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BAG LADY ENTREPRENEUR HOW J.J.'S MBA PROJECT TURNED INTO A BUSINESS
	BY: Carol Keochekian, Sr. Director of University Relations, CLU
J.J. Matis hit the ball out of the park with an idea she developed while a graduate student at CLU. Turning her lifelong passion for sports into a promising business venture, Matis, 30, is producing unique ball-shaped bags for professional sports teams. With her MBA in marketing barely in hand, Matis' first big breakthrough came last summer when her vinyl baseball bag went on sale at Dodger Stadium. Since then, her backpacks have been purchased by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. And this is just the first inning, as far as the rookie businesswoman is concerned. Her goal is to expand to all 30 major league clubs and to bag contracts with other professional and college sports teams as well. If her batting average so far is any indication, Matis' company, J.J. Creations, should head home a winner. "She really bucked the odds in a big way," said Mike Nygren, Director of Dodgers Merchandise, whose early support helped Matis obtain the license she needed from Major League Baseball Properties Inc. to feature the L.A. Dodgers logo on her backpack. "You have to give her credit for her perseverance, tenacity and professionalism." Matis' amazing energy and determination, coupled with the uniqueness and quality of her product, garnered her a license agreement from Major League Baseball despite the fact that she had no sales track record, no manufacturing facility or previous experience, during a time that the number of licenses granted is being reduced. Her unusual product captured media attention as well. She was headlined in two newspaper articles, featured on Eye On L.A. and appeared on To Tell The Truth, where she and her two imposters managed to stump three members of the panel and the studio audience. An avid Dodger fan, Matis has attended games at the Dodger ballpark since childhood. "I didn't see any cute bags at the stadium," she explains. So she came up with the idea of fashioning a backpack in the shape of a baseball. "In 1997 I stitched my first bag with cheap vinyl, laced it with shoe strings and pasted on a Dodgers logo taken from a hat." The inventive marketer started wearing the backpack to the games, and it attracted the attention of other fans. "We started getting feedback from fans," Nygren recalls. "We had people telling us, 'I saw this girl wearing a backpack. Can you guys get them?'" Nygren's first reaction was that the backpacks were unique and that the fans would like them. His decision to back Matis was unusual since 80 percent of the 2,000 Dodger items on sale in the ballpark are developed in-house by his department; the remaining 20 percent or so come from existing licensees of manufacturers. Although the concept for her Dodgers backpack was born at the ballpark, Matis' company took shape within the classrooms of California Lutheran University. She had an idea for a product and developed her business while fulfilling her class requirements, recalls Ron Hagler, Ph.D., Director of the MBA Program. "Every MBA course at CLU has a project," explains Hagler, who became one of Matis' strongest supporters. "J.J. would gear her project towards her business. For example, in her marketing class she developed a marketing plan for J.J. Creations, in her finance class she crafted a financial plan and her strategic plan was devised in her strategic planning class." During the Spring '99, Matis was enrolled in a consumer marketing class. "I did all my (business) research during that class," the Sherman Oaks resident relates. "I searched the Web, called stadium gift stores all over the country and found that there are no products like mine." It was through these course projects that Matis was able to produce a comprehensive business plan which she says, was a critical part of her application to Major League Baseball Properties. Everything seemed to happen at once after graduation on May 13, 2000, Matis recalls. On May 19th the young entrepreneur received the coveted license for her round vinyl baseball backpack sporting the Dodgers logo from Major League Baseball Properties, and on July 13th the bags went on sale for $40 each. Two days later, she received a reorder, and the Dodgers have since signed on for two more orders. Matis' Lakers bags went on sale in the Team Store at Staples Center on Jan. 26th and, according to Alan Fey, Director of Staples Center Merchandise, they are selling well. While growing her customer base and broadening her product line, Matis is playing many positions in her year-old-start-up business. With her dad as her sole investor, she does everything from serving as the CEO, to locating unique fabrics and materials, to supervising construction, to delivering the merchandise. Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, is Matis' role model. When Smith was in college, he wrote a business plan for FedEx as an undergraduate project. "His professor said it wouldn't work and gave him a D, and see what he did," Matis smiled. In contrast, she points out, "My professors at CLU said I had a good idea and encouraged me all the way." Not surprisingly, the enthusiastic entrepreneur is very high on her alma mater. "I want people to come here and have the same great experience I had," she beams. "The MBA program provides opportunities like you have never seen before," Hagler concurs. "It can make dreams come true - like with J.J." Despite some tough innings, Matis continues to pursue her dream, and she is confident she will succeed. "J.J. Creations, Inc. will be huge," she promises. "I have total confidence in my products, and it rubs off. The key to success is not giving up and having the discipline to continue day in and day out even when nothing is happening. Don't ever let the setbacks stop the dream." [CLU Magazine Feature Article, July 2001]

BAG LADY ENTREPRENEUR
HOW J.J.'S MBA PROJECT TURNED INTO A BUSINESS

BY: Carol Keochekian, Sr. Director of University Relations, CLU

J.J. Matis hit the ball out of the park with an idea she developed while a graduate student at CLU.

Turning her lifelong passion for sports into a promising business venture, Matis, 30, is producing unique ball-shaped bags for professional sports teams. With her MBA in marketing barely in hand, Matis' first big breakthrough came last summer when her vinyl baseball bag went on sale at Dodger Stadium. Since then, her backpacks have been purchased by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

And this is just the first inning, as far as the rookie businesswoman is concerned. Her goal is to expand to all 30 major league clubs and to bag contracts with other professional and college sports teams as well. If her batting average so far is any indication, Matis' company, J.J. Creations, should head home a winner.

"She really bucked the odds in a big way," said Mike Nygren, Director of Dodgers Merchandise, whose early support helped Matis obtain the license she needed from Major League Baseball Properties Inc. to feature the L.A. Dodgers logo on her backpack. "You have to give her credit for her perseverance, tenacity and professionalism."

Matis' amazing energy and determination, coupled with the uniqueness and quality of her product, garnered her a license agreement from Major League Baseball despite the fact that she had no sales track record, no manufacturing facility or previous experience, during a time that the number of licenses granted is being reduced. Her unusual product captured media attention as well. She was headlined in two newspaper articles, featured on Eye On L.A. and appeared on To Tell The Truth, where she and her two imposters managed to stump three members of the panel and the studio audience.

An avid Dodger fan, Matis has attended games at the Dodger ballpark since childhood. "I didn't see any cute bags at the stadium," she explains. So she came up with the idea of fashioning a backpack in the shape of a baseball. "In 1997 I stitched my first bag with cheap vinyl, laced it with shoe strings and pasted on a Dodgers logo taken from a hat." The inventive marketer started wearing the backpack to the games, and it attracted the attention of other fans.

"We started getting feedback from fans," Nygren recalls. "We had people telling us, 'I saw this girl wearing a backpack. Can you guys get them?'" Nygren's first reaction was that the backpacks were unique and that the fans would like them. His decision to back Matis was unusual since 80 percent of the 2,000 Dodger items on sale in the ballpark are developed in-house by his department; the remaining 20 percent or so come from existing licensees of manufacturers.

Although the concept for her Dodgers backpack was born at the ballpark, Matis' company took shape within the classrooms of California Lutheran University. She had an idea for a product and developed her business while fulfilling her class requirements, recalls Ron Hagler, Ph.D., Director of the MBA Program. "Every MBA course at CLU has a project," explains Hagler, who became one of Matis' strongest supporters. "J.J. would gear her project towards her business. For example, in her marketing class she developed a marketing plan for J.J. Creations, in her finance class she crafted a financial plan and her strategic plan was devised in her strategic planning class."

During the Spring '99, Matis was enrolled in a consumer marketing class. "I did all my (business) research during that class," the Sherman Oaks resident relates. "I searched the Web, called stadium gift stores all over the country and found that there are no products like mine." It was through these course projects that Matis was able to produce a comprehensive business plan which she says, was a critical part of her application to Major League Baseball Properties. Everything seemed to happen at once after graduation on May 13, 2000, Matis recalls. On May 19th the young entrepreneur received the coveted license for her round vinyl baseball backpack sporting the Dodgers logo from Major League Baseball Properties, and on July 13th the bags went on sale for $40 each. Two days later, she received a reorder, and the Dodgers have since signed on for two more orders. Matis' Lakers bags went on sale in the Team Store at Staples Center on Jan. 26th and, according to Alan Fey, Director of Staples Center Merchandise, they are selling well.

While growing her customer base and broadening her product line, Matis is playing many positions in her year-old-start-up business. With her dad as her sole investor, she does everything from serving as the CEO, to locating unique fabrics and materials, to supervising construction, to delivering the merchandise.

Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, is Matis' role model. When Smith was in college, he wrote a business plan for FedEx as an undergraduate project. "His professor said it wouldn't work and gave him a D, and see what he did," Matis smiled. In contrast, she points out, "My professors at CLU said I had a good idea and encouraged me all the way." Not surprisingly, the enthusiastic entrepreneur is very high on her alma mater. "I want people to come here and have the same great experience I had," she beams.

"The MBA program provides opportunities like you have never seen before," Hagler concurs. "It can make dreams come true - like with J.J." Despite some tough innings, Matis continues to pursue her dream, and she is confident she will succeed. "J.J. Creations, Inc. will be huge," she promises. "I have total confidence in my products, and it rubs off. The key to success is not giving up and having the discipline to continue day in and day out even when nothing is happening. Don't ever let the setbacks stop the dream."

[CLU Magazine Feature Article, July 2001]

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