I've been a die-hard Buffalo Bills fan since I was 10 years old (1991), which means I've spent a lifetime expecting the worst. Bills fans know the feeling-heartbreak is part of the territory. The "what can go wrong will go wrong" history is hard to shake. 

But this year, something felt different. Hope snuck in. The Chiefs weren't dominant, they were lucky. The Superbowl was within reach. Not making it all the way when you weren't expecting to win is one thing, but when hope sneaks in and the season ends as it did, it's a lot rougher to accept and ending that isn't what you wanted. Not going to lie, I had a Superbowl menu planned for when we got there this year.

I had almost forgotten about the MVP race because if you don't win the big game, who cares. But I remembered that Thursday night that the NFL Honors Ceremony was going to be on TV so I turned it on as I folded some laundry. 

I started to get excited. Even if it wasn't a Superbowl win, it sure would be nice to get some recognition. I put the kids to bed and then watched the end of the show when they announce the MVP. 

And then, it happened.

WE FINALLY WON SOMETHING. 

Josh Allen was named MVP, and his speech was everything we love about him - humble, heartfelt, and real. He ended it with a simple directive: 

"Be good, do good, God bless, Go Bills." 

I immediately texted my friend: "WE WON! And he ended with - Be good, do good, God bless, and Go Bills. This is going to take off."  I knew as SOON as he said it that that Bills Mafia would rally behind that phrase for a long time. I wanted to high-five someone, but we're in Tennessee and I'm married to a Titans fan. 

From an Idea to a Best-Seller

The next morning, I checked out our Etsy shop (which at the time only had a couple of Girl Scout listings). On a whim, I searched for Josh's phrase "Be good, do good, God bless, Go Bills."

There were only three items listed. Three. 

I woke up ModoDad and said "We should design something. People are going to want to remember this moment." And what better way to keep it with you every day than on a keychain? 

The First Prototype

He got to work on a few different design options, and I picked the one I liked best. We tweaked it a bit, and he printed out the first prototype. The only problem? We didn't even have the right color blue filament. But I listed it anyway with a note that said, "Will be printed on dark blue," totally not expecting anyone to visit the page, let alone buy one. After all, Etsy is tough to break into and our shop was new and only had a few sales of Girl Scout gifts. 

But then...

A few hours later, my phone buzzed. A sale. Then another. I got a notification on my phone that we had a sale...then another. 

It was just 2 that first day. ModoDad and I were cracking up each time, because we honestly thought we'd never sell a single one. The next day? Seven. The day after? Eleven.  

And the orders just kept coming in.

Every Keychain is a Virtual High-Five

As a Bills fan who now lives far from Buffalo, I don't get to experience the energy of Bills Mafia in-person often (except for our annual mom-son trip to a home game.) But every time we ship out a Josh Allen keychain, I like to think of it as a virtual high-five to my fellow fans across the country. 

Josh gave us the perfect phrase to rally around, and thanks to Bills Mafia, we turned that moment into something fans can carry with them every day. 

Go Bills. 💙❤️