The Fearless Warrior Podcast

064: Not Taking "No" For an Answer and Chasing Your Dreams with Lerin Lockwood of Lion Latch

• Amanda Schaefer

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Lerin Lockwood is the founder and creator of Lion Latch, a product that provides secure storage for small valuables like jewelry and rings. After ruining her engagement ring coaching softball, she was inspired to create a place to store and protect jewelry for athletes. On today's episdoe, she shares about grit, determination, and never taking "No" as an answer. 

Episode Highlights:

  • How Lerin came up with the idea for Lion Latch
  • How she survived two rejections from Shark Tank before finally making it on the show
  • How she used grit and determination to achieve her goal of launching her company
  • How goals can be achieved when we don't take "No" for an answer

Shop Lion Latch and support Lerin and Her Business!
See the Softball Lion Latch, Jewelry Case and More
Use code FEARLESSF for 10% OFF: https://lionlatch.com/pages/my-shop/3167126

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the fearless warrior podcast, a place for athletes, coaches and parents who know the value of a strong mindset. I'm your host, coach AB, a mental performance coach on a mission, former softball coach, wife and mom of three. Each episode, we will dive deep into all things mental performance, mindset tools and how to rewire the brain for success. So if your goal is to gain the mental edge and learn the secrets of mental performance, mindset tools and how to rewire the brain for success, so if your goal is to gain the mental edge and learn the secrets of mental performance, you're in the right place. Let's tune in to today's episode.

Speaker 1:

Laryn Lockwood is the founder and creator of Lion Latch, a product that provides secure storage for small valuables like jewelry and rings. After ruining her engagement ring when she was coaching softball, she was inspired to create a place to store and protect it so it wouldn't happen again. I was sitting on my couch with my family one night watching Shark Tank, one of my favorite shows and when she came on the show to pitch, I immediately knew I had to reach out. And when she came on the show to pitch, I immediately knew I had to reach out. Her energy is contagious and she really is an absolute go-getter. I love the lessons she shares about grit, determination, how life as an athlete has impacted her now as an entrepreneur, and never taking no as an answer. She truly is paving her own path and I loved getting to see behind the scenes and now you get to as well. Let's dive in to today's episode. Laren, I am so excited. Welcome to the pod.

Speaker 2:

Thanks for having me. I'm excited too. Let's talk softball.

Speaker 1:

So many connections. The crazy part about all of this if we rewind, we connected because we were both softball coaches. But I actually saw you on Shark Tank and you mentioned that when you were on Shark Tank, that you were a softball coach and you were the inventor of a really cool product that actually came from the softball experience. So can you give us the like A to Z? Like where are you now? How did you get started with this?

Speaker 2:

Okay, so I was a high school coach and I was newly engaged and I had to catch in last minute for one of our varsity center fielders who's like five, 10 beast and normally when she'd throw me the ball it would sting a little. But this time it's done way more than usual and I pulled my hand out of the softball glove and I realized that not only had the ball flattened my ring into my engagement ring or into my finger, it had also knocked out a diamond and I couldn't find it. It's somewhere out there in left field. So I learned that lesson the hard way. You know, our athletes aren't supposed to wear jewelry during competition or practices most of the time because it's dangerous. And I thought, hey, I'm newly engaged, I'm a grown-up, I know what I'm doing, I don't have to take this ring off. And turns out it's for safety purposes. So I couldn't find anywhere to keep my rings because I was just so last minute it would be me picking up the bat or putting my hand in my glove, and I wasn't. I can't just leave 50 kids unattended right for my ring and I started clipping it on my keys. But then I realized, oh my god, my keys are scratching my ring even like worse, because it was platinum. So I'm just learning all kinds of fun things, and I was an art teacher.

Speaker 2:

So I hit the drawing board to come up with some ideas and I made the lion latch. And this is the softball lion latch, and it doesn't unscrew. All I could find were pill containers that unscrewed and that scared me. So this design you have to remove the carabiner clip that it comes with and then you can pull the lid off so your rings, your earrings, your necklaces, your workout supplements can go inside, and then, once this clip is on, it's locked shut, you can attach it to your keys or your sports bag. It's also a good reminder to take your jewelry off before you hit the field and then to put it back on before you leave, because so many kids just take their jewelry off and throw it in the locker room or in the side pocket of their bag and it gets forgotten. It falls out, somebody else finds it and they don't return it or look for the original owner. So that's why the Lion Lodge comes in handy, and I've been using it for 10 years now.

Speaker 1:

I love that so much, and we've gotten to use Lion Lodge with our team, we've gotten to gift it at our retreats and our and our programs, and but the reason that I love it more than the functionality is the story behind it. So at what point did you just realize I'm going to do this myself?

Speaker 2:

Well, I couldn't find anything that did what I needed it to. And so my sister had a next door neighbor who made movie props for and for TV shows also, and so I had this drawing and I took it to him and he had back then people didn't have their own 3d printers and so he created the CAD drawing for me and sent it off to a professional 3d printer so it could be made out of like a really durable plastic. And then other people saw it and then they wanted it's like my student athletes, other coaches, other teachers. And I was like, dang, it's 30 bucks to 3d print one of these. And they're like, well, why don't you just manufacture it? And I was just like, oh my God, how much money does that cost, right, where do you even start with that?

Speaker 2:

And then I created a plan and I did a Kickstarter like a crowdfund, where people backed my idea. They paid for it in advance so I could pay for that mold in the initial inventory. So I, when I was on Shark Tank, barbara called me. She told me I'm like a bulldog, like I'm like a dog with a bone and I just stick with things. And so once I put all the energy into learning about manufacturing. I saw it through and I got my Kickstarter funded. I was on the back of parade floats throwing out flyers about my Kickstarter for Lion Latch, and community members helped me get it funded.

Speaker 1:

That's awesome. And at what point were you like I think in the honeymoon phase of being an entrepreneur having an idea at what point did it kick in that you were like, man, I could give this a go, Like this could be more than just a side hustle. This is what's crazy. So, after I brought it to light, I could give this a go, Like this could be more than just a side hustle.

Speaker 2:

This is what's crazy. So after I brought it to light I was like, okay, cool, I invented something awesome. Back to teaching and coaching, Cause that's my passion, right, I love teaching art and I love playing sports. So it was about three years later. Somebody found an article about the lion latch and they wanted to put it in their jewelry stores. So I had to learn what wholesaling was. And after I did that research I was like, heck, yeah, we can put this in your store.

Speaker 2:

And I realized that these jewelry stores are finding me organically. Maybe I should start like going out to find them, out to find them. And that's when I went to America's Mart in Atlanta. It's the biggest market for boutiques to shop at, for items to put in their store and sell. And that's where I was discovered by Tori Johnson from Good Morning America and they put me on the View first and I did really well. And the next year they invited me out to GMA and I got to actually present on the Chef. So it kind of fell in my lap. I thought I was done after just my Kickstarter got funded, but it became much more than that.

Speaker 1:

Were you nervous for Good Morning America?

Speaker 2:

For a second I was, but I was just like I love the Office and I love Beyonce. So I just kept telling myself like I am Beyonce always. I am Beyonce always Because I was standing on stage next to these women whose companies they're public companies they're in. One of them was in an all pink Versace suit with Versace shoes, like it was crazy. And then I'm like, hey, I'm skipping school today to be on this show. I called in today but yeah, that was, that was an exciting moment. But I mean, I'm used to public speaking, especially as a coach. I was always at the high school banquets and I'd have to speak in front of like the whole football team, their staff, the parents, then the whole volleyball team track, so we had hundreds of people in the audience. And that time my first speech. I was very nervous back in the day when I was 24. But, um, now I've gotten used to it, it's not a big deal anymore.

Speaker 1:

But I think it also helps that this is something that you're chasing, that you're passionate about that. I can feel the excitement. Like when I saw you on Shark Tank, I DM'd you. It's like this is going to sound really weird, but I, I just I had to connect with you, your energy, your passion and, obviously, the mutual softball connection. But how do you feel? Like this, this journey, like for other people that might be considering entrepreneurship, or even the tangibles of like oh my gosh, laren. Like think about all the lessons that this has taught you. Like, what's your message to not just young girls, but everybody that may be pursuing something hard?

Speaker 2:

Um, really just this is what I tell my daughter. It's like sometimes it's really hard to practice things, but if you really love it, you put in the time and effort, um to learn about it and to get better at it. And you know, with softball it's like muscle memory it's the more reps you get, the better you're getting. But you also have to kind of analyze what's going wrong. Also, like why do you keep drilling that ball foul, like these kinds of things. Like why are you missing the ball? Why do you strike out on the changeup? These kinds of things.

Speaker 2:

It's like it's the same thing with business you learn some things the hard way, unfortunately. But it's up to you to have the grit and to continue to pursue that goal. And for me personally, I like to put things where I see it every day. So I didn't get on Shark Tank the first three times I auditioned, but I kept my wristbands on my mirror and I saw them every morning when I was brushing my teeth. So it was like every day I'm reminded, like hey, I'm going to get there, I'm going to work towards that goal. And by the time I got on the show I had gone from 36,000 in sales for my first pitch to a half a million in sales. So that's what. That's what really captured their attention was like, oh my God, you've made that much money off of this tiny product. And it's like, yeah, but it was my persistence, my grit and then my business plan that I just kept checking off the boxes until I got there.

Speaker 1:

And what better timing, because if you would have gotten on the show the first time or the second time, yeah, oh, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

They kept telling me you're not ready and I was like what I'm? I'm TV gold, Like I'm totally ready. But yeah, I. I definitely was in a better position when I'd had half a million in sales versus 36 grand.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, but what message I mean this is a technique that I use all the time with my one-on-one athletes is, if you could go back to that audition, that time in your life where that rejection probably stung a whole lot more, what would you go back and tell her then? Oh my God, you're better off.

Speaker 2:

You're better off Right, like I didn't get a deal and at the time it sent me into like a very like dark spiral because, um, I had focused on that for three years and, uh, that was my goal for three years and I finally achieved it. So when I didn't get a deal on Shark Tank, I started like panicking because just because you air on Shark Tank doesn't mean you, or you film on Shark tank doesn't mean you or you film on shark tank doesn't mean you air.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, so that was everybody gets on the final yes, and so that I was afraid of that. Then I found out I was airing and I was like, oh my God, are they going to make me look like a bad person? Cause you know you can't remember everything you're in there for 45 minutes an hour, some people two hours, and they cut it down to seven minutes. Oh my gosh. Oh yeah, so they, and they cut and paste it however they want. So that was my.

Speaker 1:

So hang on. So can we, can we like zoom in on this? So you're telling me that you had to stand up there for 45 minutes and it, yeah, and you see on tv is just like like 10 of that absolutely and whatever you say can be pasted at any point in your pitch on TV and they'll just cut to the sharks so they can't prove.

Speaker 2:

When you were saying it, like at that moment, it's just, it was crazy. But yeah, so it's a TV show, it's a reality TV show, and I was like was I good enough to make it on the show to air? And then I found out I did so. It just kept it just kept kind of piling on. But now I'm so thankful because I've done all these things on my own. I don't owe anybody anything. I I own 100% of the company. It's 100% women owned. So I've done this like it's my grit. This is my, my baby right, and I've grown the brand. So I have new products. Also like this is the travel jewelry case and I know that online is this new. We are launching it this week, yes, good. So by the time, the podcast airs.

Speaker 1:

I'm not spilling any secrets.

Speaker 2:

No, so like that's all inside, can you see all that? I don't want it to dump out.

Speaker 1:

That's really cool.

Speaker 2:

So it's lined with foam. And that's my Apple watch for my fancy one. And then there's my diamond necklace and my diamond bracelet, and then it's lined with foam. So now, when you close it and you latch the handles, they're firmly in place and you can put it in your bag this way, this way, or you can lay it flat in your luggage. Um, that way it's not some kind of bulky box and your stuff isn't just bouncing around, right?

Speaker 1:

So we're thinking of all the applications of this, of like obviously this is a softball, you know there's more softball athletes that listen to this podcast but like the amount of sports that you're reaching, the amount of non-sports people, like your target demographic. Like you're seeing these problems and this is entrepreneurship 101. You're in the business of solving problems and so like, how do you, how do you stay in that mindset? Like, how are you making these iterations of like I see a problem. I'm creating a product. I'm seeing a problem creating a product.

Speaker 2:

This is the fun part. Fun part um, it's really listening to my customer base, like they tell me what they want and I listen to them and I find a way to solve that. Um, so a lot of people are like do you have a larger lion latch?

Speaker 2:

and I'm like no but we have travel jewelry case. It's way better than a larger Lion Lounge could be Like. It solves a lot more problems and holds a lot more things, not just jewelry, right? So then I have the Lion Pack. That's my backpack, because it was like, oh my God, the amount of time my kids forget their knee pads or their socks or their shoes at school. So I made the Lion Pack and it's got a checklist inside it. Yeah, so this one's got, like my chargers, my ID, my cash.

Speaker 2:

This is the one that I take to Vegas. So it says dinner dresses for weekend trips, and. But this pocket isn't meant for your purse, however. This is like my work bag and so my little purse goes on the side. It's actually for your shoes, because we had so many kids forgetting their shoes and their parents would bring it up in this nasty grocery plastic bag and it was like no telling what was fermenting in there. And that's why we made the lion pack and I mean this is a good weekend or two. Like I said, I take it for a weekend in vegas because we like to go to concerts and stuff. We're going to Shania Twain in February and it's like a challenge. It's a fun challenge for me to try to get a weekend worth of clothes in there but I'm a true minimalist when it comes to traveling right, the older you get is, the more you're like I don't need four pieces of luggage for this trip, but that was younger me for sure.

Speaker 2:

But we've also, um, we brought on stank sticks, so these are the shoe deodorizers, and they also go in your gloves so they absorb moisture and then they kill the bacteria. So, yes, it's not just masking, like these guys are are doing work, so they go inside your shoes, your glove. And then the newest thing we brought in also is sneaker racers, and so these clean your tennis shoes, um, and these are both Shark Tank products.

Speaker 1:

So these are other entrepreneurs. How are you making those connections Like how did this come about?

Speaker 2:

Well, when you air on Shark Tank. You uh, you get a bunch of Shark Tank pals with it and which has also been really beneficial for me because I kind of got a shark in the end right, Like I got their connections without having to pay anyone. So this group is really, it's a community where everybody is there to help each other, and it's just a beautiful thing, because before that group I was just a lone Ranger, Like I didn't know anybody who was on the same path as me. I was a teacher. I mean at school we had people who sewed things or made leather things or welded things, but there wasn't anyone that actually had a product that could go far. It was mostly just like gifts and art kind of things, and so that is like that group has been a blessing, a huge blessing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, well, it's that you're the sum of the people that you hang around, and so if you're wanting to connect with other people who are on that same path, it just elevates. You know, when you're in the trenches, when things are going wrong, you have that, and when things are going really, really well, like you, want those people to celebrate with you and oh, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

And this is a fun group too. Like everybody's a salesman in this group. You have to be if you're going to be successful with your product. So everyone's very outgoing. Um, we got a few introverts, but we, you know, we can we get the fun out of them too.

Speaker 1:

What would you say? So, for those that are maybe thinking I wish that you know I could go back 10 years ago, I actually hesitated to become an entrepreneur because I kind of held back. And I think most of the of the time, we think of it as like we're just going out into the abyss. As entrepreneurs, we're kind of taking risks and so, despite all those risks, what do you feel like is one of your biggest strengths? That you're like well, of course I'm doing this for a living. Of course I'm pursuing like what do you feel like helps give you the edge as Laryn?

Speaker 2:

Um, really like. What's making me keep going is the freedom, because when I was a teacher and a coach, right, a bell rang every 45 minutes like it's time to switch classes. A bell rang it's time to start classes, time to eat lunch. Now it's time to go home. So, like as an entrepreneur, this morning we also have a Wagyu beef line. My husband and I do so. This morning we went out and looked at some people's cows um, cause we have to grow our herd and then we also went and checked out some horses.

Speaker 2:

So if I were a teacher, still, I would not be able to do that other than on the weekends. And weekends are for our kids too, and the more involved with sports get is, the lesser we're going to be able to do those things on weekends, right? So, just like knowing that I can schedule my day to do, what I need to do is motivation for me to keep going, right, because I don't want to go back to eight to five which with coaching it's really like it could be 530 to 1030, right, when I was driving the school bus and then I'd have to get up and do the exact same the next day, whereas with this life, my kids need to pick, be picked up or they have a field trip. I don't have to ask somebody for the day off, I can just go, and that really is the luxury of being an entrepreneur, I think is like you can make yourself available for the things you want to be available for.

Speaker 2:

Um, so that's what keeps me going and I mean I also. I keep my eye on the prize. I'm very goal oriented, just like putting those wristbands in my mirror. I just keep myself reminded and keep heading toward in that direction. Yeah, it's just, it's fun. It's fun to set goals and achieve them. It's like a checklist for me and I'm just going to keep going, like.

Speaker 2:

I don't know if you saw that video I did this week where Mark Cuban told me no on Shark Tank, but I said yes anyways and just kept going and I ended up coming out on top. So, um, that's just it.

Speaker 2:

I know doesn't always mean um a closed door, like well you can say that again I know doesn't always mean a closed door, like a better door is probably going to be opening for you. I feel like that's God's plan, like yeah, it sucks sometimes and you don't know when it's going to change, but if you stay persistent, that's the path you're supposed to be on and you're meant to be on it. It's going to come to fruition.

Speaker 1:

Right and look where you are now.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I'm in my own headquarters. I'm not in my living room packing orders Like. I'm not in my art studio packing orders Like I've got a team. I've got an awesome team, moms that help me, and my husband and my niece are on board too. So we're doing really well. It's awesome, and I love that we have an environment that's fun to work in also. So that's definitely a thing, because a lot of people can't find help because their jobs aren't fun.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so what is a day in the life? I guess we usually lead off with this question You're in Texas, you're outside of the awesome Austin, so I'm going to make a trip. I just have to come down, that's it. We're going to eat our way through Austin and I'm going to come see your headquarters. What do you feel like is the most fun for you? Like what's your day to day? Look like Like if you could run us through a typical day.

Speaker 2:

I know it's probably never the same, but no, my day to day is kind of strange. As an entrepreneur, like since I, I have always been a night owl. Sports were really hard for me on the weekends because I had to get up so early. I would sleep in my uniform, like sleep in my full uniform and go get in the car and continue sleeping. So now as an entrepreneur, and I don't have to teach, I sleep until like eight, 30 every day.

Speaker 2:

I don't feel bad about that, like I have a weird sleep cycle and but.

Speaker 2:

I'm okay with it and I still get the job done within my work hours. But, um, currently I come in, uh, most days, mondays. I try to work from home because I can really focus my kids up. Both my kids have school that day, so I get a lot of stuff done from home and also kind of clean out my house, cause I have a three-year-old boy. Um, but other days of the week I come in, I take calls, I hop on a podcast every now and then when they're worth it, when I think it's going to be worth it and fun.

Speaker 1:

You all better go to the show notes and support a small business that's killing it we're going to get all those links. And then I love my Lion Latch, by the way.

Speaker 2:

Thank you. Right, it's a lifesaver. You don't know you need it until you need it and you're like yeah exactly. But yeah, I mean so and I just come to office, I respond to emails, that's kind of the boring part.

Speaker 2:

I need somebody to do that for me because it's not my favorite, um, but uh, we print custom lion latches for teams. We do a lot of that, like we also print the softballs, like all the printed lion lashes we do in-house and we get orders out. I talked to my team about, you know like yesterday we brainstormed what would be cute for Christmas and we were like those little Debbie Christmas cakes. Everybody knows what that design is, the red squiggles and the green sprinkles. So we're going to launch one of those next week for fun, just like a limited edition.

Speaker 2:

And then I'm in a workout somewhere. Yeah, I'm, I'm shooting for four days a week. It's hard with two littles, but I'm trying really hard to do that because my mental health is important too and my physical health, oh, absolutely. And then we pick up our kids. We we always go for a walk. I got a sport court now, so we like to play outside and shoot hoops. I pretend I'm Caitlin Clark. I can nail a three pointer from way behind the three point line, but that's it. I can't have somebody guarding me. I can't be off to the side directly in front of the hoop.

Speaker 1:

Hey, that's your next thing. We should talk about this off the podcast, because I really feel like this new wave of that's good. I mean, I think about all these fun podcasts and athletes and their platforms now of like no, you got a great point.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and Instagram. They're all following on Instagram, so that's good point. But yeah, and then we just try to cook supper and hang out. We do homework. My seven-year-old has so much homework every night, but my first grader has so much homework, I'm shocked.

Speaker 2:

I, I know I told her, put that book in your bag so when you get in my truck you can start your 20 minutes of reading on our way home. It's like, oh, but yeah, that's kind of it. Let me just chill out. I mean, we, we have our own beef line too, so we take care of the cows when they need it and I've got two French bulldogs. But I mean, my life is pretty chill right now, aside from fighting like a few knockoffs here and there because a lot of people are trying to copy me just super frustrating. And people are like you should be, you should feel flattered and I'm not. I'm not flattered at all.

Speaker 1:

So how does that all work? Do you have the patent? I?

Speaker 2:

do I have two patents on the design and because I'm a top seller on Tik TOK. I was the first Tik TOK shop and I'm a top seller on Amazon.

Speaker 1:

Wait, go back the first Tik TOK shop.

Speaker 2:

Yes, march 3rd of 2023.

Speaker 2:

I launched yeah, so that's why I was on everybody's TikTok. Um, because they were just pushing out my videos to test and see what was going to happen. And then they flew me out to Cannes, france, and I spoke on a panel there. I met William and Carmelo Anthony super cool and uh yeah. So that was crazy. But yeah, since then TikTok has just kind of become a free-for-all. I still use it. I upload a video every day on there, regardless. I don't expect sales from it, but it's pretty cool. I have a pretty large following on there and I got some influencer deals out of it. So I do influencing for Jewelers Mutual Insurance, the insurance company that I had my engagement ring insured with when I broke it. So I do videos for them and I stand by what the videos I do for them too, because if I wouldn't have had Jewelers Mutual, I would have had to pay for that diamond and the repair. So it's just like that was a full circle thing right there too.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Which is pretty cool.

Speaker 1:

The thread that I'm hearing, hearing like, if I can mirror this back to you, the thread that I'm hearing, and I don't know I'm sure people have told you this, but you've said it in grit but if you redefine, you know you just don't quit you. You have this goal, this. I think that's a huge strength that I think a lot of people, when they come up against adversity, they come up against no's like. This is all going to make an amazing story and your story is not done Like the like. Thanks for you and I love following your success, but the best is still ahead. Like if I was going to bet on anybody, I wish I was in Barbara or Mark Cuban's seat, because right, thanks, right, right, and that's what they kept telling me.

Speaker 2:

They were like we admire your tenacity, you're amazing, you're doing amazing things. Except for Mr Wonderful. He was mad at me because I gave him hearing aids inside his lion latch and everybody loved it. They all thought it was hilarious, um, and I'm pretty good at cracking jokes too, so it was a good experience overall. But, yeah, definitely, like I have to see through. I mean, I've been a goal getter my whole life. Um, it's kind of like I think about high school sports, though, and high school sports were hard for me because, uh, I was kind of a little immature.

Speaker 2:

I laugh, my, my pain mechanism, my pain response is laughing, and coaches didn't like that. And now, as an adult, everybody thinks it's funny. But when you're young and you don't understand, like that's your, your mechanism, your response it's literally a response to pain is like laughter. That didn't go over well, but when I got to college it got better.

Speaker 2:

I coached D1 volleyball or it was D2 at the time and my coach and I she had the exact same attitude as I did. She liked to have fun. She knew volleyball was supposed to be fun. So, like there is a struggle when you're younger, you know, not all high school coaches know what they're doing either, because they may be they may be the best volleyball coach, and they're the head volleyball coach but they also have to coach a second sport, and so you kind of have to give your your coaches, grace also, and that was something that was hard for me in high school was like I know more than you do, so that was that was hard. So you know, you kind of grow up a little when you're playing sports and then you also have to kind of take a step back and and see what other people are saying yeah, do you feel like you're?

Speaker 2:

the lessons you learned in sports have helped you today in what you're doing um, I was just such an aggressive athlete so, probably like when I was in the third grade, I was a catcher. I can remember like running kids down and knocking them in the dirt, um to get an out, because I mean I liked winning and I'm I'm a very sore loser and uh, and that's something I would like to change about myself, but it's like that's a hard thing to change.

Speaker 1:

But it's also a hard thing to teach. Yeah, like if you don't have the grit and the tenacity. Yes, as a mental performance coach, I'm supposed to say yes, we can teach that, but there is a level of like nature versus nurture, like sometimes extra of it, oh I had.

Speaker 2:

I've had kids just like get so mad, throw their glove in the dirt, kick their glove and you're like, hey, it's over, you got it out, now it's time to move on to the next play, right, yeah, but that's one of the things like I became a high school coach because my coaches growing up like we're not the best coaches, they never put themselves in my shoes. They didn't think about they're teenagers, right. They're going through emotions, of course. Like just I was taking pre-cal and it was so hard it was taking up all my life.

Speaker 2:

I was having to go to tutoring because I wasn't good at it, so I was like under a lot of stress, and that was before, like selects and club were as demanding as they are, so that's one of the reasons I want to coach before social media, before before live streaming to games.

Speaker 1:

like great point, that's a great point yeah, well, that's why I wanted to coach.

Speaker 2:

I just wanted kids to have fun and enjoy the sport and fall in love with the sport and become good at it, like when you become invested and passionate about something you can pull off some things you didn't know you were capable of. And so that's love with the sport and become good at it. Like when you become invested and passionate about something you can pull off some things you didn't know you were capable of, and so that's probably the sports thing that has come into my entrepreneur life. Like that's why I'm successful is because, like I like to try things, like I want to see if I can do that, and if I can't, I also can take a step back and be like, okay, i'm'm not gonna be a middle blocker, I'm five, six, my vertical is like five inches, like it's. Like you know, sometimes you have to come to terms with things. It's yeah, parents too. Again, your kid's five, six, she's not gonna be a middle blocker yeah, tell us okay.

Speaker 1:

So this is a question that I used to ask on the podcast and I feel like I need to bring it back. But I know that you're going to have a great answer for this and it will require you to be a little bit vulnerable, but I know you're going to have a great answer. Where is somewhere that you've made a mistake or you have, like, a really great um, you know, like in softball, we we say like, okay, I struck out bottom of the seventh tie game, we lost the state championship. Like some of those greatest, um, darkest moments where we feel like we failed end up becoming our biggest blessings. I don't know if that's Shark Tank for you, but like, has there ever been a time where you royally failed or flopped and like, obviously you are where you are today? Like we know how the story ends? But like, has there ever been a time where you royally failed or flopped and like, obviously you are where you are today? Like we know how the story ends. But do you have a story like that?

Speaker 2:

Well with Shark Tank. Okay, so my manufacturing I tried so hard to get manufacturing done in the U S. It was just so important to me and I had all these manufacturers that could tell. They would tell me, hey, I can deliver that, I can do that, and then they would push me to the back burner and they would miss their PO delivery dates. It's, in me, poor quality Cause they were rushing it, cause I was going to be on good morning America, and it was just like those moments were really hard for me because I trusted these people to come through with what they said they could do.

Speaker 2:

And when I aired on Shark Tank, I still didn't have my manufacturing under control and I really felt like I was letting people down by not having inventory in stock when I aired, like not having everything. And so that's where I fell back on my Shark Tank group, where they were like that's where you're gonna make it say pre-order or back order for what you don't have. Of tank group, where they were were like that's where you're going to make it say pre-order or back order for what you don't have. That way You're still capturing the orders and then you ship it when you get it and and just keep them updated.

Speaker 2:

You have to stay transparent with something like that, because people want to be in the know, they don't want to feel like they're being scammed and, um, they also understand. People can be understanding, show empathy and grace, right. So? And also, they said your product isn't something that people rely on to continue breathing every day Right, it's not some kind of medical device that they need and it's going to be okay. And so those perspectives really helped me, I mean, to opening up to my friends and my family and talking to them about it, cause I can't imagine if there was a time where I was holding in all of that and there are times where I finally just like, sit there and I, I cry, and I'm not a crier but, sometimes it's you, just that's what it takes.

Speaker 2:

You need a good cry and you let it go. Um. But I'm glad I talked to my friends and my family to those situations, because it would be like you know who was it. It was the Red Sox way back in the day where they lost the World Series, where that first baseman missed that, that ground ball right.

Speaker 1:

But I'm pretty, wasn't that Bill Buckner? Yes, bill Buckner, sorry. Yeah, he also had that self-talk and said imagine losing the world series with a easy grounder going through your legs and he forecasted that through his self-talk. So it's like your self-talk and you know, like your bracelets for Shark Tank of like you're using visualization and self-talk, like you're putting that in your periphery, your front vision of like I'm going to make this happen. Oh, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

But that's it right there. Like how do you overcome something like that? And you really have to. You can't keep those emotions bottled up, like you have to find somebody to talk, talk it out with, write it down, get it out and then kind of also look back Like why did that happen? What can I do to avoid that and prevent it from happening again? Because if you're not reflecting on the issue also, then it's not going to get better.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, oh, so good, yeah, thanks. So is there anything else, any other story or anything you want to add? And then we can close with the question that I ask all podcast guests but what, what other messages do you want to send out there into the world?

Speaker 2:

Oh, I don't know, if we're talking sports, it's really like you have to know what you're putting your energy in and know that if that's your goal, you're going to have to do the work, like you have to put in the work and you've got to stick with it. And if you're committed to it, you're going to it's going to come to fruition for sure, and that's just. I feel like that's the same thing with everything is setting goals. You know, one time in college our goal was when I was playing college volleyball. It was like hey, we got to whip this team in three sets as fast as we can, cause we got a Halloween party to get to and I served 20 points. I served like 20 points. It was crazy, but we were like out of. It was the fastest match ever. We were out of there so quick.

Speaker 2:

But it's like even little things like that. Like hey, we talked about it, our whole team. We were like, yeah, let's do this. What a weird goal, right. But we ended up. After we left that match, we ended up being second in the conference too with that win. So it was like it's like little things like that, and you're right about speaking it out in the universe and like self-talk, what are you capable of? But yeah, setting goals and then keeping your eye on the prize and continuing to work towards them. But you also have to reflect and know if something's not working, change that.

Speaker 1:

I love it. I love it. Okay, you ready for the final question?

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

You are a time traveler. You could go back in time at any point in your life. What message are you sending to your past self?

Speaker 2:

Oh, oh, okay, that's hard. I think about all the stages I've been in too. Um, oh man, that is so hard. Why didn't you give me this as like? Here's your homework.

Speaker 1:

It hits deep. It hits deep, for sure, it does.

Speaker 2:

Um mean, really, I do believe that God's got a plan, and sometimes it's hard to understand that that plan is better than your plan and it like I said earlier it stinks sometimes it takes a while to get out of whatever has happened to you and time.

Speaker 2:

I do think that time heals all and that the right door is going to open. So that's something I would say to myself is like it's it's God's plan. Yours may not be, it might not be the exact plan, but somewhere, like if you're passionate about something and you stick with it, like I said, and you put forth the work and the effort, it comes to fruition. And also you know you don't have, if you have a job, if you're young and you have a job, you don't have to stay in that job forever. Like if an opportunity presents itself and you're like, hey, I'd rather do that.

Speaker 2:

You can do multiple things in your life. You don't have to stick, stay on one path either. So, cause, that's kind of a teaching thing. Like you feel like, oh man, I've been teaching for 10 years, I've got this retirement plan, I've got insurance. I'm scared to take a leap Right. I got that call from Shark Tank and I was like goodbye everyone, goodbye. Like if Shark Tank has some kind of faith in me, that's the sign. That's when I took the leap. So I mean, really it's God's plan. And then also, you don't have to stay on in one box like your whole life. You can do all kinds of things if you want to.

Speaker 2:

If you put forth the work and the effort, it can be achieved for sure.

Speaker 1:

Mic drop. Yes, so much. Thank you for your time. I know you're busy and it's been so fun to stay connected with you and cheer you on, and you know I will always be the first one to comment on your Instagram posts and thank you. Yes, keep entering the giveaways, please We'll. We'll post everything in the show notes for everybody. I am so honored to help share your story and help share your small business and just so many amazing little nuggets that you dropped for us today. So thank you so much.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely Well, thank you. Thanks for having me.

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Amanda Schaefer

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