This was such a cool opportunity! I must first tell you how I finagled my way onto the set of Extreme Makeover:Home Edition with VIP access. My very good friend Tara was asked to be the main photographer on the set to document all of the activity for Premier Homes (the builder.) She called me, ready to explode with her excitement, to tell me about this opportunity. I immediately assigned myself as her set stylist and assistant! So with Tara getting us in the door we were able to be a part of this awesome event, up close, and personal for the entire 6 days. It's an amazing process watching a custom home being built in 96 hours! Ask me about it sometime.
DAY 1: We put on our Pink Belt Buckets and in them we carried our cell phones, lip gloss, keys, batteries for the camera, and water bottles. We wore them every time we were on the site. The second day we painted our hard hats the same color pink as the Belt Bucket so they would match. Women began noticing our ensemble and asking for Pink Belt Buckets for themselves. As the week went on I had people asking for them all the time, including children. I would ask them if they even knew what it was for - most didn't care they just wanted a cool colored bucket to wear around the work site too! I handed out several, but told them I would only give it to them if they promised to wear it on the site all week long. They did.
DAY 3: Eventually, I had the opportunity and confidence to talk to the producers of the show to present the Belt Buckets. I was nervous for some reason, but I kept thinking to myself I am introducing OUR Belt Buckets - they will help these designers do their jobs faster, safer, and cleaner why wouldn't they want them. Plus they come in so many cool colors and people love that they can wear this bright colorful tool around their waist and match it to their shoes and hat! I'm not trying to give them something they don't need.
The producer, Rachael, was very receptive to them. I asked her if she had seen one before, she said no but she thought the ones we were wearing were "cool" and "cute." That's when I was able to jump in with my "elevator pitch" and let her know how they could help her painters or designers. She asked if she could have one and opted to take the blue one. I told her she could have it if she promised to do me a favor and make sure Paige gets the Pink Belt Bucket since she wasn't going to be on the the set for this shooting. Rachael said "yes, she'll love it!" Paige is the co-star of the show. Her trademark is that she is always wearing something pink (tool-belt, gloves, hardhat, vest, boots, etc.) Paige actually promotes a line of pink tools called Tuff Chix.com. I thought Paige needed a Pink Belt Bucket to match all of her other pink stuff! After I explained what they could be used for Rachael asked if she could have more and hand them out to the designers. I told her I had 12 in my car ready to give to them if they would like. She said she would give them to the designers on one of their future projects. She also mentioned that they had a muralist coming in to do some work and she would see if she would like to use it. I promised to bring some Faux Mates for the muralist to use with the Belt Bucket. I was psyched!!
DAY 4: I brought my last 6 Belt Buckets and was able to give them to the painting crew that worked on painting nearly 30 different colors in the house. Tara told me she had been inside the house taking photos when she saw that a painter had set up a plank of wood between two ladders and was standing atop it painting while a second painter was on the ground below him holding a cup of paint for him to use. She tried to give them her own Belt Bucket but they wouldn't take it becasue it was pink :) I marched right in to the house and told them I was delivering product to the painters - that I heard they were having painting "issues." The contrator announced that the painters needed those and I should find them right away. They were very excited to see the Belt Buckets and told me they could have used them much earlier - they had been painting for nearly 10 hours straight. They also informed me that there were 15 of them and they all needed Belt Buckets. However, I had given them all that I had in my possession. I felt like my job was done!
DAY 5: I did not visit the site this day but Tara was out on the site taking pictures. She called to tell me that the key had been turned over to the EMHE crew and she got pictures of some of the crew wearing Belt Buckets including the muralist (who is a muralist that travels with the team, not a local artist.) I asked what colors they were wearing and they were different colors than the colors I had given to the painters so that meant Rachael had handed them out!! Tara told me she talked to the muralist about the prodcut and what she thought of it. She had some suggestions for the product, one of which was already a feature of the product that Tara was able to help her with - thank God that Tara knows the product and was there to help!!!!! Love you girl :) Then Tara told me she had gotten her picture taken with Ty! (I hope she had that Pink Belt Bucket on!!!)
DAY 6: We were able to help present the home to the family and be up close to watch all of the filming, activity, and celebration! My husband was able to come and be a part of it to. As a tribute to Ty he wore his one of a kind Tye-dye Belt Bucket!! We hope to see ourselves sporting the Belt Buckets on the show when it is aired in January. And even more than that I'd love a call form the producers saying we need more Belt Buckets can you send more???
National Hardware Show 2009
Belt Bucket Launch at National Hardware Show 2009
Friday, October 19, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Bringing the Belt Bucket to Life
I have a few minutes to tell you about how the Belt Bucket came to be. Although I'm excited to share with you what our current challenges are with marketing, trademarking, web design , and preparing for tradeshows, I need to fill you in on the past few years. This is important in giving you the complete picture of what we have encountered while bringing our Belt Bucket to life.
My husband, Lar, the inventor of the product, has been a custom, residential, painting contractor for nearly 12 years. After a few years of using J-hooks, and paint pails to keep his paint close at hand while painting in high places he began realizing how messy, awkward, and unsafe painting in this manner could be. Although, there wasn't an alternative. He determined that having anything attached to his ladder wasn't safe - paint filled pails added weight to one side of the ladder and threw it off balance. Also, when he tried to move the ladder, even slightly to one side, the pail could swing and with the momentum splash paint out onto the ground below - or it would sometimes just come off the hook altogether. What a mess and nuisance! He liked using the hooks in a way because his hands were free for holding onto the ladder and his brush, and if need be he could grab onto the side of the house or roof if the ladder began to slip. Resting the paint can or paint tray on the ladder shelf was not an option - too many times it had gotten knocked over since it wasn't attached to anything. The only other option was to have the paint bucket or pail on the ground below him and he would have to run up and down the ladder several times to dip his brush in the paint - and that isn't really an option at all for an paint contractor who wants to make any money on his job.
With this in mind he began devising a way to have his paint near his side but not attached to the ladder. One thought was "what if it was attached to me" so that he could use it any kind of painting situation - on the ladder or off the ladder (standing painting door trim, or kneeling down cutting in base boards.) His wheels began turning!
He stumbled across a product that a painter from years before had devised, it was a metal piece that had a small hook attached to it which held a lipped metal paint can snugly in place. The contraption then attached to a belt and you wore it around your waist. This would be an awesome solution to many of his painting problems. He searched hardware stores, paint stores, and major DIY stores with no luck of finding this tool. We searched on the Internet and visited random mom and pop hardware stores across the nation looking for this product. All we wanted to do was buy a bunch of these to use ourselves and give to our sub-contractors. After years of searching we never found this tool. When talking to others in the trade and asking them if they had ever seen a tool like this they would say "No, but if you don't invent one, I will!" We did a patent/product search and it stated that a tool like this was created and patented in the 50's, but the patent had expired years ago. We finally concluded that this tool had never been successful for whatever reason and disappeared - but it was a great idea. Maybe the inventor ran out of money to promote the product, maybe he was a visionary but couldn't market it correctly and sell it. There was much speculation on our part, all we knew was that this tool could possibly help us as well as many others so we started talking to everyone we knew and trusted about how to create and patent something like this.
Eventually, our conversations led us to an investor in California. He had been very successful with his own inventions and might be interested in helping us with ours. Fortunately, this person was the father of a very good friend (which helps in situations like this.) It's always beneficial to know somebody who has been down the path before and who is willing and able to show you how it's done. We immediately trusted him and with his son's encouragement he trusted us. After a few months a team of engineers, designers, plastics manufacturers, mold makers, the inventor and various supporters were brainstorming on how to make these things. It was decided that metal was not the best material for our product, it should be plastic to keep the weight and the cost down. After months of prototypes - the first Belt Bucket was born!
It has since changed several times, but not much. It was very exciting to see all of our ideas taking shape and suddenly here was this never before seen painting tool! After the manufacturing was complete it was onto the more difficult task of introducing a new product to the painting industry. We were ready and eager to patent this idea, develop additional products, hit tradeshows, advertise in magazines, build a website, create logos and everything else that's involved with this kind of work. BUT . . . how about I save this for a later story - it's a lot more information and difficult to summarize. I'm sure you'll appreciate it considering how long this entry ended up being. Have a great night and I'll share wit choo later!
My husband, Lar, the inventor of the product, has been a custom, residential, painting contractor for nearly 12 years. After a few years of using J-hooks, and paint pails to keep his paint close at hand while painting in high places he began realizing how messy, awkward, and unsafe painting in this manner could be. Although, there wasn't an alternative. He determined that having anything attached to his ladder wasn't safe - paint filled pails added weight to one side of the ladder and threw it off balance. Also, when he tried to move the ladder, even slightly to one side, the pail could swing and with the momentum splash paint out onto the ground below - or it would sometimes just come off the hook altogether. What a mess and nuisance! He liked using the hooks in a way because his hands were free for holding onto the ladder and his brush, and if need be he could grab onto the side of the house or roof if the ladder began to slip. Resting the paint can or paint tray on the ladder shelf was not an option - too many times it had gotten knocked over since it wasn't attached to anything. The only other option was to have the paint bucket or pail on the ground below him and he would have to run up and down the ladder several times to dip his brush in the paint - and that isn't really an option at all for an paint contractor who wants to make any money on his job.
With this in mind he began devising a way to have his paint near his side but not attached to the ladder. One thought was "what if it was attached to me" so that he could use it any kind of painting situation - on the ladder or off the ladder (standing painting door trim, or kneeling down cutting in base boards.) His wheels began turning!
He stumbled across a product that a painter from years before had devised, it was a metal piece that had a small hook attached to it which held a lipped metal paint can snugly in place. The contraption then attached to a belt and you wore it around your waist. This would be an awesome solution to many of his painting problems. He searched hardware stores, paint stores, and major DIY stores with no luck of finding this tool. We searched on the Internet and visited random mom and pop hardware stores across the nation looking for this product. All we wanted to do was buy a bunch of these to use ourselves and give to our sub-contractors. After years of searching we never found this tool. When talking to others in the trade and asking them if they had ever seen a tool like this they would say "No, but if you don't invent one, I will!" We did a patent/product search and it stated that a tool like this was created and patented in the 50's, but the patent had expired years ago. We finally concluded that this tool had never been successful for whatever reason and disappeared - but it was a great idea. Maybe the inventor ran out of money to promote the product, maybe he was a visionary but couldn't market it correctly and sell it. There was much speculation on our part, all we knew was that this tool could possibly help us as well as many others so we started talking to everyone we knew and trusted about how to create and patent something like this.
Eventually, our conversations led us to an investor in California. He had been very successful with his own inventions and might be interested in helping us with ours. Fortunately, this person was the father of a very good friend (which helps in situations like this.) It's always beneficial to know somebody who has been down the path before and who is willing and able to show you how it's done. We immediately trusted him and with his son's encouragement he trusted us. After a few months a team of engineers, designers, plastics manufacturers, mold makers, the inventor and various supporters were brainstorming on how to make these things. It was decided that metal was not the best material for our product, it should be plastic to keep the weight and the cost down. After months of prototypes - the first Belt Bucket was born!
It has since changed several times, but not much. It was very exciting to see all of our ideas taking shape and suddenly here was this never before seen painting tool! After the manufacturing was complete it was onto the more difficult task of introducing a new product to the painting industry. We were ready and eager to patent this idea, develop additional products, hit tradeshows, advertise in magazines, build a website, create logos and everything else that's involved with this kind of work. BUT . . . how about I save this for a later story - it's a lot more information and difficult to summarize. I'm sure you'll appreciate it considering how long this entry ended up being. Have a great night and I'll share wit choo later!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Why Share Our Experience
Hi! My name is Melody Masters. I am the wife and business partner of an innovator, or inventor . . . whatever term is most familiar to you. I would love to share with you our experiences (challenges, lessons, milestones, etc.) as we try to introduce our "brain-child" to the market and make it successful. We are at a point where this product (I'll introduce it to you later) could really take off or just not quite make it. It's such an exciting adventure for us and we would love to share it with those of you who are curious. Wouldn't it be cool if in a year or so you were able to say you journeyed with us first hand and are able to participate in celebrating our success with us??!!
First, I'd like to explain why I feel compelled to share with you. Since we started designing, developing, and marketing our product, the Belt Bucket, I have had several friends and family call me to tell me they too have a great idea for a product, and ask how difficult and costly is it to pursue having their product idea patented and possibly manufactured. I try to best explain what my experience has been and then direct them to certain resources. However, it's a lot to cover in just one conversation. I want to be encouraging but realistic at the same time. I am starting this blog kind of late - we've been at this for a few years, so I have a lot to catch you up on. (Don't worry I'll try to summarize it and keep it brief!) But I feel like sharing our experience may help you decide if your unique idea is worth pursuing a patent on, and introducing to different buyers and/or your targeted market. All the books are written about the inventors who succeed - I'm not being a sceptic and saying we won't succeed, but I'm being realistic and saying there's always a chance that we won't. Of course I'm passionate about our product and we will do everything that we can to make it soar!
The second reason I suddenly decided I wanted to share this kind of information with you is because I feel like some information out there about pursuing an invention is misleading. For instance lately I have been watching Donny Deutch's "Big Idea" on MSNBC, and he interviews several innovators who have had a brilliant idea, pursued it and now are making millions. Basically, he introduces the inventor, has them briefly tell you what their idea was, talk about how they had very little money to put into the product, how persistent they were to get it on Oprah, and how they are now making millions. Watch it and see what I mean. It sends a message to viewers that not much money, work, or time is necessary to make your product succeed. Now, I believe this is true with some products - like the seamless, control-top underwear for women. Heck yeah Oprah's going to fall in love with it and promote it on her show and in her magazine! What women wouldn't? However a product like ours is a little different. It's a tool. Some people love it, others won't even try it for whatever reason. (Does Oprah paint? - Are you curious what our product is yet???) We are being diligent with branding our product, developing logos/trademarks/a website, pursuing distributors and rep's for the product, promoting our site, and exhibiting at tradeshows. Success doesn't always happen overnight. Also, what constitutes success??? Millions of dollars??? We'd love for this product to be available for you to purchase when you go into your local paint/sundries store (Sherwin Williams, Lowes, Kwal, etc.) But honestly, we'd just be stoked with having it be a company that supplements our income so we can run just one business and not three! That would be successful enough. Basically, what I'm saying is that sometimes you have to work long and hard to make your dream come true! Don't give up when it doesn't happen like Donny says. Also, be prepared to make it a full time job and invest several of thousands of dollars into it if it doesn't take off right away.
I'm excited to share our journey with you - I just pray that at the end of this we have some celebrating to do! I'm not a writer and this blog doesn't spell check for me - so I'm not promising that my thoughts/posts will always be exciting and well-written, but they will be honest and informative. I think I've written enough for now . . . I just realized I have to pick up my son from Grandma's and make something sort-of nutritious for my family to eat. I'll describe our product tomorrow and how we got started. Until then you can see it online at http://www.paintbeltpro.com/ - it's called the Belt Bucket!
Share more wit'choo tomorrow!
First, I'd like to explain why I feel compelled to share with you. Since we started designing, developing, and marketing our product, the Belt Bucket, I have had several friends and family call me to tell me they too have a great idea for a product, and ask how difficult and costly is it to pursue having their product idea patented and possibly manufactured. I try to best explain what my experience has been and then direct them to certain resources. However, it's a lot to cover in just one conversation. I want to be encouraging but realistic at the same time. I am starting this blog kind of late - we've been at this for a few years, so I have a lot to catch you up on. (Don't worry I'll try to summarize it and keep it brief!) But I feel like sharing our experience may help you decide if your unique idea is worth pursuing a patent on, and introducing to different buyers and/or your targeted market. All the books are written about the inventors who succeed - I'm not being a sceptic and saying we won't succeed, but I'm being realistic and saying there's always a chance that we won't. Of course I'm passionate about our product and we will do everything that we can to make it soar!
The second reason I suddenly decided I wanted to share this kind of information with you is because I feel like some information out there about pursuing an invention is misleading. For instance lately I have been watching Donny Deutch's "Big Idea" on MSNBC, and he interviews several innovators who have had a brilliant idea, pursued it and now are making millions. Basically, he introduces the inventor, has them briefly tell you what their idea was, talk about how they had very little money to put into the product, how persistent they were to get it on Oprah, and how they are now making millions. Watch it and see what I mean. It sends a message to viewers that not much money, work, or time is necessary to make your product succeed. Now, I believe this is true with some products - like the seamless, control-top underwear for women. Heck yeah Oprah's going to fall in love with it and promote it on her show and in her magazine! What women wouldn't? However a product like ours is a little different. It's a tool. Some people love it, others won't even try it for whatever reason. (Does Oprah paint? - Are you curious what our product is yet???) We are being diligent with branding our product, developing logos/trademarks/a website, pursuing distributors and rep's for the product, promoting our site, and exhibiting at tradeshows. Success doesn't always happen overnight. Also, what constitutes success??? Millions of dollars??? We'd love for this product to be available for you to purchase when you go into your local paint/sundries store (Sherwin Williams, Lowes, Kwal, etc.) But honestly, we'd just be stoked with having it be a company that supplements our income so we can run just one business and not three! That would be successful enough. Basically, what I'm saying is that sometimes you have to work long and hard to make your dream come true! Don't give up when it doesn't happen like Donny says. Also, be prepared to make it a full time job and invest several of thousands of dollars into it if it doesn't take off right away.
I'm excited to share our journey with you - I just pray that at the end of this we have some celebrating to do! I'm not a writer and this blog doesn't spell check for me - so I'm not promising that my thoughts/posts will always be exciting and well-written, but they will be honest and informative. I think I've written enough for now . . . I just realized I have to pick up my son from Grandma's and make something sort-of nutritious for my family to eat. I'll describe our product tomorrow and how we got started. Until then you can see it online at http://www.paintbeltpro.com/ - it's called the Belt Bucket!
Share more wit'choo tomorrow!
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