Flashback Friday! In 2014 as I was coming down off the high of my overfunded Kickstarter campaign, I had the honor of being a guest speaker at the “Wall Street Trek” event for a group of Babson MBA Students to discuss my transition from corporate to entrepreneurship and all things RestoPresto. What a thrill!
I was running on adrenaline, pride and very little sleep at that time because I was still getting used to the fact that I had officially brought my idea to life by finalizing the RestoPresto prototype. I could literally handover my tech pack (blueprint) to a factory and have my product MANUFACTURED! After my successful Kickstarter campaign came to a close, I was consumed with manufacturing, fulfillment and of course, filing my design patent application. To say that this time in my life was a whirlwind is an understatement. So when I told my former banking colleague with whom I had worked for 16 years about what I was doing, she was incredibly supportive and enthusiastic. In addition to being an investment expert and portfolio manager, she is the Chair of the Advisory Board for the Stephen D. Cutler Center for Investments and Finance at Babson College so my transition from banker to inventor gave her an idea that my ”story” would be perfect to share with the students focusing on entrepreneurship on their upcoming visit to New York. Hearing someone say these words out loud was quite validating and I did not hesitate to accept her offer. A huge bonus? With a little extra persuading, I was able to get a small bunch of RestoPrestos from my factory ahead of Kickstarter fulfillment so each attendee of the event received a blue RestoPresto! The students and alums were engaging, had fantastic questions about how to create a product from scratch and launch it to the market and I loved every second of the experience.
Of course this post comes with two lessons:
1) It’s ALL relationships. Stay in touch with people! Between email and social media it’s easy to do if you properly dedicate the time to remain connected to the people with whom you have authentic relationships. Continue to grow these associations – they will serve you well.
2) Don’t forget to take PHOTOS to document occasions: small and big! I have ZERO photos from the Babson event because I was totally in the moment and because I was not yet in the habit of documenting the goings-on of my new business. Woulda..coulda…shoulda, right? I do miss having photos to capture me speaking with the great group of students and alums, demonstrating RestoPresto and celebrating entrepreneurship from that evening so I will have to rely on my memory to recall the many “wow” moments from November 2014!
Do you have an idea for a product and do not know how to take the first step to create it? Do you have a prototype and are asking yourself “NOW WHAT”? Well, you are not alone. I have been there & done that so I know first hand how challenging it is to navigate the creation process to successfully bring a product to market. I am taking on new clients with whom I share my knowledge, expertise and guidance to help innovative people move forward with their projects. All stages are welcome. “Together we create” is more than a motto, it’s my mission.
Contact me for a free consultation to assess if we should work together! candi@candiobrentz.com www.candiobrentz.com