I had the opportunity to interview Monica Mylet of the Little Looster for my Spotlight on Mommy section. Below is my interview with her. Please return back on Friday, where I will review her Little Looster, a booster for the Loo (or bathroom). My daughter is too young for potty training, but I have had a few friends try this cool invention out and they absolutely loved it.
And, Monica has graciously offered to give one lucky US-based Inspired by Savannah reader a Little Looster of their own. The giveaway will start on Friday after I review the Little Looster in further detail.
In the meantime, enjoy my interview with Monica.
Name: Monica Mylet
Company Name/Product/Service: Little Looster, LLC
Company Location: St. Augustine, Florida
Company Website: www.littlelooster.com
Facebook URL: Little Looster
Twitter Handle: @loostermama
Age of Company: 1 yr
Favorite Inspirational Quotes: Leap and the net will appear. (Zen saying)
Favorite Book: This changes with the season....with the year....with how much time I have to read. Currently - I am reading Charlotte's Web to my daughter and loving every moment of it ;-)
Tell us a little bit about yourself. How many children do you have? What are their ages? Your hobbies? Etc. I have been married to my best friend, Phil for 12 years and we have 3 crazy kiddos. Philip is 11 a straight A blond, blue-eyed quarterback with a charming ability to get his way. Benjamin will be 10 in a couple of months and lives to fish with his dad, play football with his brother and surprise me everyday with his wit and amazing sense of humor. Poppy turned 8 in February and is a girlie-girl from her pink tutus to her purple scooter.
My hobbies used to be biking, hiking, surfing and dancing.......now I work non-stop in order to get this little stool in front of as many people as I can - changing the world one tush at a time can take up a lot of time ;-)
Briefly explain your business. How did it come about? I had to find a solution for potty training 3 kiddos that were 3 and under. I could not afford myself the time to wash out those disgusting porta-potties or deal with the topper inserts. Store after store had the same options and I NEEDED a stool that wrapped around the base of the toilet, supporting their little legs and giving them the comfort and confidence they needed. Those small square tstools that sit in front of the toilet don't do anything! And they make kids feel like they are going to fall in. Imagine if you sat down at the toilet with your ankles touching......you would feel like you were falling in, too. Creating a stool that could stay in place while adults used the loo was also very important to me.
What is a typical work day like? After the kids are off to school - I am in MARKETING mode - NON-STOP!!!! I contact schools, stores, doctors, charities, moms, mom-bloggers, teachers, caregivers, churches, resorts, etc..... Lots of emails, lots of phone calls and lots of fun! Now that I am working with a PR Firm, I am also sending out a ton of samples that are requested from editors. Next week I will be sending out thank-you packages to all the editors that have written about the Little Looster ;-)
What has been a struggle while starting up your company? the COST. I have well over $100k in this stool from the cost of the injection-mold tool to the lawyers, patents, trade-marks, insurance, more lawyers, marketing costs, web-designers, fulfillment companies, CAD designers and another set of lawyers.
What did you do in your past work life? I have been an actress - I was a nurse on ER for the first 2 seasons - which really dates me! I worked in the financial industry in Beverly Hills then in San Francisco until I helped start a little company called Salesforce.com. After having my kids we moved back to Southern California where I worked at Tony Robbins assistant then my desire to make the Little Looster took over and I have been working at that for over 3 years.
What have been some of your major successes? Personally I am so proud that my kids have seen the Little Looster go from a cardboard "thought" to a real product that is in 17 countries and we ship out thousands per month now. You can see the "evolution" in the gallery section on my site - www.littlelooster.com
What have been some of your major challenges? Remembering to "play" along the way. To have the tea-party, to attend the games and to remember that without these kids - there would be no Little Looster.
On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going? Is this where I say a lunch-break with my husband and some "mommy-juice"?? I also would have to say that rejection - although it frustrates me; actually fuels me. It makes me work harder to impress more people and to show that we can stop filling the landfills with diapers so much sooner for every child - when we show them that the big-potty isn't so scary after all!
What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family? My children know that mommy has to work at something I love to feel fulfilled. They love me and want me to be happy, so they =make the balancing easy and I make my time with them count. Since the Little Looster has gone so crazy - my husband is now the CEE (Chief of Everything Else). We get to work together and I love it. This makes balancing a lot easier. If every player in the family is on the same team - we all win.
What is next for your business? I could tell you, but I'd have to..............never mind ;-) I have a couple new things that I am working on and as soon as those patents are awarded - you'll know.
Do you have any advice for other mom entrepreneurs that are starting out and struggling, or are on the fence about starting a business? I think Phil Knight said it best when he coined "JUST DO IT" - leap and that net will appear! No one will believe, if you don't believe it first.
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