Feeling under-appreciated as an employee, a nonexistent work-life balance, financial struggles, getting out of bad relationships – these are the most common triggers that push women to become entrepreneurs. Tell us about your trigger?

My first son developed GER symptoms after introducing baby bottles to my breastfeeding routines. Seeing my baby cry for days added feelings of maternal failure to the ongoing sleep-deprivation, headaches, pain from c-section, and exhaustion. Doctors insisted this phase was “normal” and he will eventually outgrow it, but I just wanted to help my baby feel better so I could have some rest. 

How did you come up with your business idea?

Months of research showed that the air in the baby bottles caused the problem. My maternal instinct to help my baby turned into an obsession, and I sat at my kitchen table, day after day, for more than 3 years to design and engineer a solution. It turns out that my invention is the first air-free feeding system —and medical device to-be— for infant GER/GERD mitigation. I have extensive experience in design, engineering, manufacturing, polymer materials, and QC, which allowed me to create a product to help my very gassy and fussy baby. 

Have you had support from someone, even if just encouragement? Who was that and how did it help you?

My husband was very supportive of my idea and after I finished my hand-made prototype, he encouraged me to file for patents. 

Female entrepreneurs are often underestimated and overlooked. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage?

Being a woman in the manufacturing industry was, indeed, very challenging. Once the prototype and drawings were done, I needed a contract manufacturing partner. 

However, presenting the idea to a dozen male engineers wasn’t easy. The first response was “it can’t be done” followed by a synchronized side-to-side head-shaking from all the members at the table. Then I pulled out my handmade prototype and said: “If I tell you how to do this step-by-step, can you make it?” My husband always said this is his favorite part of the whole entrepreneurial journey.

Some say it’s hard work, others say it’s talent and resourcefulness that play a crucial role for success in entrepreneurship? Which traits have been instrumental for your success so far? And why?

I think being an entrepreneur makes you grow a thick skin, at the very minimum. You have to exploit every drop of talent, creativity, grit, resourcefulness, perseverance, learn how to negotiate, persuade, get over your fears, be the best at public speaking, memorize presentation, develop great social skills, don’t miss networking events, figure out how to learn things fast, test and measure, and know how and when to make decisions.

What excites you the most about being an entrepreneur?

My days are never the same. Nothing is monotonous. Although, I have been doing this for almost a decade. Every day is a different day and I get to do different things. One day is product design, the next day is website coding, the next is meet the head of giant corporation and talk about my innovation, the next is make a live video on Youtube, etc, etc. In other words, it’s never boring!

Share with us some of the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

The worst advice I heard was an unsolicited comment suggesting that I should give up. This person obviously didn’t understand the contribution Bittylab is making to this world. Getting rid of a problem that happens in the majority of a population, such as infant gastroesophageal reflux, (which affects 66% of full-term and 80% of premature babies) is an invaluable advance in the world of Pediatrics. GERD is the single-handed catalyst for other life-threatening diseases. For example, common intervention for GERD treatment, such as prescription drugs and formula thickeners have been shown to cause necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants. Our solution can help infants with GERD without causing these side effects.

You’ve got a high stake investment opportunity. Pitch your business in 150 words.

Infant gastroesophageal reflux, GER, and the disease GERD, affect 66% of full-term & 85% of pre-term babies. These conditions are reaching the breaking point as Ped. Guidelines suppressed the use of common interventions like prescription drugs and formula thickeners to infants under two months of age. Infant GERD is responsible for $41BN annual expense in treatments, in the US alone, where payers include insurance companies, hospitals, and parents. 

Bittylab, a WBE-certified Startup, introduces Bare® Air-free, a solution that showed improvement in 75% of babies with GERD. The technology has been live via a customer-based platform. We have achieved: proof of concept, over 100k units tested and in use, Pediatrician endorsement, and clinical validation as 75% of babies no longer had GERD symptoms after 2 weeks. Bare® Air-free is a money saver for parents, hospitals, and insurance companies.

Bare® Air-free is for sale at buybuybaby and bittylab.com/shop starting at $17.50/unit.

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs?

Never give up! You can pivot, improve, and modify but never give up. As mentioned above in a question, an entrepreneur is born out of personal necessity. If one person is in need of your product or service, chances are that there’s a whole market for it. You just have to find it.

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

We are working in new products as well as engaging research facilities to expand on the effects of air-free feeding, upright feeding position, and flow and pace controlled by babies.

Any final words to end this interview?

 We are very proud to have received the WBE and WOSB certification this year. This will help Bittylab advance into the health and medical fields.

Connect and partner up with Bittylab on Enterprise League

Feeling under-appreciated as an employee, a nonexistent work-life balance, financial struggles, getting out of bad relationships – these are the most common triggers that push women to become entrepreneurs. Tell us about your trigger?

I am an entrepreneur at heart. I love to create, visualize, and implement. I saw a need for a better product, and after a lot of research evaluating market potential, I “ran with it.”  

How did you come up with your business idea?

I suffered from debilitating nausea during both of my pregnancies. I found nausea relief from acupressure wrist bands but was dissatisfied with the existing products on the market so I set out to create a superior product.

Have you had support from someone, even if just encouragement? Who was that and how did it help you?

My husband, Michael, of almost 25 years. He was (and is) supportive of my commitment to my company and belief that I could breathe life into a product idea, take it to market, and keep it there. Psi Bands have been selling into the marketplace for 14 years at retailers such as Target, REI, HEB, Pharmaca, Amazon, etc.; in hospitals; and internationally. More than 1m sets sold. We are making a positive and meaningful difference for those who suffer from nausea. 

Female entrepreneurs are often underestimated and overlooked. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage?

When or if I feel like I am being treated at a disadvantage, I stay true to myself. I hold my head high. Sometimes silence is best. Quiet can be loud. Other times, voicing a concern or opinion is critical.  

Some say it’s hard work, others say it’s talent and resourcefulness that play a crucial role for success in entrepreneurship? Which traits have been instrumental for your success so far? And why?

Hard work, passion, growth mindset, strategic outlook, gratitude, and resourcefulness have played a crucial role for success.

What excites you the most about being an entrepreneur?

I am always challenged. Every day brings a new set of challenges and opportunities. And it’s up to me to decide how to creatively and strategically handle them. It’s a journey – and one I embrace. 

Share with us some of the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

“Sell everywhere you can.” Me: “no.” Our organic and targeted approach has allowed us to stay in business. I’d rather be in business than quickly out because we were underfunded and didn’t have the right expertise and/or systems in place to scale up. Learning daily is part of the journey and one I embrace.  

You’ve got a high stake investment opportunity. Pitch your business in 150 words.

I was on “Shark Tank” and received and declined an offer. Here’s the 60-second pitch.

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs?

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

Expand internationally and increase our online presence. We are partially doing this with grants and assistance from the US Commercial Service. Applying for grants is one of many ways to fund a company.   

Any final words to end this interview?

Feeling under-appreciated as an employee, a nonexistent work-life balance, financial struggles, getting out of bad relationships – these are the most common triggers that push women to become entrepreneurs. Tell us about your trigger?

How did you come up with your business idea?

I started this business after a trip to my mother’s cat sitter with her. As I stepped into this woman’s beautifully appointed living room, the first thing I noticed was that it was filled with shipping cartons. She saw me looking around and sheepishly explained, “They’re for the cats.” 

Now, I know why cats love cardboard boxes (there is some serious science to explain it), but it got me thinking: why do their owners put up with dirty, ugly Amazon boxes in their homes? Why not boxes that are clean, cat-safe, fun? 

My boxes are whimsical, environmentally friendly, and imprinted with human-grade, soy-based inks — and cats and their owners love them!

Have you had support from someone, even if just encouragement? Who was that and how did it help you?

Female entrepreneurs are often underestimated and overlooked. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage?

Some say it’s hard work, others say it’s talent and resourcefulness that play a crucial role for success in entrepreneurship? Which traits have been instrumental for your success so far? And why?

What excites you the most about being an entrepreneur?

The second thing that excites me about my business is the opportunity to connect with like-minded people every day. I’m a lifelong animal lover, and I get to connect – through social media mostly – with cat owners every single day! It was one of the unexpected joys of starting this business.

Share with us some of the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

You’ve got a high stake investment opportunity. Pitch your business in 150 words.

Cats are crazy for cardboard boxes. Google “cats in the boxes” and you’ll get about 140 million hits, mostly goofy photos of cats squeezing into boxes they have no business squeezing into. 

This is such a universal phenomenon that scientists have compelling research about why cats are so cardboard box crazy.

The question then, really isn’t why cats like cardboard boxes, but why owners put up with filthy, ugly Amazon boxes in their homes. My boxes are fun, attractive, environmentally friendly, cat safe and made in the USA. And cats love them.

My products have been featured in The Boston Globe, Product Hunt, Parade.com and other major media outlets. DesignBoom, one of the world’s leading design publications, called my Mega Milk Carton a “Warhol-esque stroke of genius.”

Come think inside the box with me!

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs?

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

Any final words to end this interview?

Connect and partner up with Cat in the Box on Enterprise League