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 Mother of four Residence: Irvine Founder, SBR Sports Inc. sbrsportsinc.com tri-swim.com Launched business: Six years ago What started as a quest for a good shampoo that would wash out the chlorine after a swim has turned into a company that develops products that keep athletes comfortable and competitive. Karen Smidt-Allard wanted something better. So she made it herself. TRISWIM is her brand of Chlorine-out hair and skincare products. TRISLIDE is a continuous spray skin lubricant used to combat chamois chafing (when cycling) and blistering/ hot spots on the feet (when running); TRISLIDE also makes it easier to take a wetsuit on an off. FOGGLE anti-fog cleaning towelettes are used for swim, ski and snowboard goggles, plus cycling glasses. Q: Where did you get the idea for your business? I was a competitive triathlete. There was a need in the market for an effective chlorine-out product that was safe for color-treated hair and that would appeal to men, women and children in both the competitive and recreational swim fields. Q: How long did it take from idea to marketplace? Eight months Q: What has been your smartest move? My smartest move was not growing too fast. I knew that if I controlled my growth, I could build a solid foundation so that in a few years I could go after the larger accounts. In a sense, I was building a good base. The goal for most companies is to sell to prestigious accounts. But if a new company plays with the big boys in the beginning – Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods, for example – it can be a HUGE risk! If a larger store that is 80 to 90 percent of your business dropped you, you would be out of business! This is the first year where I feel secure enough to go after the larger retailers, but I’ll still enter each new agreement with caution. Click HERE to learn how Smidt-Allard is marketing her products. Jane Elia Schwartz | Faith Freeman | Christy Caprine Catherine Del Valle | Karen Smidt-Allard | Amy Pierrot Schwary <<< BACK TO MAIN MOMPRENEURS PAGE |
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RSS SubscribeReaders Feedback:
Very inspiring! I appreciate Karen's humble confessions of making mistakes but learning from them. Karen has developed a quality product. I use both TriSwim and Foggle and like them better than any other competitive product I've tried. Thank Karen!
| Comment at 11/23/2009 |
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