Valarie Moody is a graduate of my Product Sales Boot Camp and I'm thrilled to share her story with you.
Valarie is passionate about her family and wanted to post her children's photos and artwork without damaging surfaces. This lead to creating Fodeez Frames which are fully customizable display frames and dry erase boards that work on all smooth surfaces and can be reused hundreds of times.
Watch the Fodeez VIDEO to see how it works and read how Valarie successfully got her foot in the door of over 4,000 Walgreens in the U.S.
Valarie: When I built my house 8 years ago, the wood panel refrigerator was designed to match my cabinets. The wood, like stainless steel, doesn't support magnets. The fact that I couldn't put photos of my young children up in the kitchen or post their artwork frustrated me. I think photos and kid projects make a home feel warm and homey, and I didn't like the cold look of nothing personal in my kitchen.
Tamara: What has been the biggest challenge?
Valarie: Manufacturing.
Tamara: What happened that made manufacturing difficult?
Valarie: The manufacturing is difficult because of the patterned adhesive. I learned more about adhesives than I ever wanted to know! Basically, it takes specialized equipment to keep the acrylic adhesive from “dripping” or “running” outside where I want the adhesive to lay. Most equipment is designed to work with hot melt adhesives, but those aren't “surface-friendly” – they can become permanent, whereas the acrylics keep their properties in tact.
Also, printing on the surface after manufacturing was an issue. In order to serve the promotional, custom-made market, I need the ability to run small quantities. With the way I designed the Fodeez Frames, I can print just one of a particular design. Other companies have to print 10's or 100's of thousands during manufacturing. The ability to print small quantities also allows me to test retail designs for customer acceptance before I print thousands. For instance, the silver bevel 4×6 is my top-seller (now available at Walgreens), but I didn't have that design the first year or two of manufacturing. I was also able to offer Walgreens an exclusive on the holiday designs because of the way I designed the print capabilities.
I worked with a broker, who I met through a friend of a friend. Last May, just before Fodeez Frames won Invention of the Year, I met with him. He then introduced me to a friend of his that has a long history of selling into Walgreens – mostly food/beverage products.
Talk to Everyone!
My advice is to leave no stone unturned. I talk to everyone – I love meeting people. When you take an interest in what other people do, they generally inquire about your interests in return. By talking to people and learning about what they do, you can generally find a common interest somewhere.
One Thing Leads to Another
I found out about Inpex (the inventor's trade show where Fodeez Frames won Invention of the Year) by talking to the guy standing behind me in line to audition for Shark Tank. I didn't get on Shark Tank, but winning the award at Inpex got the attention of the Walgreens buyer when I met with her two months later. Everything you do leads to the next step.
Never Sit Back and Wait
I could sit back and wait for Walgreens sales to come in, but I'm onto the next account – a custom-made Fodeez Frame sheet for youth team sport photographers. I placed an ad in a photography magazine, and a company that prints youth team photos and sells the add-ons such as key chains, etc. called. At their request, I created an 8×10 sheet that holds a 4×6 Fodeez Frame and 2 wallet-size Fodeez Frames. Their initial order was 10,000 units, but they requested a quote for up to 1 million units. The order was delivered a couple of weeks ago, and I can't wait to see what happens!
Tamara: What has surprised you the most about launching a product business? Valarie: I have to say the slow market acceptance surprises me. I really thought that once I had this great product to sell, things would just fall into place. I didn't realize the expense, research and learning curve that would be involved in helping people understand the value of the product. Fodeez® Frames are incredibly easy to use and they make great dry erase boards in addition to displaying photos. They are the only product on the market that provides 2 products for one low price – a frame and a dry erase board.
And, Fodeez® Frames are the only product that lets you draw mustaches on your friends without damaging the photo!
Tamara: What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs?
Valarie: Be persistent, adapt and experiment! My original business idea was to franchise retail stores to convert old media to DVDs. Ten years later, my business looks nothing like my original business plan! Along the way, I experimented with different products and formats when my original plan wasn't meeting expectations. When I first began to develop the concept of Fodeez® Frames, the response I received kept me going until I could have the product made the way I wanted it, and even today I still experiment with markets and sales channels to find the right fit.
It's definitely a journey worth taking, in spite of the speed bumps!
Until next time…Be Unstoppable!
Tamara
P.S. Are you interested in taking the same class that Valarie took? Product Sales Boot Camp — Home Study Program is coming soon!
P.P.S. I hope you'll subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more great how-to information to boost your business!
Tamara Monosoff is passionate about helping entrepreneurs achieve their goals. She's an award-winning inventor, social entrepreneur, best-selling author, educator, speaker, and founder of TamaraMonosoff.com. Tamara has placed her own products in over 10,000 retail stores, catalogs, e-tailers, and on QVC.
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