We're Moving!

Thank you for sharing this journey with me! It's far from over but I'm going to be sharing news and updates on our ZipperBack Glove blog at www.ZipperBackGloves.com.

We have been getting rave reviews and I expect there is lots more to come!

Our First Official Review!

From MomCentral's Holiday Gift Guide 2009 - Week one:

Getting your child all bundled up to go out and play in the snow can be a long and drawn out process, but kid-friendly gear can make it easier. Cut down some of the hassle and increase play time with ZipperBack gloves. Unlike regular gloves, which can be difficult to pull on, ZipperBack gloves unzip all the way along the back of the gloves to create a wide space for your child to slip his hands through. Once his hands are inside snugly, a large zipper pull allows you to zip the glove back up easily and send your child out on his way. Your child will enjoy being able to help himself as he easily gets ready for his snow-filled adventures. No more frustration for parent or child! Moreover, ZipperBack gloves have a soft fleece “nose wipe” on the forefinger of the glove that won’t irritate your child’s skin when he is faced with a runny nose.

One lucky Mom Central member will win a pair of Zipper Back gloves! To enter, log in or register and leave a comment below by December 8. The winner will be selected randomly and notified by email.

Click here to see the gift guide for week one and enter to win!

Mom Central received a pair of ZipperBack gloves courtesy of ZipperBack Gloves for this giveaway.

Stuff!

We are really in business! Laughing! You are probably thinking, "No duh!"

Things come up that make me realize I have to answer to customers and retailers and do it in a timely fashion. Some of the things recently have been getting a PayPal notification that we sold a pair of gloves...while in Monterey! Luckily, I had a pair with me, in the right size so I could mail them from there. Otherwise they would not have mailed for four days. The other thing that came up was size charts. I got an e-mail from one of our retailers that she needed a size chart so her customers would know what size to get their child. Duh! Next thing you know, I'm at Kinkos printing and laminating size charts to mail the next day! Not only was this time sensitive, but each of the size charts cost $3.00...I made 30, that's about $100.00 with tax! Sheesh!

All of these kinds of things, that may be obvious to some, come up at the most inopportune times! This is just a small cost of being in business for yourself. I'll be sure to let you know when the tides turn and the money is coming instead of going! Fingers crossed!

Good News!

I got a call from Amy in Delaware this week after I e-mailed her confirming her ZipperBack Glove order.

We talked about how her son won't wear mittens and she can't wait to get ZippperBacks. I told her that this is exactly how the idea was born, when my own son Mason wouldn't wear mittens. "What did you say your son's name is?" she asked. I told her Mason. "My son's name is Mason, too!" she exclaimed. How fun!

I asked her how she heard about our gloves and she told me her mother saw them on another child and asked where they got them. They googled us and here we are. Isn't it cool that they saw them on another child (someone bought them from a retailer) and then took the time to look us up and buy a pair! People are buying and talking about ZipperBack Gloves!

I've Been MIA

I've been out of my blogs while I've been grieving the loss of my sweet Mr. Riley. I learned that I lost Riley a week ago Sunday. The details are immaterial, suffice it to say, I've been heartbroken. I'm not giving up on me and my fitness goals, but I'm taking some time to mourn this loss. I'll be back shortly.

Where Have I Been?

I love this blog and I've been neglecting it! I've been so darn busy with ZipperBack Gloves, my real estate business, Mason's birthday, and all the other things that make my list for life so long!

I decided to order more gloves, 150 pair. No sooner did I finalize that order than I get an e-mail from a NY business that wants to buy 150 pair! ARGH! Laughing. In that order. I will call my manufacturer tomorrow to see if they can increase the order. If not, I'll sell the NY business some of my stock and then let them place a sizable order for next year. It's certainly a great problem to have, but a problem nonetheless!

Did I mention that we will have three larger sizes next year and we are currently developing an adult line for 2011? Yes! How exciting to go from idea, to gloves on shelves, to three more sizes, all sizes in two additional colors, fleece gloves and working on adult gloves. WOW! I would say I'm impressed, but it's not impressive to me, it's progress that comes from really hard work! Having a good product helps, too!

I'm going to start making the transition of moving this blog over to my web site at www.zipperbackgloves.com. It's more logical to have everything ZipperBack Gloves on one site. I'll eventually move all of this over there so newcomers can read all about the journey if they so desire. When I'm ready, I'll post that the blog has moved so everyone who wants to know, will!

Boreal's Open!

Boreal Ridge is a ski resort near where we live and today they are open! This is the earliest they have open for skiing, ever. Ever. How cool is that? A ski resort open on October 9th in California. Certainly a day in our snow/ski history. Think snow. Think snow. Thinks snow.

It Snowed!

Yes, it was just a light dusting but it's snow nonetheless! In CA, we pray for a good snow season. Some years we don't get good snow until after Christmas and other years, we get to ski over Thanksgiving weekend. To have a cold snap with moisture the first week in October is awesome! For this family introducing a brand new snow glove to the world, all I can say is, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

Another Order Means Another Order!

I took another retail order today and that means we pretty much have no inventory left. With that, and the fact that it's only October 2nd, I placed another order for inventory with my manufacturer. I'm waiting to hear, but my hope is that the shipment will be here before Thanksgiving. Keep your fingers crossed!

Thank You Good Day Sacramento!

We had a blast yesterday morning on Good Day Sacramento! Live television is tricky because you never know what's going to happen. Stephanie Cruz and I spoke several days before and again yesterday morning when we arrived at the studio. Mason was suppose to be part of the piece and then he decided he didn't want to. Stephanie wanted him to so after I already had my space set, a chair was brought in and Mason propped up with just moments before we were on. As it turns out, it went just fine. The only thing I would do again is I would smile more and move more fluidly. All in all, Mason rocked, he stole the show with his addition of the "nose wipe" feature. If you didn't see it, here's the link to the piece. Come back and let me know what you think! http://www.gooddaysacramento.com/momtrepreneurs

Tomorrow Is A Big Day!

Tomorrow I will be featured on channel 31 Good Day Sacramento's Momtrepreneur segment. This is a feature of moms who invented a product or started a business while running a household. I'm excited to introduce ZipperBack Gloves to my hometown and let people know we've solved this problem! I'll post the details on Wednesday!

Disappearing Inventory

I've been following up with the people from the ABC show and everyone is as nice now as they were there. That's notable because sometimes people are caught up in the moment and say, "Love it! Want it! Call me!" and then when you get home, think, eh, maybe not.

My issue now is that our manufacturer has different numbers than I do for what we've sold and what we have left to sell. It's pretty clear what I will be working on this weekend. I'm convinced that we will be sold out of our current inventory before October 1st. I'm honoring the "No Shipping" sale on our web site, so if you think you want gloves this season, buy them now! Seriously, they will be gone.

Getting Organized!

I can't believe how overwhelmed I feel. We spoke to so many wonderful people, some placed orders right on the spot, some asked me to call for their order, and others showed interest but sounded like they needed more information.

The orders that we took need to be reviewed (some were filled out in a hurry and not clear or complete), missing information collected and then sent to our manufacturer to be fulfilled.

Phone calls and e-mails need to be made and sent to those who said they want to place an order. And when I can muster the umph, I'll follow up with the many other folks who were kind enough to talk to us and leave us their contact information.

My other task is to work out our inventory. It's very clear to me that we WILL sell out of all of our 2009 season's inventory. This is good, I know, but on the same token, I want to go to the snow and have gloves to sell this winter. As a salesperson, having nothing to sell is a drag. It's very possible that we can order some more gloves, but at what cost? I'm going to get to work and I'll let you know what I figure out.

It's Monday!

There is SO much to do this week. I need to sort through all the leads we got, pick the winner for our gift basket of mom invented products, package it to mail, process the orders we took at the show, contact our manufacturer about the many questions that came up at the show, put together a conf. call for our ZBG team, package the first orders from our pre-sale, make a trip to the post office, figure out who we will work with to review our gloves, update all the sales information in ACT!, return e-mails and phone calls, Catch up with my loan modification business, do laundry, get groceries, and the list goes on, and on, and on...Maybe those mostly clean sheets need a little more of my time. Smiling! Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's off to work I go....

Home And Very Tired!

We made it! It was a long drive home yesterday and I'm more tired than I knew I could be...and still be awake. Dave flew to Anaheim for work this weekend so I expect he'll be exhausted when he finally makes it back to Auburn on Sunday. That gives me a few days to recover and change the sheets on the bed. There's not much that's nicer than arriving home to a clean house and fresh sheets. I'm so tired, I don't care if they are fresh or not, I just want to sleep. Sweet dreams!

Last Day At ABC

Well today has certainly proven to be the busy day. Buyers who stopped in to look and said they would come back, have. We took six orders here at the show and got contact information from other retailers asking us to call them next week to take an order. I'm sure that not all of those will pan out, but if even half of them do, we will sell out of all of our inventory for this season.

I'm still not in that mindset, all wholesale/no retail, as I was excited to get out and show our gloves to consumers and sell to them. It's a bit of a let down to think we anticipated this time and planned to sell, sell, sell, and what we end up with is, "Sold!" now back to normal, regular life...Laughing! Maybe it's just me, but there was some real fun in meeting people and putting gloves on little hands.

It's all good news and just speaks to the saying, "If you want to see God laugh, make plans." I am honoring the pre-sale happening now on our web site. Go to www.zipperbackgloves.com to order your gloves and pay no shipping for the whole month of September. As of October 1st, I expect all of our inventory will be going to retailers. There is a slight possibility of getting some more inventory before Christmas, but that still has not been determined.

Finally, we learned that ABC is not really our target market, it's geared too much to pregnancy, infants, and furniture. We are gearing up for SIA in January and expect to do a booming business for next season with the ski & snow sports industry. Thanks for taking this ride with me, and if there is anything I can do to help you bring your idea to life, please ask! Big tired smiles!

Monday At ABC

We are in day two of the ABC Kids Expo and today is better than yesterday was. We were so excited to be here and show our gloves to everyone that I think our excitement set us up for a bit of disappointment. You know how that is, you anticipate and prepare for something that all that time envisioning this phenominal outcome lends itself to a bit of a let down as you stand in your booth as people hurry by.

So many of the buyers have established relationships with long time manufacturers that we are like blur of color as they whiz by. Hopefully we will have more of an audience today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. Don't get me wrong though, the people that we have been able to talk to love our product, we are getting so much validation that I'm sure we have a winner. More on Wednesday.

Remembering 9/11

To everyone who experienced the events of September 11, 2001 I want to tell you, "I remember."

Every American felt the effects of that tragic day, but certainly there were families who were forever changed in ways many of us will never know. As a military family, we remember everyday, but today is special. Know you are loved and you are remembered.

Today Is A Red-Letter Day!

Happy day after Monday!

Today is a red-letter day in the Partak family. Today, we officially have a working web site that you can actually buy gloves from! www.zipperbackgloves.com.

I'm extremely proud that we have come from me sitting at our kitchen table cutting up a thrift store glove to having a great new product for sale!

Dave, Mike, and I are leaving on Friday for our first trade show to introduce ZipperBack Gloves to the world of children's retailers. I feel a bit like, "We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz!" I don't know if the road we've taken has been yellow bricks or paved with gold, but I can say with certainty that no matter what the ultimate outcome of this venture turns out to be, I have no regrets. I feel fortunate beyond belief that the people who have rallied around us to make this happen believe in this as much as we do, and even more, they, you believe in us!

Tell all your family and friends to visit our site and buy some gloves! E-mail, Tweet, facebook, pull out all the stops! We have limited numbers for this maiden voyage so think Christmas, think snow, and think ZipperBack Gloves!

Just For Fun!

Dear Diary...

I've worked so hard for nearly two years and now things are starting to happen. I sold gloves when I didn't have the product to sell (only a prototype), we have revamped our web site, are on track to start selling gloves, and we are scheduled to leave for our first trade show next week.

All of this sounds wonderful and it is, but there's something else going on that I can't quite put my finger on. It's the feeling of a cosmic change happening in the air around me. Things are happening that are exciting and scary all at the same time. Some might say it's the fear associated with enormous amounts of risk, but I don't think that's it. I'm not afraid to fail and if I do, then what? Then we keep on living our lives being grateful for the love our family shares, our health, and the great friends we have. Sure, we lose some money, but money comes and money goes. Life goes on with or without it. If I had to put words to my feelings, I would say that great things are about to happen and all the hard work, kind deeds, and tenacity is about to come around and give back. Oddly enough, it feels strange yet certain.

Only time will tell what this thing is I'm feeling but I'm glad I took the time to write about it. That way no matter what happens I can look back and know you'll be right here with my answers. Sincerely, Kathy

Miracles

What we've worked for doesn't show,

until one day we wake to see a field of miracles.

The Final Countdown

We are only two weeks away from our first trade show. This is really important because it's the first introduction of our gloves to the retail world. You know what they say, "You only get one chance to make a good first impression." We are tending to every little detail and those of you who love us are not letting us short cut anything (ie Mark!). Thank you.

I can't wait to come home and share all the fun and stories of success. I will blog while I'm gone if I can, I'm not sure what my Internet access will be. I know I can have it, I just don't know if I want to pay $20 a day in the room when I don't plan to spend much time there! We'll see. In the meantime, it's back to work. Luck comes when preparation meets opportunity. I like to add that you have to be open and willing to grab the opportunities when they come! You can bet we will be!

My Message To Entrepreneurs

Do you have an idea? An invention? I say, "Go for it!" You don't need a boatload of money to pursue an invention. Dave and I had this idea years ago and actually took action in January 2008. Here we are just 19 months later getting ready for our first trade show and our product will be on store shelves in mere months. Don't have time? Dave is full time, active duty military, and when we started this venture, I had a full time sales career. You can do it!

The really amazing thing about this story is that we have not paid a penny for prototyping, samples, or manufacturing. The only money we've spent has been for our legal fees with writing and filing our patent application. Not every idea needs a patent. In fact, "First to Market" is often more effective and a lot less expensive than applying for a patent. How have we done this you might wonder. I don't know what the technical answer is, but I can tell you what I think it is, I asked.

It really is as simple as that. I called US manufacturers of snow gloves and talked to them about my idea. I originally wanted to license the idea with the provision that I would introduce it to the marketplace as mom invented, and then they could run with it. The couple of companies that I was able to have a dialog with, really saw that our idea was good, sound, and needed. They liked the hole in the children's market we were filling and they liked my initiative to pick up the phone and cold call, as I did each of them. The company that is now our manufacturer and distributor paid for six rounds of prototyping, 35 pair of sample gloves, and the polish on the design for the hang tag. We worked on a general look and their graphics department made it look spiffy and professional. From there, they provided us with an additional 50 hang tags for when we needed to replace a torn one. They also provided 75 pair of retail ready gloves that they deferred billing on until October 14th, 2009. It is possible to get the help you need when your idea is a good one, and you ask

So what's stopping you from pursuing your idea? If it's important to you, you'll make time, and don't tell me it's money because I won't buy it, not even for a single dollar!

Cups Of Abundance

I don't have a clue what that means, but it keeps popping up in my mind. Cups of Abundance. Is it a subliminal message about my future? Maybe if I were inventing a coffee cup or a bra! Laughing! Who knows, it's one of those silly things that makes you think. Maybe that's what I'm suppose to be doing, thinking of abundance in my recipe for life! What do you think of when you hear and when you say, "Cups of Abundance." Smiling!

Exactly As It Is Suppose To Be

To hold faith in your pocket, and to see life's plan through the eyes of your heart, is to know that all is happening exactly as it was meant to.

I'm Not MIA

Hey friends, I'm up to my eyeballs in details for the upcoming ABC show in Las Vegas. We are only just over two weeks away from packing up the car and the list of things to do is growing by the moment! I have some exciting news and updates, but I have to be in a place where I can sit quietly and write. I'll get everything updated before the end of next week!

As Promised, Here Are Some Pictures!

These are some of the pics we shot in my backyard...
We plan to use some of these shots for photo stand-ups for the ABC show...

Do these kids look like the epitome of winter fun?

We think so! This one would be fun using a 1/2 a Styrofoam circle to make the shot 3D.

And yes, we are doing a 20 inch stand-up of Riley! He's part of our snow fun!

Does Emotion Have A Place In Business?

My initial answer is "no." I can reconcile that there are businesses that require emotion, but even a business such as hospice, medical, and other sensitive-issue fields, at the end of the day there are expenses to be met and with that, there is no place for emotion. Notoriously, this has been why men have been perceived as better at business than women. I'm here to tell you, not so. I know many men who become very emotional about their businesses, especially when it's something they've created, a product, an invention, and so on.

Here's my take on this, no matter what kind of business you have, you are still a person. Being human mean you feel and feeling is part of what makes up passion. Passion is an important part of loving what you do. With that said, we are all emotional sometimes, but in reality, if you look at the facts and figures, take the emotion out of your business decisions, you are likely going to have better success and stronger relationships. You are in control of how you feel and whether or not you react with emotion. This may or may not be flawed thinking, but it's how I feel about it. I'll give you another example of non-emotional thinking in business on Wednesday. In the meantime, what do you think about emotion and business?

Working On Our Booth

You all know by now that we are attending the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas next month. You also must know, because we are just like you, we are on a limited budget. What we are planning is to get stand-up photo cut outs of kids having a snowball fight and making our booth into a winter scene. The underlying idea is to show kids having fun, smiling, and being able to use their hands. Our plans are grand, within our budget (is that an oxymoron? Grand within our budget?), and I expect it to look great. What kind of ideas can you see with this idea? How do you think we can simulate snow in a cost effective and not terribly messy way? I would love to hear your ideas!

Thank You! We Won!

Many of you know I win things. Everything from a CD, to movie tickets, to trips around the world. People ask me, "How do you do that?" And my reply is always the same, "I intend to." This subject is actually what launched Intentional Winning in Life (www.intentionalwinning.blogspot.com). The other answer to the same question is, "I play." You can't win if you don't play. Combine my beliefs, I play and I intend to win, and you have Intentional Winning at Winning!

Three weeks ago I put ZipperBack Gloves in the running for a $1000 grant through the Intuit's Love A Local Business contest. Once I entered the contest, I had to rally my network of friends to nominate ZBG to be one of five weekly winners of the grants. Today we learned we won!

When I spoke with the woman from Intuit, she said that two of the other companies who won this week were in it from the beginning and were just a few nominations away from winning in the previous two weeks. Persistence pays off and today that's to the tune of $500 cash and another $500 in business services! You can't win if you don't play and when you do play, you have to believe you can win!

I Saved An Inventor $1800!

Once people know about the glove project, they come to me with the questions of how did I do that and who did I know to call. One of the parents from Mason's school asked me about a product idea he has and as I was sharing with him what I know, he informed me that he sent his idea to an invention company. He went on to say that they wanted $1800 from him to secure the patent, in his name, and bring his product to market. I asked him what was in it for them. He didn't know. I suspect a lot.

My thoughts during our conversation were to absolutely not pay $1800, file a provisional patent application on his own, and start shopping this idea to companies that may be interested in licensing it. In the meantime, look into what it would cost to manufacture just in case that's the road he ended up traveling. He felt like he found a resource in me and I felt good that he wasn't handing over too much money when in all likelihood, this deal was not going to shake out the way it was presented initially.

What do you think? Have you ever seen success from an invention company? I haven't.

Please Nominate Us!

As we head into week 3 of the Love a Local Business contest, I suspect word has gotten out and more businesses are lobbying for nominations. For those of you who are voting weekly, THANK YOU! And for those of you who have tried and found it difficult, please try again.

If you haven't clicked over, please do. I know that with the number of people in our networks, there isn't a single reason why ZipperBack Gloves can't be a winner of a $1000 grant..free money! Please send this along to your network with a note letting them know you know us and really want to see us win and succeed.

I'm going to see if I can't spell this out as simply as possible. Again, thank you and I'll keep you posted!

Visit http://www.lovealocalbusiness.com/
When the floating cards load, scroll 3/4 of the way down the page to step #1 Nominate.

Type in ZipperBack Gloves and Auburn, CA and hit "FIND"

Make sure you an see underneath the "FIND" button because if you can't nothing will happen. If you can, you will see it says google maps can't find us and there will be the Nominate Manually link. Click that.

You'll now see #2 to the right and here is where you type in our information:

ZipperBack Gloves
PO Box 7476
Auburn,
CA
95604
Dave and Kathy Partak - Owners
Contact info: Zbgloves@yahoo.com

Click "NEXT"

Select "I am a fan of this business"
Enter your e-mail address.
Type in any comments you would like to.
Put in your nickname.
Check the "I accept the terms."
Hit "Nominate."

Once you do it, it's very quick. We have to do this each week as the nominations are wiped clean for each new week. If we all work together, we can win and we won't have to keep playing! Help us by rallying your troops to rally their troops! You can still vote today if you haven't already and if you have, send this along to your netrwork!

Thanks so much!

Kathy
Follow me on twitter: @kdpartak

Zelda Wisdom with Carol Gardner

A few years ago, Carol Gardner was going through a divorce. A friend gave her some advice: "Get a therapist or get a dog." Carol chose the latter and brought home a four month old English bulldog puppy she named Zelda. Not only did Zelda become her loyal companion, but sparked the creation of Zelda Wisdom. Carol used her background as a creative director in advertising to combine the visual of Zelda along with verbal wit and wisdom. The result? Zelda Wisdom Inc. is now an international greeting card, gift, and book line which offers such suggestions as life is tough...wear a helmet, smile...it could be worse, enjoy life...this is not a rehearsal, go braless...it pulls the wrinkles down.

It's amazing that every picture you see of Zelda is the real deal. All of her costumes are made for her, and she wears them exactly as you see them; no photo-shopping! She's a girl who loves her clothes and celebrity.

I get an e-mail from Zelda every day. It's the most wonderful, smile evoking way to start the day. You can get Zelda's Daily Dogmas by going to www.zeldawisdom.com and subscribe. For those who believe you don't get something for nothing, wrong-O! Zelda's Daily Dogmas are completely free.

Those of you who know me personally, know that Mason carries a stuffed Zelda with him every where he goes. Carol has been an inspiration, mentor, and good friend to me. I know you will love Zelda as much as we do. Check her out today! You can read more in Dahlynn's book Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneur's Soul. It's a great read, including Carol and Zelda's story. http://www.zeldawisdom.com/

Sunflower Zelda

"Do You Have That? You Know You Need It, Right?"

We are in high gear getting ready for out first trade show in September. As we work through the things we obviously know we need, we're finding that we need so many not-so-obvious things, too.

Did you know you need a style sheet or "how to use" for your logo? What that means is, you have to have your retailers agree to only use your logo or brand as you allow. The appearance has to always be consistent and positioned as you want it to appear. That may be in their advertising or signage in their store, but not for their personal use or worse. There's more to this, lots more, but we're not going to go into it here.

How about making sure your manufacturer can produce a large order, a very large order. You may think, of course they can, but do you know? In our case, Dave realized that we need to be sure the skus are issued for not only our five sizes in two new colors, but also three larger sizes, also in the two new colors. That's sixteen new skus created in our manufacturers system before our show in just under six weeks.

There have been so many things that have come up in the last two weeks that I just can't imagine boring you with all of it (not to mention, I can't remember it all off the top of my head!). Suffice it to say, this has been and continues to be an incredible journey. It feels like yesterday that I sat at my kitchen table cutting up a poorly designed children's snow glove. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it a million more times, just start! If you just take those first steps, you'll be amazed at how soon all those steps create your dream journey!

Love a Local Business!

Vote for ZipperBack Gloves to win a $1000 grant!

Here's the info:

Go to www.lovealocalbusiness.com
Scroll down and enter our info to nominate.
When it says it can't find us, you will get a link to select Manually Nominate.
Our business name is ZipperBack Gloves
PO Box 7476
Auburn, CA
Dave and Kathy Partak - Owners
Contact info: Zbgloves@yahoo.com
Thank you!

Kathy Partak
Follow me on twitter: @kdpartak
www.intentionalwinning.blogspot.com/ blog updated 3x weekly

Money Smarts!

As an entrepreneur I'm faced everyday with handling our money appropriately. Heck, entrepreneur or not, I'm the designated CFO in the Partak family. It just so happens that I have to juggle not only for the family finances, but also for our budding glove business. I find that it's really simple math and lots of mom ingenuity! I have to be creative, think out of the box, and some days just trust that what we need will be there when we need it.

How do you stay money smart? Do you have a financial plan for your family and your business? We are getting our plans mapped out, but being sure to remember that things change. You need to have a plan, but you also need to be flexible when those plans change. Share your thoughts, I would love to know what works for you!

Who Is On Your Counsel?

I'm sure you have people in your life that you look up to or take knowledge from their experience...but have you ever thought seriously about what they might advise you to do in any given situation? I have. I was introduced to this idea by Napoleon Hill in his book Think and Grow Rich. He suggests that you create a panel of experts, dead or alive, that you know enough about to surmise what they might do or advise you to do in a given situation. I love this! The idea not only gives you an opportunity to research and learn about other's who have succeeded, but it changes the way you think about your current situation or dilemma.

Do you have imaginary counsel that you can talk to about what you want, what you could do, or just share your happy thoughts with? If not, maybe you can think about who you would put in your mind to have on your team. I have Napoleon Hill, Oprah, Jack Canfield, and more on my team in my mind. I ask my question and imagine what any one of my team would advise me to do. It really creates a different line of thinking when you are looking for clarity or answers. Let me know what you think of this idea! Have a great week and make something special happen!

If You're Taking Action, You're Winning!

I talk with other entrepreneurs every day. It can be someone who is running a brick and mortar business or another mom inventor like myself, and what I keep finding is that everyone is striving for some lofty goal and missing out on all the little successes and accomplishments along the way.

I posted a thought on twitter last week that read, "There is no destination. Your entire life is a journey of starts, wins, losses, stops, joys, sorrows, laughter, loves, and experience. If you are waiting to get "there," you're missing the ride." I believe this with every fiber of my being.

I understand the importance of setting goals and working diligently until you get there. However, once that goal is met, there will be another, and another, and one after that. At what point do you stop and say to yourself, "I did it!" and take some credit? Big victories are won by a number of smaller wins. A perfect example is that of a parent. Would you dare not celebrate your child's first steps, and then their early words, to the first time they read a full sentence? Of course not! The joy is in the journey, the accomplishment that allows the next bit of skill or information to come. We might find we are happier in our day to day lives if we spent a few minutes a day treating ourselves like we do our children.

In my opinion, if you show up to do the work, you are successful. Many people have great ideas. How many of those same people put their ideas to the test? My guess is less than 10%. If I'm close, than isn't being in the top 10% of billions impressive? I think so! Take a moment today and celebrate something you've accomplished, don't' worry about it not being the be-all-end-all of goals. The reality is, there is no destination, all you have is your journey. Make the most of each delicious bite!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I'm running like crazy. I know you know...so with that, Happy Hump Day and I'll see you on Friday!

They're Here!

The shipment of gloves came on Thursday. I wanted to share the news on Friday but I've been in "schedule is jam packed" hell! Laughing! It's really not so terrible, but when I don't have time to write, I get a little crabby.

I knew the shipment was coming, but when it arrived, it was a box that was surrounded by white light! I think I even heard angels singing. Okay, no white light or singing angels, but it was a moment that deserved some recognition. After all, it's not everyday that you stand in your hall way with a box that holds your first retail ready product. Think about all the ideas you've had in your life and how many of them you've seen through to creation. Most people will tell you they've never done it. This is my first shot at bringing a product to market, and here they are!

I called Dave before I opened the box and asked him if he wanted me to wait until he got home. Being the nice guy that he is, and knowing me so well, he said, "No, you can't wait. Open the box." He said the words you can't wait in the context of "you" being a general reference, when in fact, he knows me and knows I CAN'T WAIT! Think about the friends episode where Monica is waiting for Chandler to get home so they can open their wedding gifts and in her impatience, he comes home to every one of them opened! Yes, that's me.

I opened the box while Dave was still on the phone and I have to tell you, it was a moment that transformed this project from something cool that we're working on, to a real business venture. Holding gloves on hang tags in my hand for the first time was something special. Even Dave has been bumped up to the next level in planning after holding the product.

If you can dream it, you can have the box of it on your hall way floor, too! Laughing! Start! Start figuring out how to make it. If I did this, you can do it, whatever your "it" is. Tania's making hers happen, Sally is well on her way, and Ginelle is as well! One of many things we all have in common is that we took that first step! You ladies inspire me and I hope my news today inspires you as well! Happy Monday and welcome to a new week!

Still No Answers On Some Of My Problems

I'm working on getting ready for the ABC Kids Expo and it seems I'm really behind. I have to figure out what we can offer as a show special, figure out sizing, and all the things I talked about last week. To date, I've done very little on that list! Are these really problems or just things to do that I don't want to focus on? Likely the latter! Laughing!

I do know that our first order of 75, retail ready pairs of gloves will be here this week and if that's not a milestone worthy of celebration, I don't know what is! I'll post a picture on Friday so you can all share in my elation! In the meantime, I have lots of work I still need to do!

Take a moment to share with me where you are in your journey and how I might be able to help you. Happy Wednesday!

Are You Going To The ABC Kids Expo?

We are attending this trade show in September and I want to see how many of my friends will be there. I think it would be a hoot to arrange an evening of drinks and appetizers to meet in person. Are you going? Do you know anyone who is? Pass this along and let's see if we can't make some face-to-face meetings happen! Here is some of the information on the show. If you think you might like to meet up in Las Vegas, let me know! I would love to meet some of my blogger-inventor friends!

ZipperBack Gloves will be in booth 1612!

Las Vegas, NV September 13-16, 2009 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Exhibit Halls.

The ABC Kids Expo is the primary trade show for the juvenile products industry. It was founded as a partnership between independent specialty store retailers and the manufacturers who support them, as a method in which to promote the long-term sustained growth of the industry as well as to provide valuable opportunities for networking and education. The main focus of the show is on products from newborn through teen, predominantly in the areas of furniture, bedding, room décor, baby gear, gift and layette, toys and related accessories.

There's Always Something To Do!

You might think that with a seasonal product, once the weather heats up, there's not much to do. NOT SO!

We have a trade show in September that we have no display for. We have magazines to promote to, and it may already be too late. I'm still gonna send the samples though, because you just never know. We have companies that have expressed an interest and asked us to send a sample even though it's too late for this fall. I have to pull together the data for a press kit and we still need good pictures of the final product, on the hang tag for web sales (ours and retailers). We need to figure out how people can "size" our gloves for their little ones hands and inmplement that into the web site. We are revamping the look of our web site so there attention needed there and I haven't even touched on the administrative stuff (bookkeeping, updating the database, inventory, etc.).

Just when you think you can settle in and take a break, think again! There's always something to do! What are the things you found to do that you didn't expect would take so much time?

Gloves May Be Here This Week!

I've been in communication with our manufacturer over the last few weeks and our initial shipment of gloves is in! This is the real deal, all five sizes on hang tags! This is what our consumers will see and decide if they want to buy. We are very excited.

It's just one more milestone in this process. I think all the little victories are important, but some stand out a little more than others. This is the one that when you open the box, you feel anxious, excited, and quite possibly, even emotional. Maybe it's just me, but to see your idea in "shelf-ready" form is quite an accomplishment.

I realize there is so much more to the business side of things, but if you don't take time to recognize the small successes in the journey, you aren't really taking it all in. You may find yourself at the destination you were striving for, but will it really be as sweet if you didn't celebrate all the little stops along the way? I think not! I'll take a picture of the gloves when they come, but until then, I'm going to feel the excitement and anticipation each moment!

Entrepreneurial Generosity

Entrepreneurs are some of the most generous people. In the last year I've met many people who are bringing products to market or running their own businesses. The one thing that seems to be true with all of them is that they want to share what they do. They share their knowledge, their expertise, their network of friends and associates, and their products. Part of the desire to share comes from wanting people to know and love what they do. The other factor is the pride they feel in their product and/or service.

I understand this because I find that I want to give away gloves to anyone who helps me that has small children. I don't have very many pair to sell this first season, let alone give away, but I sure want to! I want people to know what Dave and I created and that our product will solve their problem. There is a sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with each mile stone. I know I can't give away as many pair of gloves as I'd like to...yet! But the day will come when I can donate, give back, and share our product with everyone we want! Smiling!

My Condolences.

Billy Mays passed away yesterday. I did not know him, but know some that did. He was only 50 years old, but in his life, he made so many people smile. I don't need to tell you who he was or what he did.

All I want to say is that I'm sorry that his family woke up without him on Sunday morning. I can't imagine what deep sorrow they must be feeling. My heart is heavy.

I'm Camping!

Even us hard working mompreneurs need a break! I'm camping with a big group of friends and will be back on Monday. I'll see you all on Wednesday, June 24th! I hope you are doing something fun, too!

Pint Sized Entrepreneur Natalie Lillie

I'm a firm believer that when you give children the opportunity to succeed, they'll do just that. Natalie Lillie is a perfect example of a young lady who had an unpleasant life experience and wanted to tell her story. At just nine years old, Natalie wrote, Natalie's Lice Aren't Nice!

A few years earlier, Natalie got lice from sharing a hairbrush with a soccer pal. She watched as her three brothers had their heads shaved and then endured several days of natural treatments, and uncomfortable combing to pick the nits out. When it was over, she was afraid her friends would think she was not clean so she wanted to educate everyone about head lice.

I had the pleasure of visiting with Natalie a few weeks ago, and what a joy of a young lady! She is beautiful, inside and out, and has an incredible vocabulary. I've known Natalie's family for nearly 20 years, so I'm not really all that surprised she's a dynamo. Everyone in her family is as kind and ambitious as she is and she has excellent women in her life as role models. With all this young lady has going for her, she has a very bright future ahead of her!

You can buy Natalie's book at Amazon by clicking this link: http://www.amazon.com/Natalies-Lice-Arent-Natalie-Lillie/dp/1434372715

How Do You Pay For It?

How do you pay for your business? It takes money to make money and it certainly takes money to launch a product. We did okay getting the ball rolling, but now we have product ordered and need to pay for two trade shows, a booth, travel expenses, and anything else that crops up.

I know people who have relatives who foot the bill, and others use credit cards. The days of home equity are long gone for most, and banks aren't making business loans nearly as easily as they used to. So what do you do?

I'm pretty creative when it comes to fund raising. When Dave and I were planning our wedding, we got a donation of a weekend vacation and sold raffle tickets. We made over $800 and that was almost enough to pay the caterer. Yes, we got off cheap! Our friends all rallied and provided their professional services either at their cost, or in several cases, as our wedding gift. It was wonderful. When Dave was in Iraq, I got big name musicians to autograph a guitar and then the local morning DJs would auction it off for me. This money paid for shipping of hundreds of boxes of CDs and DVDs to our troops.

Have you ever sought out a creative fund raising solution? I would love to know how you raise money to make your business fly.

I Call It The "RLF"

I missed a day this week. For all best efforts planning, I found myself buried in tasks that on average, all took more than twice the amount of time I had planned. When I look at my list and what's still not done, I have to attribute it to the "RLF," or the Real Life Factor. It's the stuff in your real life, that interrupts the life we really want to be living. You know what I mean, actually calling the friends you truly want to get together with and researching the classes you want to take at the local college this summer.

I followed through yesterday and called a friend who our family loves to hang out with. We haven't seen each other since last September because the RLF has been in the way for both our families. If not school schedules, work schedules, out of town visits with family, or realizing a press kit is much more information than originally thought, it's something else that must take precedence.

I'm giving myself a break and not feeling like I need to publish a post just so Wednesday isn't left bare. Whatever! Laughing. Real life is that some days blogs don't get updated, and that's okay. Now that's the RLF!

Can You Work With Your Spouse?

Some couples work together beautifully and others wind up in divorce court. What about you, could you work with your spouse?

I've worked with my friend Mike and it worked out fine. We had some ups and downs, but we always seemed to be able to work through them. I've also worked with my friend Julie, and that didn't go as smoothly. Fortunately, we've been friends long enough, we could recognize that the work relationship was not working and the friendship was far too valuable to put at risk.

Dave and I have never worked together in a full time capacity. We plan to once the glove business starts to get busy. I think we can do it and here's why. Our relationship is based on friendship. We were friends for more than six years before any romance began to blossom. We got to know each other, the good and the bad, with no prejudice. As we've made our way through almost eight years of marriage, we do a really good job of defining our roles and each others expectations of said role. If we just keep working our business the way we've worked every other aspect of our relationship, we'll be just fine.

What do you think, could you work with your spouse? A good friend? I'm interested to know what you think!

Being A Mom Always Comes First!

Have you ever had one of those days where you get up and think, Gotta lot to do today, let's get this ball rolling only to find out that what you are really going to be doing is taking care of a sick child? If you're a parent, you've been there!

Today I had a great day planned to get stuff done and start prepping for the work I can do over the summer months. Instead, I took Mason to the doctor with suspected strep throat. Lucky for all of us, it's not strep but he's still feeling under the weather, which means, he needs his mom.

At least when you work for yourself you don't have the pressure of someone else who may have the inclination to make your work life hard. Heck, you know what's not getting done, and now you have to make up the lost time somewhere. And you will, but it likely won't be when you can be comforting you little one.

Disclaimer: Mark, you heard me barking at Mason about not wanting to play Ben 10 Alien Force. Clearly, he was feeling better and didn't need my comforting, so I got back to work making him fend for himself! Yes, I love my son, but come on, I have work to do! Laughing!

Build Your Database From Number One

When you start your journey in business, any business, it's imperative that you have a place to manage your contacts.

As you meet people, the first few you meet you may get a business card or have their name written on a piece of paper somewhere. Before you know it, you'll have ten, twelve, twenty, and more. It's so much harder to go back, find all those cards, remember the details, and get that information utilized effectively if you have to do it months down the line. Buy a good contact management software (I use ACT!), and start making those entries with good notes from contact number one.

Building a great contact list is the foundation for running a solid business. It starts as a list of business contacts, builds to be treasured relationships, and will grow to be a golden Rolodex. If you don't have a contact management system, make one or buy one, but make it happen. In my opinion, it's your most critical tool!

Who Do You Know?

You've all heard the saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know." Do you believe that? I do. This is not to say that you should ride any ones coattails, it's just to say that when pivotal people know who you are, you have opportunities that others may not.

Case in point; I met a woman at a networking event who had invented a great baby product. We talked and initially connected because she is also the wife of a National Guard Soldier. As the evening went on, I agreed to take a sample of her product and send it to a friend of mine who has connections with a company that may possibly be interested in licensing her product. She sent it to me, I sent it to him, he took it to them, and viola! A licensing deal is on the table. This deal wouldn't even be a possibility if we didn't tap into our willingness to ask for help.

Who do you know? Who do they know? Ask! You know what you need and the kind of professional people who can help you make your dream a reality. Find out how many degrees of separation there really are between you and them. I bet not as many as you might think!

Intention To Bring A Product To Market

All of you know I've worked my behind off to get our gloves in stores this fall (http://www.zipperbackgloves.com/). If I had a place to go get answers like this newly created library, I'd have been in hog heaven! Check it out. If you're not an inventor, send this link to everyone you know, I bet you have friends who have ideas and just don't know where to start. Check it out and let me know what you think!

The Inventor’s Mentor Library is now open.

Seeking a place to learn without all the chi-chat? The Inventor's Mentor Library is exactly what you are looking for!

Search through the information already there, and help them grow by asking more questions related to inventing. You ask questions, and the mentors answer them, it’s as simple as that.

Information from licensing your invention to watching videos of the manufacturing process, there’s sure to be something to help all level of inventors gain knowledge. If what you’re looking for isn’t there, ask for it and we’ll do our best to get the information for you.

There are no personal opinions here, just information. You take from the site what you need and give back in the form of inventing related questions.

The site is monitored almost 24 hours a day to ensure respect for all mentors and members.
Take a look; you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

http://theinventorsmentors.forumo.biz/index.htm

Happy inventing!

From What Do you Wear To Where Do You Work?

Today my hubby Dave and I had a marital meeting with regard to finances, expectations, the glove journey, and all my endeavors to bring home a real paycheck.

We both agreed that the setback with poison oak was legitimate (meaning I needed to stay home and get well) and that I have so many irons in the fire, it's hard to tend to any of them well. He's absolutely right, I need to get organized and get focused! I certainly would be at a regular job on time, stay the length of my shift, and do the best job I could do while punched in. Why is it so hard to stay focused when we work from home? Lord knows it's real work, and lots of it!

Dave's answer was ready and waiting. "You need to get off the bed and work from a table and chair. Better yet, we will get your office back in shape and you can work from there. Psychologically, the bed is a bad desk." Hmm. He might be right, but I love working from my bedroom. The light in here is better than anywhere else in the house. The bed is nice and big when it's just me sitting here. And, I face my vision board all the hours I'm working from my bed.

I know, I know, there are people who make their living in bed, that's not me. I just mean, sitting on your made bed working on your computer. What do you think, is the bed a bad place to work?

Happy Memorial Day!

I'm off spending this day with my family. I hope you are, too!

Please take a moment and remember the many lives that have been sacrificed to allow us the freedoms we so dearly love. Also, the men and women who did not give their lives, come back from war forever changed. This in turn changes the families they love.

In loving memory of my dad, a VFW (WWII and the Korean War).

What Do You Wear To Work?

I love being an entrepreneur for so many reasons, but mostly because I like that I can work in my pajamas if I want to. And many days, I want to!

The really nice thing is that there are times when you need to pull out the tailored suit, and other days when jeans and a freshly pressed shirt will do. Those days are a nice change and make me feel important, but in reality, I'm one of those people who is most comfortable in my yoga pants, thick socks, and a super soft t-shirt.

So hear is my question; do you think it matters what you wear to work? Of course if you work in a bank or corporate environment, you need to comply with specific dress codes, but what about being self employed? I say dress for the event. If you are meeting investors, or making client calls, dress professionally. No matter what your product or service is, you'll feel more confident and your client will have more faith in your professional ability. If you're doing admin at your home office, wear whatever you want, even nothing if that suits you!

This applies to all areas of your life. You're not going to a formal wedding in cut off jeans and a tank top. The same way you're not going to the beach in your best business suit. Use common sense and good judgement and you'll always be dressed appropriately!

On a side note, this reminds me of something I said as our wedding ceremony was beginning. We had a garden wedding planned and as fate would have it, it rained. We moved the wedding to the reception hall where there was a gorgeous stone fireplace. The minister made mention of the bad weather and I politely chimed in, "There is no such thing as good or bad weather. There is just weather and if you are dressed appropriately, every day can be a great day!"

What Do You Do When You Have A Lull?

You know, the time when you finished one thing but can't start the next step yet? It always feels a little strange when I ramp up, work hard, and finish a task to find that there's nothing to do until...fill in the blank.

For ZBG, the blank is, until it's time to start working on our trade show booth for ABC kids in September. We are working on it in terms of tossing around ideas, but no solid "to do's" yet. I'm also waiting on our glove order to put together samples for retailers like Sports Authority.

There is certainly aways something to do, but there are also those times when you just have to wait. I can hear Tania now, "Wait, wait for what? I'm working on invention #352 while I wait on colors from Asia for #176, and bendy wire from Mark for #267."

What do you focus on when you are in a lull? I'm working on other ways to earn an income while we wait, and that means many balls in the air at once. I'm also using this time to get fit and trim so that when the spotlight is on me, I'll feel good about how I present myself and comfortable in my clothes.

When all else fails, I had a manager tell me once, "If there's time to lean, there's time to clean." And I've done my fair share of that over the last few months as well!

Going Out On A Limb!

This is a duplicate post to my IWIL blog (you can see more pictures at http://www.intentionalwinning.blogspot.com/, but I wanted to put it here because I feel it ties into being an entrepreneur.

When your family life is happy and you allow yourself time to play, you find that your business gets a shot in the arm, too. While we were off riding with the wind in our hair, we were also talking about new ways to market our gloves, and even talking about new product ideas. It gave us the opportunity to brainstorm and be inspired. The best part is that we were inspiring each other! We laughed as we took this picture of me going out on a limb! As entrepreneurs we do this every day. Here's how our day went.

Dave took the day off and we had a spontaneous day of fun.

We started off with breakfast at Awful Annie's in Old Town Auburn where we had breakfast outdoors on the veranda. After a delicious meal, we put the top down on the Miata and headed over the summit to Boomtown where we had a few dollars to play poker. We played for an hour or so with the seniors who clearly play everyday, they all knew each other, and the dealers, too!

From there, we headed back home stopping at a beautiful spot along the Truckee river. The water is raging and the scenery was gorgeous! We kissed and played on the rocks like new lovers, and took pictures to remind us that we an still have fun like we did as a brand new couple.

After our stop at the river, we stopped in at Fox Barrel Brewery and tasted cider, yum! We planned a nice barbecue for later, but before we picked Mason up, we made our final stop at Carpe Vino back in Old Town Auburn, for a lovely glass of zinfandel.

What a great day. The best part is that Dave acts on his intention to keep our marriage full of love and life. Friday was the epitome of Intentional Winning in Marriage!

A Surprise!

After all the doom and gloom this week, Dave has a surprise for me. All I know is I'm to clear my calendar and dress for the top down. On the car! I'll let you know on Monday what the day had in store! Happy Friday!

Glad That One's Over!

My last post shared my crappy day. This led me to ask the question, "Is it okay to tell the truth when you're feeling crappy, or is it better to smile and make nice?"

I feel the answer lies somewhere in between. If you know people well, you certainly can tell the whole truth. But even with people who you may not know so well, I think it's okay to be who and where you are.

My feelings are that I don't think people want to open an e-mail or get a blog update that finds them smack in the middle of a pity party. It's no fun to know your friends are down, especially when there's nothing you can do. It also doesn't appeal to me to think of bringing people down when I'm down. The flip side is that people want to help and they need to know you're real. Someone said to me, if you don't ever show the other sides of you, people will think A) you are superwoman who they could never live up to, and/or B) you're a fake. I agree.

I'm up and optimistic most of the time. When the weight of the world starts to get to me, I may feel it for a bit, but then I take action. I start looking for the ways I can make changes that are proactive. I think the world would be a better place if we had social permission to have a bad day and not feel like we're "less than" for it.

Ultimately I believe that having my health, the love of my family and friends are the most important aspects of life. When I'm having a crap day, I recognize I'm still able, and I can be who I am and I will still be loved!

The Downs...That Eventually Come.

Being an entrepreneur is hard work. Those of you who do this know the reality, you have successes, good news, people who cheer lead, and then there are all the other days.

I had one of the days that scare the hell out of most people, but to an entrepreneur, it's just one of "those" days. Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, it's the day when you realize how far out on the limb you really are. You take note of the interest rate and finance charges that are accruing while you're working your @#$ off trying to make the money flow the other way...back into your account. The unexpected things that happen in your personal life like your checking account being compromised...which of course means filing a police report, notifying the credit bureaus, closing the account, opening a new one, ordering new checks, new debit cards, re-entering all your bill pay and making sure everything is paid on time. Your family needs you to be happy, or at least reasonably so, and you just don't feel like it, but you smile anyway. When all of this, and more is on your shoulders, your world becomes very heavy.

For me, I'm an entrepreneur from my very core. There is just nothing else I can be happy doing. Here's what I know, no matter how long you've been on your own in business, these days are never easy. The truth is, the hardest part about having one, is admitting you're having it!

We're A Leading Mom In Business Winner!

I'm feeling mighty proud. Not just to be recognized as a leading mom in business, but this is our first winning emblem!

It will never go without saying that our business can never be successful without all of you! You are the people who support me, my family, mentor me, help us financially, listen as I work my way through this entrepreneurial education, buy our gloves, share our story, and on and on I can go.

Thank you and here's to many more!

Round Three!

I got the third copy of our agreement with our manufacturer. Before I tell you if it was right, I want to share with you a little something I was advised of. I am not a lawyer, lord knows you can read these pages and know that! The individual who shared this nugget with me is also not a lawyer, but they play one on TV, no just kidding, I couldn't help myself! It doesn't matter if any of us are lawyers or not, this piece of information just made sense.

When I got the second copy of our agreement and it was exactly the same as the first (without the changes), it was my inclination to write the thing myself and send it back to them corrected. I starting spouting off about how I could just do this myself when the words, "No, just hand write the changes on their original and mail it back to them." came quietly across the air waves. The low volume of the voice made me listen as I continued to hear, "...the party that originated the document has more responsibility for it's contents in a court of law than the party who signs/agrees to it." Really? Wow! It makes sense really. When you write something, you know completely what you are putting on the table. There is a much larger margin for error if you are simply reading, interpreting, and hopefully understanding what you are agreeing to.

The woman who is responsible for drawing up the documents for our agreement received my notes and asked me to please make the changes and send it back to them. I did, electronically, and e-mailed the document back to her. She printed it on their company letter head, with the changes, CEO signed it and sent it back to me to "agree to." I did, and mailed it back...at my own expense! They did not provide a third stamped self addressed envelope! Laughing!

You Gotta Do The Sales

So many people I meet have great ideas but think they can't do the sales. You gotta do the sales! Nobody can sell your idea like you can! Why on earth would you want anyone else to it for you? They won't present your product with the same passion you will. They can't talk about how you came up with it or why you think it's best thing since the hot shower!

If you really think you can't sell than you can't. But maybe if you think about it as sharing your story, or giving them the opportunity to know about what you've created, maybe it will be easier for you to se....uh, I mean present your idea. Whatever it takes, open your mouth and tell the world about you and your great idea. No matter what happens, it will put you one step closer to where you want to be.

When They Don't Like It

How do you deal with the people who don't like your idea, or product? Have you had anyone actually tell you they don't like it? I have, well sort of. My experience has been that people have gushed and been so impressed that I have a product, that they can't see the item itself, for any real intent or purpose. They hold the glove, slide the zipper and just keep saying, "Wow, you really created this?" The only people who have been less than impressed are the people who have never put a glove on a kids hand, and then they just sort of look at me with a, "Duh" kind of blank stare.

Now that we have placed an order and actually have these wheels in motion, I'm noticing more feedback. Everything from why are they black to water resistant, why not waterproof? I have my mentors telling me I should have done this or that (Mark, you know I appreciate all your feedback, but where were you 6 months ago?), when in fact, the decisions are made, and the deal is done for this coming season.

The reality is you have to keep moving and making decisions while you learn. I'm no expert and looking at the black gloves that I vowed would never exist, you can see that I've compromised. Good thing for me, I can see the bigger picture and this is just round one of many. Next year they will be in colors and in three times as many stores. I will have taken copious notes from those guiding me, and I will continue to have to make decisions while I'm still not an expert.

Not everyone will like what we do. That's okay but I want to know. I'll bet that whatever it is they don't like is our next "New and Improved" glove. To hear how great you and/or it is feels good, but you'll never get the mileage out of the good stuff that you will from the negative feedback. It's all in how you look at it. If they don't like it, ask why, and then really listen. That's probably the best feedback you'll ever get.

Is It Ever What You Think It's Gonna Be?

I say rarely. I can't say never because I try to make a practice of not saying "Always" and "Never."

Think back for a moment and try to remember a time that what you envisioned at the start of a journey was exactly what you got at the end. I look at my life and for the most part, I've laid some pretty good plans. I've taken action on most of my dreams, but the ones that have been the most satisfying are not even close to what I thought they would be when I started.

A great example is my marriage. I am married to the love of my life and can't imagine that I could be happier. When I was single and really wanting to be in a relationship, Dave was a friend of mine. He was the friend I called when I got stood up (Oh yes I did, more than once!), when a guy had "expectations" after a burger and fries, and when I was dumped in South Korea. In an instant, we were a couple, having a conversation about how the universe had shifted, and within a few months, we were engaged, and three days after that, married. After being friends for six years, I never in a million years thought this man was meant to be my husband. For the record, I fully intended to be happily married. I was not willing to settle, I just never imagined that the man who would make me so happy would be Dave!

I purposely didn't use our ZipperBack Gloves as an example because we've only just begun our journey. But I can say this, I originally set out to license our product. I was adamant that I did not want to go into the glove business. Though I don't have any big success stories in how our empire has evolved and grown, I can say that on so many levels, we have found success and have every reason to believe we will only keep that momentum growing.

Lay a plan, take action, and then go with the flow. Be open to what options and ideas are presented to you and that some of these "not your own" ideas may be really good. Though it may not be what you thought it would be, doesn't mean it won't be great!

No Matter How Well You Plan!

What a weekend! Saturday we were in the snow and Sunday we were testing our sunscreen at the rodeo! My sunscreen didn't hold up, but sitting in the sun, on metal bleachers, it's gonna be a tough job even for SPF45!

I booked Studio KYK Photography to round up a bunch of kids so we could get lots of little happy faces, hands with gloves on them, and maybe even a crying face with "the other" gloves," to create a great booth for our two upcoming trade shows. Two great lessons came out of the day.

The first took us all back to a time we were invited to be somewhere, said we would go, and for some reason or another didn't really want to go when the time came. We did the right thing by calling to say we wouldn't be making it, thinking all along, It's okay if I don't go. I won't be missed. Everyone else will go. Well, next time you feel that way, think about this MM. For the first time in all the events I've ever planned, we had a 100% no-show! Apparently, everyone of the families (we were expecting 20+ children) felt like another family would go.

The second lesson was one we all know but this time, we put it into action immediately. We went ahead and made the best of a sno park all to ourselves, a gorgeous day, two beautiful kids, Mason & Scottie, and a picnic lunch to die for. We took lots of pictures, and though I didn't get the variety of faces and ages, we had a great day.

If you live in the Sacramento area and need a photographer, you've got to talk to Monica at KYK Studios! Monica not only did all the things you expect a professional to do, she went above and beyond in providing props, being open to all ideas, and keeping the energy with the kids light and fun. Her style is more candid, but she has a way of getting her subject to do what she wants while they continue to do whatever it is their doing. Finally, the best part, Monica has a natural eye for photography. Her shots come out with an amazing flair and beauty. Check out her work at http://www.studiokyk.com/

For a great Monday Motivator, visit my Intentional Winning blog www.intentionalwinning.blogspot.com/ for a read you'll want to print out and hang above your desk. I promise, it's really good!

What's In A Logo?

I've researched this over the last year and the articles, forums, How-To's, and What-Fors are many. Everybody seems to have a little different take on what's the second most important factor when it comes to selecting a logo, but all agree on number one. The main point you want to make with you logo is, 'This is who we are" from the moment they lay eyes on that little piece of art. In the professional world, it's your brand. It differentiates you from all other's and hopefully from all other's like you.

Our logo is good, but it's not great. Part of the problem is that our company is so new, and even worse, we're new at running it. Another issue is that there wasn't just one person responsible for the criteria and selection of the logo. I wanted a logo that could go the distance, one that would cover our initial children's product and carry us through to our adult line as well. Dave wanted a logo that really fit our kids product. Finally, the other two people on our team wanted something more corporate, less graffiti looking.

We ended up with a logo that was a variation of the image I loved. Dave made the changes and I felt that I needed to choose my battles, and this was one that wasn't as important to me...so I thought. As it turns out, I care about it more that I thought I would. I have the artwork for the logo that I would have gone with, the one that we modified to make Dave happy. I'm silently intent on finding a way to use the one I love. If you're logo really speaks to who you are as a company, you won't find yourself thinking about the one that got away.

If I were to advise someone in need of a logo, I know you didn't ask, but you're still reading aren't you? I would advise them to operate their business for a while before choosing their logo. In reality, it takes time to get up and running and for people to know who you are. Pick your business name, present something really clean and basic, and get acquainted with your company before you give it an identity. You'll do a better job and come up with something that really indicates, not only to your public, but where it's most important, to you!

When you're ready, a really great logo resource is www.logotournament.com It's a contest format where you post a "prize" for the designer of you the logo you choose. The minimum prize is $250.00. Designers from all around the globe compete for your prize money and the opportunity to be the artist for your logo. We used logotournament.com and found that the more we ranked and gave feedback, the more logos we had to choose from. A great resource for new companies who want high quality design.

Here We Go Again!

So I blogged about holding my ground when my manufacturer sent over our agreement and it was not our final agreed upon draft. I was quite proud of myself for letting them know it needed to be corrected, rewritten, and sent again. As I write this, I find it funny that I would be proud of myself for doing good business. Crazy! Anyway, I got the new draft in the mail on Monday and guess what? It's exactly like the last draft, and the original one they proposed to me in the first place.

Is this intentional or could it really be that they made the same mistake twice? It's certainly possible, but my gut is telling me that I'm being tested. This time, I took some good advice and instead of calling them to bring this same issue to their attention, again, I simply put Post-Its where they need to make changes and mailed it back to them...in their SASE. I expect I'll either get a phone call explaining why they didn't really mean to agree to my terms, or they'll send the corrected agreement. If it's the latter, I'll gladly sign it and send it back. I wonder if they'll send another SASE?

"Oh, I Could Never Do That!"

Have you ever heard someone say those words? Or worse, have you said them yourself? It's not in my nature to say never so I can't recall the last time words like those passed over my lips. I can tell you that since I've entered the world of product development and inventing, I've heard those six words over and over again!

I can look at my own history and see the familiar, "I didn't know what I didn't know, so I didn't know I couldn't." Did you get that? Laughing! It never occurred to me that developing a product and getting it to store shelves was anything other than just another job. It certainly didn't fall into the category of landing a national commercial, or any commercial for that matter. In my mind, now that's hard work!

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not one to shy away from a challenge, so it didn't occur to me that I couldn't do that either. I started by finding classes, a photographer to take my pictures, an agent to represent me, and off I went on audition after audition. Before I knew it, I was doing local commercials (Beck's Shoes and Hewlett Pacakard), regional commercials (Friendly's restaurants for TV and Albertson's radio spots), and industrials (Volkswagon and WalMart). I even did an infomercial for a teeth whitening product. If you happened to be awake a 3 AM and saw the infomercial for RapidWhite Pro that ends with a red-head saying, "RapidWhite Pro makes me feel sexy!" That's me. The national commercial is yet to come, but rest assured, it will air!

You can do anything you want to do. You can find the information to get the ball rolling, you can rally the people who can help you get to the next level, and you too, can see your product on store shelves. As you get to know me, you'll know the saying I'm most known for is, "Whatever you think, you're right." If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, guess what? Exactly! So, what do you think?

Are You Getting Your Education?

There are many subjects you can learn about in college and just as many you have to learn in RLU...Real Life University. I didn't go to college and every bit of what I know I've learned from life experience, and on the job training. I've been so fortunate to have highly successful people willing to mentor and guide me. The rest of what I know, I've sought out on my own.

RLU had me reading as many books on a given subject as I can get my hands on. I sought out any kind of weekend class I could find, and I asked for help. I once ran into a professional in the mortgage field in a hotel hallway. We said hello to each other, made some pleasant small talk and then went our separate ways. As soon as I was back in my room I was kicking myself for not picking his brain and asking a few key questions. In a split second decision to not let this moment pass me by, I picked up the phone, asked the hotel operator to please ring his room. While the phone rang and with my heart racing, he answered. I stuttered, "Hello, Mr. H..." and from there we had a wonderful 15 or 20 minute conversation. He answered my questions, gave me some tips, and even told me to feel free to call anytime. WOW! That was a 20 minute mentoring call that would normally have been hundreds of dollars. Because I called and asked for a few minutes of his time, he said yes.

Read books, connect with professionals, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Even if help is just the opportunity to spend a few minutes in the mind of the professional you want to be! People want to help, and there's no better compliment than to ask for someones professional advice. Everyone is accepted at RLU, and like any institute of higher learning, you will get out of it what you put in! Go! Start! You have nothing to lose!

Holding Your Ground

I got my signed agreement from my manufacturer on Saturday and it wasn't right. The CEO sent the original agreement, not the one with my changes that he agreed to. I read it several times and thought to myself, should I just sign it and let it go? No! I picked up the phone and left a message that this is not the right agreement (contract) and asked that he sign and send the agreement with the changes.

By the end of the day on Monday, no communication. No call, no e-mail. Tuesday morning, still nothing. Tuesday afternoon I sent an e-mail with the amended contract and I highlighted the changes. The CEO replied immediately and apologized for the oversight. He said he would get it corrected and back out to me asap. I'm sure I've not done everything right, but I'm not going to go through anything with a half-hearted attitude. This is my business, my life, my future and all those "My's" are really My Family's. There is nothing more important to me than my family and their well being and security.

This is business and accountability is paramount. Do your part and hold your other part accountable. Everyone wins in the long run! Maybe the short run, too!

PS Happy Tax Day. To all my entreprenuer friends, here's looking forward to the day that we owe more in taxes than we've ever made in a year! Laughing!

What's Your Mantra?

How do you talk to yourself? Your words are incredibly powerful and I bet you're very selective when you talk to your family, friends, and even strangers. My thoughts are that we could be equally or more careful with the words we use when we talk to ourselves. Here's my mantra for today:

I choose to focus on my future, visualizing what will be, looking for the good, going to smile at everyone I cross paths with making my present perfect, living it like I know it is, abundant. I've changed my view of success and know that I have all I need! How about you? How will your day go? Make it great and it will spill into tomorrow, then the next day, and so on....smiling!

Choose your words carefully because all you say, you will think, and all you think will soon be!

What Do You Really Have For Sale?

I've been in sales all my life, literally, I started selling things when I was just 5 years old. I've worked for individuals, companies, and now for myself. Being self employed takes discipline and the ability stay on task. For me, I make a list. If I have to keep in all in my head, my day is spent watching TV, playing on facebook, and talking to friends on the phone. But I digress, let's get back to sales and self-employment. The glove project is primarily a sales job. I had to do my research, and the hands on creating the initial prototype, but the bulk of the journey has been a sales cycle.

You might think you spend your time selling your product, it's features and benefits, and all the wonderful ways it will change the world. My experience has been that what I've really be selling is myself. Yes, it helps when you have to have a good product, but think about "Pet Rocks."

Pet Rocks were a 1970s fad conceived in Los Gatos, CA, by advertising executive Gary Dahl. The first Pet Rocks were ordinary gray stones bought at a builder's supply store and marketed as if they were live pets. The fad lasted about six months, ending with the Christmas season in December 1975. During its short run, the Pet Rock made Dahl a millionaire. I bring up the pet rock because is this product really something needed, useful, and life changing? I think we would all agree, at first blush, the answer is no.

My success has come from my ability to pick up the phone, keep calling when nobody has called me back, maintaining a professional attitude, and doing what I say I will do in every follow-up situation. As long as we are still humans interacting with other humans, the sale will depend on you. Once you have established that you are credible, reliable, and pleasant to work with, you will be able to sell most anything you create, even if all it does is make someone happy, like the Pet Rock did. After all, happiness is clearly needed, useful, and life changing!

It's Not What You Know

Now that you've decided who to trust, you need to focus on who you know. it's the everyday people who can play a major role in your success. Here are a few people it's good to know on a first name basis:

1. An expert or two in your field. I was lucky enough to meet Amilya Antonetti (http://www.amilya.com/) a year ago and she's been a great sense of security to me. Knowing I have Amilya in my phone to call if I need an answer before having a meeting or returning an e-mail. More recently, I've had the pleasure of meeting Mark Reyland (http://www.inventoropinion.blogspot.com/) who is a "Process Guru." What I mean by that, is he knows all the ins and outs of creating, researching, and manufacturing. He has taught me so much about the process of getting a product to market.
2. Your Banker. I am personal friends with the CEO of my credit union. I started out as a vendor, recruiting for him and as we worked together, we became friends. I made the choice to move my personal banking accounts to this credit union and it's been a blessing ever since. When the people who can help you with money know you, and have some say so in a loan approval, it makes life SO much easier. Get to know the people who can say "Yes!" to your financial needs.
3. An Accountant. Having a personal relationship with your accountant is essential to them understanding your business and how to handle your taxes from start-up to your mega million dollar empire. My accountant is actually one of Dave's ex-girlfriends. I know, it may seem strange, but she's known us for so many years, she can guide us through this world of what would be IRS hell. It's also lucky for us she specialized in start up companies.
4. A Lawyer. Yes, knowing someone who is a lawyer is essential. If they practice law in the field of IP, that's even better, but even a lawyer in another field who considers you a friend, can likely find answers for you. Dave was involved in a multi-car accident some years ago, and though it seemed nobody was seriously hurt, one passenger took legal action against all involved. We had no money, and at the time of the accident, Dave had no auto insurance. I called a friend of mine from Rotary who was a real estate attorney. He wrote a letter explaining we had no assets, had since obtained insurance, and pointed out that Dave was on his way to his National Guard weekend drill. That one page letter written by a friend had Dave dropped from the suit, and all it cost us was dinner! Make friends with an attorney, preferably one who specializes in patent law.

There are many more professional people you want to have in your network, but these four are essential. Start building that golden Rolodex and remember, the "who" are people. Get a little personal and become friends. It's so much easier to ask for help when the last time you communicated, it was to just say, "Hello!"

How Do You Know Who To Trust?

The simple answer is, you don't. This is as true in life as it is in bringing a product to market.

You have to trust someone and often, more than one person. You have to work the business of being an inventor and that means letting go of the idea that this great idea is your "baby." The passion and attachment is like the rocket-fire that launches the space shuttle. Certainly necessary for launch, but once it's off the ground, the rockets shut off and the business of piloting a shuttle into space takes over. The business is the education, consulting with experts, getting paperwork signed, experience, and asking tough questions. As a woman, I sometimes have a hard time asking questions I think will lead people to believe I am not trusting them, but maybe I'm not. Maybe that need to question is my intuition, or spidey-senses taking care of me. If part of what you need to do is not your strong point, employ someone whose it is. When you can't trust, you are operating from a standpoint of fear. Do you really want to move through life in fear?

You have to trust people to get you where you want to go. You can't do it all alone, so leave your emotions (and ego) at the door and walk through, to do good business. If you can do that, you can get this one going and get on to launching your next great idea! If I can do it, so can you. Start!