We were lucky to catch up with Callie Bouille recently and have shared our conversation below.
Callie, so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
When covid hit our nation, I was at home with a three and a four year old. As you know, everything was shut down and I had to get creative. Finding different things to do in the four walls of our home and the small back deck, was a challenge. Honestly, I don’t remember the first puzzle I put together during that time but the feeling of joy that it brought me, sticks with me even to this day. Then, I noticed it was a 20 minute babysitter to my little ones and it got them off a screen. It had nothing to do with a television, ipad, or cell phone. It was educational and it allowed for fun conversation and problem solving skills. More and more, puzzles were a hit yet, they were not cheap. So, reselling them on social media paved the way to our new found hobby. When the sales were fast and easy and we could buy more, I thought, I could get all kinds of puzzles and sell them and take any remaining money to pay off some medical bills. Thus, a post was made of me asking for free puzzles and boom, someone gave me 15 and I sold them and then I knew, there was something to this. With every victory, comes opposition. Puzzles were every where. There were people asking if I was ok? Was I going through a weird phase in life? A puzzle business, what? But it’s the high winds of hate that make me soar higher and higher into my dreams. Money was coming in, what started as 15 puzzles grew to 40 and then I had 60 to sell, and 80 and I had to buy a shelf. Processing, recycling, cleaning used puzzles, putting them together to make sure they are there was an around the clock job. News was getting out about this and I thought, I need a logo, a social media page, and a QR code. I have people coming at 9 o’clock at night to come pick up puzzles. People were desparate for them because no one could go anywhere or do anything. Puzzle shortages were coming up in the news and my sales were going through the roof. The moment I quit caring what people thought was the moment I succeeded the most. I remember having my giant shelf at the front door, sign at the end of the driveway and people stopping throughout the day. One day, I was really feeling defeated. I hadn’t had a sell in awhile and thought, “I have all these puzzles, and no one has stopped by.” Discouragement was creeping my way. Then one day, a delivery driver for a well known company sees my puzzles through the clear glass of my front door and hands me a package and then throws a hundred dollar bill at me and says fill up this box with what that will pay for. I began stuffing that box full of puzzles and in shock and amazement and when she pulled away, I just sobbed and began to praise the Lord knowing that He heard my cry for more sales and that I wasn’t crazy. Persistence always breads to new adventures.
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?
To continue my story: In November of 2020, I was at a church service and the Lord spoke to me very clearly that He was about to change the face of my business and it was going to be 100% to missions. At first, I was like you want me to do all of that work for someone else? After I got “Me” out of the way, I accepted the challenge and in January of 2021 my non-profit was born. Same name, different fund. I rented puzzle booths and helped pay for all kinds of missions/charities. Since 2021, His Masterpiece has given thousands of dollars to various kinds of needs from church mortgages, missionaries, and monthly sponsorship of children from Haiti and El Salvador. For that, I give God full thanks and praise for His faithfulness.
After obtaining a business degree, and being around family businesses all of my life, I knew I wanted my own businesses one day. The phrase, “Find what you love and you’ll never work another day in your life.” resonantes with me. Passion for selling products and connecting them to help others is what makes this venture so rewarding and well worth the effort. My ultimate goal would be to own a giant warehouse type building that would operate into four sections. One section would be a puzzle store, second a thrift shop, third would be a restuarant/soup kitchen, and lastly a room with mulitple tables in it to put used puzzles together for the resale store to make sure all pieces are present. The third part, restuarant/soup kitchen, would be dual purpose: if you can afford to pay for the meal then your meal would help pay for someone that can’t afford their meal. This whole building would be 100% to missions/charities. One of the best feelings for me, is to help fund a need. One day, I want to go to the bank and ask to pay off as many church mortgages as I can, or an orphange and buy them all Christmas presents, or eventually sponsor 100 kids on a monthly basis. The sky isn’t even the limits to what God can do. I tell people all the time, if God can use “colored cardboard” that we call puzzles to feed a child, He can use anything!
I also currently serve as a youth pastor along with my husband teaching and training middle and high schoolers about Jesus Christ and empowering them to fulfill the purpose God created them to do. I am truly blessed to be married to my husband John and we have three beautiful daughters: Hazel, Savannah, and Kenly.
His Masterpiece puzzles is what I call a full circle ministry, it doesn’t just reach the people that benefit from the sales, it touches the lives of those within this organization. Let me explain, When I receive a used puzzle donation, it undergoes processing before it hits the shelf to be sold. We have a “Perfect Piece/Peace” policy that ensures that all pieces are there and if it’s not, we make it right. Who is we? His Masterpiece has a team of people called puzzlers that help put together these puzzles to ensure quality and completeness. Reports have come back to me that putting together these puzzles has been therapy for some, keeping their mind off negative things life has handed them. One “puzzler” volunteer lost her husband suddenly and told me that this ministry has helped her deal with the grief of her loss. On a personal note, I too was going through a hard time when covid hit and I tell people that, “Jesus and puzzles got me through covid.” Another fun event we do is puzzle nights where we have multiple tables of puzzles going on at the same time and snacks. We enjoy good chats and fill the room with laughter when we finally find a piece we have been looking for.
Lastly, the way one can purchase a puzzle is simply going on our facebook page and choosing from the hundreds of puzzles that are available to purchase. We receive new inventory frequently and bulk rates are available. FACEBOOK: @HMPUZZLES (Shipping is available at a cost)
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Perserverance- Don’t give up, in all things there are good and bad days, If you did something that isn’t working, oh well, try another approach. Every night that I turn on a light, I am truly thankful Thomas Edison didn’t give up on the 500th and 999th time making it. When you fail, get up, brush yourself off, and try again. I tell our youth group all the time, the most important thing about falling is getting back up and moving forward.
Connection- What you do should also connect you with others in a positive way. I believe it starts with God, He created me for a certain destiny and has a “Blue print” of my life and if I fufill that, then I have accomplished the very reason I was created. Humans were made to need purpose to fulfill purpose and we all need the feeling of helping others for it causes joy which leads to a life of fulfillment.
Efficiency- Find the best, fastest, and most cost effective way to perform your passion. Use the resources you have and don’t be afraid to ask for donations and help. The device I was using to orangize His Masterpiece puzzles, quit working and with a 100% sales goes to missions mentality, I don’t have a budget for a new one. So, I asked around and God blessed us with a new one.
Go, Do, and Be (If you look in between there you will see the word God)
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The most impactful book in my life and the life of this business is the Bible. It’s all encompassing. It teaches you business techniques, integrity, and perserverance. Such verses like, you reap what you sow, and if you are faithful over a few, He will make you ruler over many, and consider it joy when you face trials of many kinds knowing the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Our motto is a Bible verse and it is where I get the name of it. Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
You see that when we put our “piece” into the bigger picture of life, things make sense. When we don’t, we are missing. Ever put a puzzle together and one piece is missing? It’s confusing, irritating, and even can cause anger. His Masterpiece puzzles also teaches others that they are important and when they are missing aka not doing what they are created to do, things are confusing. You are valuable, you are needed, and you complete the puzzle that forms a greater masterpiece.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: @HMPuzzles
