Two Sisters earn $Million$ = >1
. . . with a Product every Woman needs.
from Huff Post 10/12 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz
Their Early Careers: Sarah & Jenifer Caplan grew up in a very strict household in which they were taught to strive to be the best, at whatever they did. As a result, they both found professional success, though they embarked on slightly different career paths. Jenifer ended up in Accounting after a brief stint in Marketing & Public relations, and Sarah took the corporate route with a job at J. P. Morgan. But both of their careers took a decidedly dramatic turn when an old idea from years past resurfaced.
Their Idea: One day, while she was in college, Sarah was on the phone complaining to Jenifer about the discomfort of wearing high heels all the time. In fact, she had taken to carrying a giant bag with an alternate pair of shoes inside when she went out at night. As a throwaway comment, she said that someone should invent a shoe that rolls up and can fit into a purse. She had no idea that the idea would stick with Jenifer for years to come. Then, one day, Jenifer called Sarah at work and said, “Do you remember that shoe idea you had? I’m going to do it. Do you want to do it with me?”
Starting a Business. Though it seemed like a crazy idea, the two were soon off and running. They created a company, incorporated it, they chose a name, and then set about figuring out how to make a shoe that could roll up and fit in a purse. Once they had the product, they started at a trade show stopping everyone who passed by to show them what they had, and people absolutely loved the idea. Suddenly, the orders were rolling in and three months later their product was featured in Oprah magazine. Footzy Folds was a hit and the sisters soon found themselves at the helm of a multi-million-dollar company.
Listen to your Creative Ideas. Though the sisters say that creativity was not something that was fostered in their home during their childhoods, it was a creative and spontaneous inspiration – an idea casually tossed into a conversation — that would eventually lead them to the ultimate success.
Advice from the Caplan Sisters on Starting a Business
How did you get your Products on shelves? Tenacity, perseverance & never accepting ‘no’ as an answer. Listening to feedback from buyers and adapting to their needs to make your product better and more relevant. Always have a reason to go back to the buyer that told you ‘no’ with something for them to tell you ‘yes’ about.
(Continued in Premium Content)