Big Frog of East El Paso Gives Back to Local Schools & Small Businesses
Angie Rodriguez wanted a change of pace after having a career in the newspaper industry. It wasn’t until she was gearing up for her 1st Half Iron Man that she found her new life at Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More.
It all started when Angie struggled to find a place to screen print just one t-shirt with her favorite quote on it to wear for the race. She was told by a local screen printer that she needed to buy 12 shirts in order to print. After that she immediately turned around and found the Big Frog of Gilbert, AZ. A few years later, when looking to franchise a business of her own, she saw Big Frog on a list of potential options, and knew it was meant to be. “When going through everything I saw Big Frog and it took me back to when I couldn’t print just one shirt. I wanted [to start] that business because there is a lot of [other people like] me out there who just need one shirt.”
Since July of 2017 Angie and her husband George have proudly owned Big Frog of El Paso and continue to not only help people like herself, but also continuously supports local schools and other small businesses.
Giving Back to Education
Giving back to the community is a huge part of how Big Frog supports El Paso. It comes in all shapes and forms and it’s by far the most fulfilling part about owning a small business.
Angie believes one of the most rewarding ways to give back to her community is giving out free t-shirts to children with good grades at local elementary schools. “My biggest satisfaction…bringing in Finley the Frog, the kids absolutely love Finley [our mascot]. When I go to the schools, the kids hug Finley, and the parents want to take pictures. That right there is my biggest satisfaction” she said with a smile.
Even if you aren’t an elementary school student, you can always see Finley on their very own Big Frog of El Paso TikTok channel that Angie uses to promote their store and community programs. She credits her use of social media marketing has helped her keep in touch with all her customers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to encouraging students to do their best and making amazing TikTok’s, Angie also collects Toys for Tots at her El Paso location.
Supporting Small Businesses in El Paso
Angie loves to stay well-connected to all the local small businesses in her community. She is part of the local Business Networking International (BNI) group in El Paso which is a group of local small business owners who network with another to continuously promote and support one another. In this BNI group Angie met Lorena Lowe, the proud owner of La Buena Paint Parties.
Lorena started the idea for her business during the pandemic where she found her escape from the craziness of the world through painting. She would host painting parties at her own home and would often joke about “charging” her friends. Eventually she did! She took her love of painting and created a fun, unique, and mobile event service where anyone can relax and channel their inner Picasso. “I truly believe that painting is a type of therapy and I want to share that experience with everyone” Lorena says.
Aside from hosting painting parties for birthdays, bachelorette, and work parties, Lorena loves to give back too! Lorena frequently hosts free and discounted paint parties for local non-profit organizations. For her local contributions to the community, Lorena was nominated for our Big Frog “Shop Local All the Way” program.
Shop Local All the Way
Big Frog of El Paso also supports small businesses through various marketing initiatives, including its “Shop Local All the Way” campaign. The six-month-long campaign gave the local community opportunities to win prizes such as a branded t-shirt, tote bag and Direct-to-Garment Printing voucher for their favorite local businesses through the Shop Local nomination.
Catch Angie and Lorena on this special “Shop Local All the Way Interview” wherein they share what’s it like to lead and manage their own small businesses and support other businesses in El Paso.
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