I'd like to introduce you to Romy Taormina.
Romy (43 years old) is the Nausea Relief Chief/Co-Founder of Psi Bands (www.psibands.com). Mom-invented and patented Psi Bands are FDA-cleared, stylish acupressure wrist bands for the relief of nausea due to morning sickness, motion sickness/travel, chemotherapy, and anesthesia. She has taken an otherwise medicinal device and turned it into something both fashionable and functional for those who suffer from nausea. You may be familiar with Romy as she was featured this year on ABC's hit show Shark Tank (Episode 420- aired 3/1/13), as well as The Jeff Probst Show in a segment on "Miliion Dollar Mom Ideas" (aired 3/6/13).
Psi
Bands earned a “strokes of genius pick” in the November 2010 issue of Entrepreneur, and an Oprah’s “O List" pick.
The business has not only changed her life (i.e. She is now the primary bread
winner of my family while her husband has assumed the role of stay-at-home
dad), but Psi Bands has positively changed the lives of hundreds of thousands
of people, relieving them of their nausea, a very debilitating medical
condition.
Let's Chat with Romy:
What is your best advice to a budding entrepreneur?
Running a business is like raising a child in that there are
no books or resources out there that will completely prepare you for the
experience. There are road maps, but until you have done it, you have not done
it. And, no two experiences are alike. Because we can not live life fully
prepared, we sometimes just have to jump in with two feet and take the plunge.
Sometimes it’s best just NOT to know. So, my advice would be: if you have a
great idea that has “legs” (you have researched the marketplace and determined
that there is a need for your product/service), and have the resources, drive,
and courage to turn that idea into a reality, then go for it!
What is a must-have site or resource all entrepreneurs
should know and follow?
I have been a part of several groups of amazing
mom-entreprenuers, all of which have been invaluable. Some of these groups were
a result of competing and winning various awards and grants. The
"winners" of these awards often band together to share insights and
contacts. I strongly recommend the Huggies MomInspired Grant Program as well as
American Express Count Me In programs. Two other resources that have inspired
and supported me include Savor the Success and Tory Johnson's Spark & Hustle.
The key to success in these groups is to practice "Give, Give, Get"
which I picked up from Angela Jia Kim, the founder of Savor the Success. It
means that you get back so much when you give advice and assistance
freely. In keeping with that, I co-author a blog, Both Sides of the Retail
Table, with a former Target buyer, Vanessa Ting, that gives tips on getting and
keeping your product on retail store shelves. www.retailtable.com
Quote or Book 'to
live by'
"The
only way to score is to take a shot." -- Wayne Gretzky
Follow along:
Background: Romy always
knew she wanted to run her own business, but had no idea that months of
debilitating nausea would lead her there! She discovered the positive effects
of using acupressure wrist bands to alleviate her nausea after experiencing
numerous months of terrible morning sickness during her two pregnancies.
Dissatisfied with existing products on the market that she felt were drab and
uncomfortable, Romy hatched the idea for Psi Bands, an FDA-cleared product that
is both fashionable and functional for others who suffer from
nausea. The resulting patented Psi Bands come in five fun designs, and
are uniquely adjustable at two areas, around the wrist like a watch and at the
acupressure point for personalized comfort and fit. They are also waterproof (no
more soggy wrist bands), reusable and affordable. With Psi Bands, those who
suffer from the VERY common, yet debilitating condition of nausea can feel
better – in style and comfort,
without drugs!
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