We caught up with the brilliant and insightful BJ Rottinghaus a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
BJ, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I found my purpose after noticing how expensive Halloween costumes can be(up to around 60 dollars), and I felt that it was a shame. As one of my favorite holidays growing up, I always loved dressing up. I want that Halloween to be experienced by everyone. While Halloween is not usually a giving holiday, it is something I want to help every kid experience. I believe that we can create an environment through Y’alloween where all children across Texas can have an amazing Halloween.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is BJ Rottinghaus and I’m the founder of the Houston-based nonprofit Y’alloween. I founded Y’alloween 2 years ago, when I was a freshman in Highschool. Since then, we’ve been growing exponentially year by year. We work with shelters and domestic violence organizations to provide their kids and families with costumes on Halloween. What is exciting about us is that we are one of the only nonprofits for Halloween, and we are constantly moving and expanding every year. This year alone we added two new partners and nearly doubled the amount of costumes we gave away.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three areas that were most impactful were our perseverance, our determination, and our attitude. We had to push ourselves hard in the beginning to get Y’alloween off the ground, and it was one hundred percent worth it. We felt like we weren’t getting anywhere, we had no experience in the field, and we struggled heavily to organize and create our system, but we kept working and we created something amazing. We had our vision, we just needed to put in the work and produce. After that, everything fell into place. So my advice is to keep going. Keep working hard on your dream project, and it will become successful.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
We are looking for partners who take care of children in shelters, for short or long periods of time. We currently work with four partners, HAWC (Houston Area Women’s Center), AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse), ATO (Assurance Therapeutic Outreach), and the Salvation Army. If you feel like your organization is similar to those listed, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Website: yalloween.org
- Instagram: @yalloweentx
- Facebook: @yalloweentx
- Twitter: @yalloweentx
