WE FINALLY DID IT!!!!!!! ...Bundleboo flashback :)

Our patent finally published...Bundleboo is officially our intellectual baby! I want to say that ANYTHING is possible if you work hard enough and you have the courage to go for it.

(Grace in the front...Katy-Ro in the back...hands free for the two other toddlers I was chasing :)

I want to share this story with you as I believe it may inspire others who haven't yet built the "go for it" courage. It all started with an idea... Bundleboo was born almost 2 years ago out of my mothers kitchen. I had a love for babywearing and my wrap was a definite carrier of choice...of course two years ago babywearing had not gained the popularity that it has today...so the public feedback as I carried my daughter was daunting. The mass amounts of comments included..."wow, that's really neat but I would be so afraid of my baby falling out" "that looks so comfortable...but I'm afraid I wouldn't do it right." Now, having done this awhile its easy for me to say that its truly a safe, comfortable and practical way to carry your child... but trying to convince an already nervous new mom that this simple piece of cloth is not as scary as it looks it a tough task.

(development of the twin carrier "tandem bundleboo"...now patented also :)...do you think there would be a real need for this carrier?)

I had just left my job to stay home with my babies...we were desperate for income so I started making wraps out of my kitchen...nothing special...just your traditional wrap carriers. My mother suggested that I do something totally unique...something that will make my carriers stand out from the rest. So we put our heads together and brainstormed... my mom suggested a pleated pouch style pocket that could go under the baby's butt...I took her idea to the drawing board... Realizing that the pocket would still not be enough to ensure "peace of mind" I thought what if there was an actual seat... A defined place for the baby to sit that would be ideal... so I took my scissors and cut two leg holes into the fabric... I put Katy into it...and immediately felt a sensation that this was the best move for my carriers. With in a week my sister in law helped me create a prototype... and was wearing it publicly. I still received the same reactions until I pointed out the seat...and all of a sudden I was making sales. I changed up the wrapping techniques to simplify the wearing process...and fell in love with the concept.

Business started out gradually (keep in mind that up until this point I had NO business experience)...and within the first few months I had gotten the hang of making the bundleboo. (bundleboo-BTW came from the two words ..."wrap baby") out of my kitchen....my mother taught me how to sew just to make these carriers...so at first it took me 6 hours to make 1 carrier. (Now 2 years later...it takes me a little over 1 hour from start to finish...if I can fit it into my schedule between house work 3 kids and breastfeedings...lol...I have Lucy in a Bundleboo now...nursing while I'm working on the sewing machine :) Anyway, after a few months it was suggested to me by many people that I secure this idea with a patent. WHAT? How do I do that? So I started researching the patent process online. I spent hours and hours and HOURS, trying to figure this all out. I made many phone calls to patent agents all over the US looking for advice. Finally the solution was...I needed to hire someone to help me. FYI, the average patent from start to finish can cost someone up to $15,000.00 ... we were barely making ends meet... at the time I was selling Mary Kay and I started nannying for a dear friend (now my business partner) there was no way we could ever afford to pay for a patent... and my Bundleboo sales... were barely helping my husband with the bills. Feeling an obligation to my family and to my heart... I started to write letters to 30 local patent attorneys telling my story... and asking for help. One angel responded back... Juan Marquez from ReedSmith in Fairfax scooped me up and agreed to do it at zero cost...including the patent and filing fees. WHOA!!! What a turn around...from almost feeling defeated.

2 years later, I have a full line of Bundleboo carriers and a US patent to my name. Whoohoo! We are so proud to have gotten this far and I believe that good things happen to good people. On a down note, the economy is taking a HUGE toll on the company right now... and we are praying for a break that gets us through this tough time. Lisa..my saint business partner is hanging tough and her family is investing more fiscally than I can into keeping the company alive. I believe in us... and I hope that others will as well. Support your WAHM businesses!