Nine-year-old Wildwood student Bodie Lohnes is the innovator behind local balloon animal delivery service, Balloon Wonder. He first started making balloon animals a few years ago, teaching himself with the help of YouTube videos. “I’ve always really liked balloon animals. They’re fun, they’re light, and I also just like balloons,” he said.
Lohnes explained he’s “always trying to come up with business ideas,” so in 2020 it was natural to turn his passion for balloon animals into a business concept. The initial vision was to make them in-person at birthday parties because “people find it a lot more interesting that way.” However, when the pandemic hit, Lohnes had to rethink the business model. With stay-at-home orders in place, he figured he could deliver them instead and cheer people up during quarantine. Lohnes said a definite highlight is “seeing smiles on people’s faces” when he makes deliveries.
Lohnes currently offers nine different balloon animal options, including a dog, giraffe, sword, mouse, and flower. Asked about his favorite balloon animal to make, Lohnes responded that it’s “probably the flower.” Lohnes also has some new offerings in the works: “There is one new balloon animal I’ve been working on. It’s a ball inside of a dog, using a clear balloon. So when it deflates, you cut it and you get a bouncy ball.”
Lohnes launched a website last month at balloonwonder.com, where you can find pictures of his balloon animals, testimonials from customers, and pricing and delivery info.
Do you know a young person in town who’s using this pandemic time to innovate or create? Let us know: news@piedmontexedra.com
I’ve ordered balloons from Bodie and HIGHLY recommend them. He does great work and they are very fun.