9 out of 10 would buy Product X

If last nights focus group was any indication on how Product X would do, then looks like it could be a huge success!!!

First off, I have to say a BIG thank you to all of my friends that showed their support and attended. It was a true testament of friendship!

After socializing and eating dinner we all gathered in the kitchen/bar area for the "pitch". I have to admit, I was pretty nervous. I had not rehearsed what I was going to say because I thought it would be better to wing it. What I have learned is that it is much better to have your script memorized so you can be confident with your pitch.

That said, the first pitch I made was pretty darn good but when it was time to do it again and time how long it was (can't be more than 30 sec.) I totally flubbed it!

My friends had some EXCELLENT feedback and really took a close look at Product X. Believe me, I was hit with some pretty tough questions - which is great because now I know the answers to those questions in case they come up at the audition.

Luckily I had typed up an anonymous questionnaire and feel confident that everyone felt they could be totally honest.

There was a great suggestion for another name for my invention in case I can not use the one my daughter came up with, some things about Product X that never occurred to me but best of all was the question: Would you buy Product X? 9 out of 10 circled "yes"!!!!

I was up at 6am writing my pitch to memorize and almost have it down. Next up is the 2 minute demo but for now, I am going to enjoy the rest of the weekend with my Husband and two cutie pies...

Let's get this party started!

Tonight is a big night here in our house - our first focus group!

Talk about getting things done down to the wire...I just picked up a new/improved Product X and it's ready to be on display for all our friends to see (and judge).

I actually have an anonymous questionnaire for everyone to fill out JUST in case they do not want to tell me the whole truth. I understand...it's hard to look at someone and be totally honest without hurting their feelings but believe me, I've got my "tough girl" hat on tonight so I can take it. Truly, I would rather know about ways to improve Product X now then when I am standing in the line at the Casting Call.

Dinner is done and it just needs heated up, the appetizers are ready to be put out, the beverages are iced but I did forget one thing...a table cloth for the dinning room table. Apparently, according to my Mom, the one I have now does not match my decor. Oh well....hopefully everyone will be SO impressed with Product X that they won't notice!

I was supposed to work on my pitch today but I'm afraid of sounding too rehearsed so I'm going to wing it. I know the bullet points and it's only 30 seconds long (per casting instructions) so we'll see...just like working best under pressure, I'm at my most entertaining when I fly by the seat of my pants!

I'm off to watch the newest episode of Pitchmen and try to get into my "Billy Mayes" mode!

Tracy Sanders here with Product X! Buy now! Don't delay! But wait! There's more! :)

Yawn

I have this slight problem...when I wake up in the middle of the night, I can not go back to sleep so when I rolled over at 3am this morning, I knew I was doomed.

My mind instantly went to Product X and all that I have to do to get ready for my focus group dinner tomorrow night.

There will be a nice mix of friends - one from High School, two from my children's old school and a handful of great people I have met at our new school. I am really touched by how many people are coming to show their support! I was going to make (or order out) something casual but I want to show my gratitude so I'm cooking a "fancy" dinner! My Husband keeps reminding me that this is "work" and not play for me. Gotta love him!

There is a really cool website called Mom logic where Mom's can chat, blog, read reviews, etc. I have been a member for awhile and a couple of days ago, Kelly Ripa joined and posted the casting info. Of course I made a "friend request" and yes, now Kelly Ripa and I are "friends". :)

Oh, I need more coffee. I wonder if I can squeeze in a nap....

Product X gets a face lift

Wow, it has been a busy week!

Once I found out that casting is next month, I have been working extra hard on Product X and showing it to some of my friends to get their input ASAP!

One friend particular, Stephanie, made a suggestion about the Product X design that took me back to the drawing board. Not only is she a genius (the new design is amazing) , she has the best laugh you'll ever hear!

Because of the time crunch, I am having my first focus group dinner this Friday and then a focus group BBQ on Sunday! Did I mention that I have my son's birthday party Saturday?!

I designed a clothing line in 2005 called Wear Your Manners and I just love the concept and the design is simple and sweet but I wish I knew then what I know now...ask for all the advice you can! Get as much impute as possible!

Wear Your Manners is MY taste but come to find out, not everyone likes "simple and sweet". You can take a look at www.wearyourmanners.com. By the way, Wear Your Manners is not Product X. :)

I've learned to LISTEN to other people with an open mind and thank goodness I did!

Sometimes it's hard to think YOUR invention could be any other way than the way YOU originally thought it to be but if I had keep that train of thought, Stephanie's suggestions would have gone in one ear and out the other and I wouldn't have the design I do now!

Thanks Steph!

My better half

My better half....my husband or Product X?....just kidding, my sweet husband!

It's our 9th Wedding Anniversary today so I wanted to take a moment to thank him in cyberspace for being so wonderful to me and for being such a great father!

I asked Jason (my hubby) if he thought Product X would win Mom Inc and he said "no". Not the answer I wanted to hear but I gave him time to explain before I knocked him out.

Just kidding, I would not knock him out but I would flush the toilet a few times while he was in the shower.

He said that everyone auditioning had a very slim chance of winning just because there may be TONS of women trying out. Better answer.

"However", he continued, "I do think your invention is good enough to sell on HSN".

Me, being the optimist that I am, believe 100% that Product X can win!

I am curious to see the competition and honestly, I wish each and every Mom the best of luck because I know how it feels to be passionate about an invention and want to see it succeed!

Casting Begins!

It's the reason I Google TLC, Mom Inc, Milojo Productions all day long!

The website about Casting for Mom Inc is up!

It took me about 30 minutes and several phone calls to family and friends to calm down. Deep breath....

It's so good to know what you need and where to go and when.

You must have a working prototype which I do but it needs perfecting ASAP! The casting is NEXT MONTH! Lucky for me, I work best under pressure!

For those Momtrepreneurs out there, go to www.milojo.com/casting to get all the info.

Now it's time to get to work...yeah!

Here's a hint

I just can't take it! I have to say SOMETHING about Product X so here it is....Product is...."I'll tell you after the break"....a little American Idol humor for you...Ok, the hint is: Product X is a gadget.

There, I said it. Phew, I feel soooo much better! This "keeping Product X a secret" thing is driving me CRAZY!!!! I want to stop strangers on the street and tell them about it! I want to bring it to school and show all the classroom Moms and Dads! I want to....talk about ALL the time quite frankly.

I am a gadget girl at heart. I bought the Egg Wave for pete's sake. I LOVE any and all gadgets! The Magic bullet, the Big City Slider Station, the Ped Egg, the Swivil Sweeper, Mighty Putty, The Toss and Chop (for those of you that are not familiar with the Toss and Chop, check it out ASAP at Williams and Sonoma). If the Topsy Turvey was still in circulation, I'd buy it for my daughter.

There is a claim I want to make about Product X (a function that it does) but I was not sure if it would be accurate so last night I did a little test and it seems that I CAN make this claim. Indeed, one of the many selling points of Product X does ring true! Woohoo!

It feels good to share a little part of my secret. I can only imagine how Great it'll feel to tell everyone ALL about it!

The Billy May's Way

I am a huge Billy Mays fan and I have purchased almost everything that man has sold on TV!
*The big city slider station (my kids favorite!)
*Mighty Putty
*Mighty Mend It
*Orange Glow
to name a few...

The Discovery Channel has this really cool show called "Pitchmen" that stars Billy Mays and I'm hooked! On the TLC website there is a page called "Make millions the Billy Mays way".

Listed is a check list to see if your invention is a good one.

Here is the list...

Does It Have Perceived High Value?
Is It Highly Demonstrable?
Is It Unique or New?
Does It Have a Patent?
Does It Solve A Common Problem?
Does It Have Room for a 5x Markup?
Does It Have Mass Market Appeal?

I was soooo excited to read this list because I could answer everything "yes" about Product X except the Patent. That I do not have yet but come Monday, I'll be looking into it!

How much is too much

When you have an invention and it's in the begging stages it's fun to write ideas down, think of ways to make it, name it and so on.

Next step is to make your invention - no matter how crude the proto-type.

So you have your proto-type, you've come up with a clever name, you've researched it so that there is not another product like it already on the market and in my case....you wait....

I am chopping at the bit (a saying that always makes me thinks of horses) and ready to make Product X into a working product. But...how far into the design process am I supposed to go? I am wondering what the producers (and Kelly) of Mom Inc want. I want to effectively demo Product X on the show so that America can fall in love with it as much as I have!

I did hear that there will be a website up soon about Mom Inc. that will have all the information I need so I'll be patient...

In the meantime, I'll start on my "pitch". That's always fun and it will take some perfecting.

Oh yes, and my focus group dinner...I LOVE to entertain! Let's pick a date...

And then there was two

I have been working on perfecting Product X but I'm just not that crafty so I am headed to meet someone that can make Product X more exact.

I'll be taking my first proto-type for an example but my Husband says, "It looks like you've rolled Product X down a hill without a helmet". Sweet, isn't he?!

When it comes to ideas, I'm right on but when it comes to design...I'm lost! Luckily for me, there are talented people out there that can "create".

Once the "new and improved" version of Product X is in my hands, I am having my focus group dinner (with close friends and family that I trust) because I just can't stand not showing it to everyone any longer! Also, I am looking forward to some good suggestions on anything I might have missed.

While I'm out, I'm going to pick up a helmet for my Husband. He just might need it!

Challenge

I love a good challenge.

We face challenges each and every day. It could be trying to lose that last 10 pounds, getting your children to eat their veggies, landing that big account, trying to juggle work and home, dealing with that one pushy person (we all know one!)...the list is endless.

But when you succeed and "win" that challenge, it feels so rewarding! You know all of your hard work has payed off!

I've taken on Product X and auditioning for Mom Inc as my challenge of all challenges! I think, eat, dream - or in most cases, lay awake at night- Product X.

To make it fun, I've involved my husband and children in the process so that they can feel included in this challenge as well! Remember, my daughter actually came up with the name for Product X!

So with positive thoughts and determination, I am anxiously waiting to hear about casting information. Hopefully it'll be this week!

Good luck with YOUR challenge today!

Mom

This is such a wonderful day - I get to celebrate my children and be a part of a very special group of women - Mothers.

I have to ask, "when did I get old enough to have 2 children"?! Wasn't I JUST in school making a clay ashtray for MY mom?! Remember the clay ashtray? With some Google searches I found that the ashtray was invented in the 1800's and was originally called the "ash pan".

It's pretty interesting to look around and see all of the inventions that are in our home. Inventions made by someone like you and me. And if you're a Mom and you have an invention, you now get the nifty title of "Momtrepreneur"! Not to mention being able to audition for Mom Inc!

Yes, it's a very special group.

Miss the boat

With all of this going on with Product X and Mom Inc, I have had a lot of conversations with other people about their inventions and let me tell you, more than half of them I would buy!

It's interesting...almost all of the people say the same thing, "Oh, it's a good idea but I don't have the time to follow though and even if I did, I would not even know where to begin".

That's what's so great about Mom Inc. The show is going to take out the uncertainty of where to begin and help a mom (hopefully me!) make her idea a reality!

So I say to Mr. P (you know who you are), research your idea - it's a good one and don't "miss the boat"!

Words to live by

Be the change you want to see in the world
-Gandhi

Feelin' Swanky

There is a really cool website that I have been a fan of for years called Swanky Moms (www.swankymoms.com). It's the go to site if you're looking for boutiques, want to read reviews on great products or you're just a hip mom and want a place to hang out!

I am truly honored to be featured as a Swanky Mom this week (visit site to see) and it's pretty exciting to see I am in good company.

Annie Duke - poker icon and Celebrity Apprentice contestant was once featured along with Alex McCord - one of my favorite Real Desperate Housewives of New York. Wow!

About Product X:
It's time to give Product X a make-over! I will save the first proto-type but now I have to redesign it with some bells and whistles...oh the excitment of it all!

Giving back

In a world of "me-isms", I was pondering my motivation for Product X last night.

Is this about getting MY name in the spotlight? Is this about getting ME in front of the camera?

Although I do love mugging for the camera, I realized it's not ME everyone will be looking at...it'll be Product X! Phew! I guess I can have that piece of cake after all!

Seriously, I am pretty competitive and I am so curious to see if America loves Product X as much as I do but winning this competition is not just about me.

I hope to be fortunate enough to be able to give back. To my community. To my family. To my friends.

There is a very worthy organization called The Haven in Clearwater, Florida that is a safe house for abused women and children that I would like to help. My Church. My children's school. Oh, the list is endless!

So I can let myself off the hook and not worry about MY "me-ism" and just enjoy the journey!

2 Weeks

I just found out that the finial casting information should be out in a couple of weeks!

But I wonder...what does that exactly mean? They start casting in 2 weeks? In 2 weeks there will be information ABOUT casting?

Either way, this is very exciting!