About Fin Fun

A Fin Fun Story
Karen & Jerry Browning

Karen & Jerry Browning

Fin Fun Mermaid Founders

How Fin Fun Began

In 2009, Karen’s granddaughter, Emily, asked her Grandma repeatedly to design and make her a mermaid tail. Karen had a dilemma — Emily loved mermaids, she wanted a tail, and she wanted her Grandma to make one. Even having sewn for over 50 years, she still wasn’t sure she knew how to make mermaid tails. However, Emily soon showed her that they could do it with a combination of ingenuity and teamwork. Their design proved so popular when she and her sister, Sarah, swam in them at the local pool, soon all their friends were asking where they could get a tail of their own. Thus began Fin Fun Mermaid Tails, bringing a little bit of magic to every girl that dreams to swim like The Little Mermaid. Grandma Karen and her family have been delighted to be a part of making dreams come true for so many little (and not-so-little-anymore) mermaids.

Letter from Grandma Karen:

Being a grandmother to 40 grandchildren, (yes that’s right, 40 and counting!) I have a special place in my heart for our youth. Of course, even with our growth, it remains our top priority to help mermaid dreams come true by offering the best, most realistic and safest mermaid products possible, at an affordable price. Still, we hope to do even more to bless the lives of children. For that reason we donate a generous amount of our profit to children's causes.

I guess, like you, we like to imagine the many ways we might be able to help improve children's lives beyond just fulfilling their dream of being a mermaid. Who knows, maybe we will help inspire a young girl to find a cure for cancer, help solve world hunger, or even become an amazing mom!

We Believe Everyone Deserves To Dream

Eric Browning

Eric Browning

Fin Fun Mermaid CEO / Owner

Eric Browning, the CEO of Fin Fun, is the third of Karen and Jerry’s seven children. He has a passion for helping the employees, customers and company grow and thrive. Eric has over 25 years in sales and marketing leadership, achieving success and driving results with companies such as Oracle, Micron Electronics, myfamily.com, PolicyTech (Navex Global), and Novell. Now, he is grateful to fulfill a lifelong dream of co-owning a business with his brother and his parents, working side by side with his family every day. Eric has a BA from Utah State University in Marketing and is happy to be back in Idaho Falls running Fin Fun, while also accepting speaking engagements around the country. He has 8 children and is married to the love of his life, Jana. Eric helped found the Idaho Falls Area Humanitarian Center which is a non-profit 501(c)3 and has served as the board chair from 2014-2017. The center provides thousands of items to needy individuals around the world.

Steve Browning

Steve Browning

Fin Fun Mermaid CFO / Owner

Steve Browning, Fin Fun’s CFO, is the second of Karen and Jerry’s children. He has spent most of his professional career in the accounting and finance world. After graduating with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accounting from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, Steve immediately went to work for an international accounting firm in Seattle, Washington. Ten years later, after advancing to the senior manager level, he decided to pursue other interests, including building his own tax accounting practice. In 2012, Steve joined forces with brother Eric and their parents to become owners and managers of Fin Fun, where Steve continues to do what he does best: manage the financial operations of the company. Steve is happily married to his wife, Sherry, and they are blessed with six wonderful, talented children.

Genuine Fin Fun

Fin Fun Family Legacy

Today, Fin Fun continues to be owned and operated by many members of the Browning family, with Grandma Karen and husband Jerry still actively involved. It’s an ever-growing family enterprise, still located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, providing employment and support for their local community.

Browning Family

Buying from Fin Fun means helping others dream too!

Fin Fun is proud to have donated generously to the many charities that benefit children's causes. Click here to find out more.

Fin Fun Charities Logo

Fin Fun History

2009

Grandma Karen sews first mermaid tails for Granddaughters Emily and Sarah

Emily & Grandma Karen

2010

Karen and Jerry begin selling Sparkle mermaid tails on eBay

Sparkle Tail

2011

Fin Fun begins to sell internationally from Karen & Jerry’s home-based business

Home-based business

2012

Sons Eric and Steve join and assume day-to-day business operations as Jerry and Karen go on mission for their church

Mission

2013

Fin Fun develops patented monofin design to enhance swimmability

Patented Monofin

2014

Fin Fun launches Mermaidens® characters in stories and games, as well as their own line of mermaid tail designs

Over 250 million views of products on YouTube

Fin Fun moves into new office space

Mermaidens Collection

2015

Launch of Cuddle Tails® blanket line

Fin Fun highlighted in Wall Street Journal and other national media

Fin Fun outgrows our initial office and moves into our own 10,000 square-foot office building in Idaho Falls, ID

Location

2016

Fin Fun mermaid tails receive awards from the National Parenting Center and NAPPA and become a favorite of celebrities including the Kardashians

Fin Fun is named #119 Fastest Growing Company on Inc 500 list with 3000% growth over 3 year period

Awards

2017

Recipient of 2017 Parent's Choice Award

Recognized in Internet Retailer's 2017 Hot 100 Most Innovative E-Retailer List

Named Idaho Small Business Persons of the Year 2017 & National Small Business of the Month (May 2017)

Launched Tail of the Month

Ranked #119 Fastest Growing Company, Inc. 500 List

New Reinforced Tips with 90-Day Tail Tip Warranty

Awards

2018

Introduced MerCouncil and Ambassador Programs

Launch of Atlantis Collection

Parents’ Choice Award Winner - Wild Things Blankets

Hosted five Mermaid Mania Pool Parties across the USA

Tillywig Top Fun Award and Parents’ Favorite Products Award Winner

Recipient of Spielwarrenmesse Toy Award

Mermaid Mania

2019

Winner of YouTube Silver Creator Award for 100,000+ subscribers.

sethaaron henderson and tanner browning holding a youtube award

2020

Reinforced Tail Tips come with a 1-Year Tail Tip Warranty

Celebrates 10 years of mermaid fun

Makes over 1,000,000 dreams come true by selling more than 1,000,000 mermaid tails

Ten Years

2021

Launches the Elite mermaid tail line and monofin for professional mermaids

Ten Years

Our mission is to provide quality products that promote creativity and active play in a safe and fun way for kids of all ages.