeveless for year-round wear.
For Baatz, the best part is making childhood magic. “There is so much bad news in the world right now and I feel like my work is to bring laughter and light to children and their families.” Apart from Chris Pratt’s tight pants, Baatz is also passionate about advocating for kids with disabilities. “In addition to being the muse for my brand, my son Wolfe is also a person with autism and I have learned so much from him about empathy and the value that people with differences bring to the world,” she shared. “I have a pet project, that’s just getting started, to use my voice to help other small shops understand the value of disability inclusion and representation in their brands –*fingers crossed* we start seeing more kids with visible differences featured in our small shop feeds very soon!” I love everything about this.
What else is Baatz working on? “More ready to ship awesomeness. Adorable collabs with small shop darlings like Monster and Eli and Hazel Bleu, and maybe a dino dress and other new goodies.” How rawr-some! Customize your own spikes on the Wolfe and Scamp website and become a Scamperino by joining Baatz’s VIP Facebook group. New customers can use the code DINOSCORE to save at checkout!
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