Last October, when most parents were planning Halloween costumes and adding spooky decorations to their yards, Highlands Ranch dad Dzifa Glymin was thinking about Easter. He”d just watched an episode of the television show Shark Tank, and something he saw gave him the idea for a twist on the popular trend of a stuffed character that watches over kids at the holidays.
He sat down and started writing, and the story of The Helper Hare came to him quickly. He worked on it off and on for about four hours that day, and spent about another four hours editing and tweaking the story.
The result was a children’s book about the magic behind Easter and the hares that work together to make it happen. The Helper Hares watch over children and report back to the Easter Bunny, and children with good behavior earn Easter treats.
“I read it to my kids, and afterward they kept asking about it. They really kind of became fixated on it. So then I let my wife read it and she was impressed,” Glymin says, who is a husband to Katie, a photographer, and dad to Jayden, age six and Landon, age four.
Glymin thought he might have something, so he asked the opinion of his long time friend Zach Nigut of Evergreen, who has experience in web design, brand development, marketing, and e-commerce. “I knew Zach would tell me honestly what he thought,” Glymin says.
Nigut, too, thought Glymin had a good idea kids would love. The two friends partnered to create The Helper Hare, a plush toy and children’s book set. It’s the first product produced by Envision Kidz LLC, the company that Glymin and Nigut co-founded in November 2016.
With Glymin as creator and author and Nigut as creative director, these two Colorado dads and avid fly fishermen hope to create and distribute other stories and activities centered around The Helper Hare. “We really want to create things that will bring kids and parents together,” Glymin says
A graduate of Cherry Creek High School and the University of Colorado-Boulder with a major in international relations, working with children’s books and products is new to Glymin. Prior to co-founding Envision Kidz, he worked as vice president of operations for an oil and gas company, though he says he’s always been a creative person.
“There is a financial difference (with the new company), but right now, the freedom I have is worth more than the dollars,” Glymin says. “My wife and I are good savers, and we”ve made good investments, so the time to do this was right. It’s an adventure, and that is what life is all about.”
The Helper Hare is available at Tattered Cover Bookstores and Timbuk Toys. Order it at helperhare.com.
