Worksite Heroes began with a simple idea: bringing real construction to life on our in-store monitors by using footage from local job sites—the ones our customers are driving by every day. But to make it engaging for kids, we needed a mascot—someone to introduce the equipment and celebrate the workers who bring these job sites to life.
My first choice for mascot, was Rip Rap the Rabbit—a hard-working bunny in a construction vest who would live in a burrow right near the sandbox. I even thought about painting a black hole by the sandpit to mark his home. Clever, right?
Not according to my daughter who runs marketing. She immediately shot it down.
Dad, you know what rabbits do in the sand, right?”
Fair point. Then, just like that, Rip Rap hopped off into retirement (for now).
Tori had a better idea. “Why not a dump truck?” she suggested. “Because we sell construction toys not rabbits, Dad. A Dump Truck like the one in our logo. He could come out of the logo and into the scene.” So, the concept of Dig the dump truck was born.
But how do you bring a truck to life? That’s when I met Brien from Focal Point Marketing. He loved the idea of encouraging kids to become builders and agreed to take on the project—even on our limited budget. While Brien worked on designing Dig, I hit the streets. Literally.
I live in Avon, Indiana, where construction sites are everywhere. Naturally, I figured, why not stroll onto a few and start filming? However, showing up unannounced with a tripod and a camera makes you look less like a friendly sandbox enthusiast and more like an unlicensed documentary crew.
The workers themselves? They loved the idea of Dig Dig and were more than happy to chat—but they weren’t in charge of who got to wander around with a camera. Let’s just say that not every site shared my enthusiasm. Some gave me the look—you know, the one that says, “Sir, please step away from the moving excavator.” So, while I got some incredible content, it wasn’t always easy convincing people I was there for the kids.
Then a Game Changer. Justin and I walked down the street to McDougall & Pierce, a construction company. We love the fact that there are real construction toys so close to us. We walked up to the reception desk and introduced ourselves as the owners of Dig Dig. However, she replied, what’s that? It’s funny that nobody at this construction company 200 yards from the store knew we existed. Then the owner, Jim, walked out and met with us. Turns out, he had the same passion for child development as we did. Next thing we knew, we had a formal invitation to one of his current projects – BJ’s Wholesale Club in Carmel.
Jim introduced us to his team, including Mike (Director of Operations) and Jimmy (Project Manager). From there, we met many other real WorkSite Heroes:
🔹 Dillon, who started as an excavator operator and now owns his own excavation company at 32 years old.
🔹 Trent, who started a crane business with his brother a few years ago now owns seven cranes.
These Heroes all have something in common: they all loved construction as kids. As a result, they make a great living doing what they love. And that’s exactly what Dig Dig WorkSite Heroes is all about—inspiring today’s kids to become tomorrow’s builders.
As I gathered content from real construction sites and Brien worked his magic, I also needed to find Dig’s voice. At a dinner table in Reno, Nevada with the family, I was listening to Tina (my daughter’s sister-in-law) tell stories. She’s one of those people who’s always laughing, always full of energy and always fun to be around.
“Hey, Tina, how would you like to be famous one day?”
Thus, Tina became the voice of Dig. Her enthusiasm shines through in every episode.
This project has taken me deep into the real world of construction—not just the machines, but the people who run them. I started out just wanting cool construction content for kids. But along the way, I met the real-life heroes who make America work.
Construction isn’t just about moving dirt – it’s about problem-solving, teamwork, and overcoming challenges. Also, every site has delays, obstacles, and a long list of tasks that must be completed in a precise order. So now kids can see it all come to life with their new friend, Dig the Dump Truck.
Join Us on This Journey as we launch Dig Dig Worksite Heroes, we hope you’ll watch, enjoy, and share.
🚜 Our Mission? To celebrate the workers of America.
🏗️ Our Goal? To inspire kids to dream big and build even bigger.
So, the next time your little one picks up a toy truck, just remember—today they’re playing, tomorrow they’re building.
Check out our new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DigDigforKids
Dig Dig – Where imagination meets excavation!
PLAY TODAY, BUILD TOMORROW
Monday-Saturday 9am – 7pm
Sunday: closed (Private Parties Only)
#indykids #digdigforkids
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