Your Name: Kristin Forselius
Business Name: Oopsie Loopsie, a maker of waistband extenders for pants
Type of Business: Clothing & Accessories
Business Location: Guilford, Connecticut, United States
Website www.oopsieloopsie.com
Twitter @oopsieloopsie
Facebook www.facebook.com/oopsie loopsie
Pinterest oopsie loopsie
Reason for starting
My sister-in-law, Anna Forselius, and I started Oopsie Loopsie because like other new moms we were struggling with our weight in our post-pregnancy days. We were so ready to get out of black yoga pants and into our regular jeans, but those last few pounds are really challenging to lose. So we invented the easiest and most cost-effective way to achieve our goal faster: the Oopsie Loopsie waistband extender.
Biggest Success
Our biggest success has been the rave reviews we receive from other women who love the product. It’s wonderful to know that you have made their lives a bit easier by creating something so simple to use and affordable. Of course, getting the patent and trademark on Oopsie Loopsie, felt pretty amazing as well! It was quite a personal expense and fight to win them both.
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it?
The retail market is extremely competitive, even for a unique product, such as the Oopsie Loopsie. Many stores don’t want the added work of forming a relationship with a new brand, particularly with a product such as Oopsie Loopsie because it is a point-of-sale, low cost item. They think it’s too much paperwork to do business with just a single item company. We have addressed this by beginning conversations with independent sales reps and by building up our brand identity through social media. If we continue to gain popularity and demand with the masses, the stores won’t have any choice but to carry us.
Who is your most important role model?
Oprah. We love her story. She started with nothing and had everything against her, yet she worked hard and was committed to achieve succcess. Today, she is queen of pop culture, but has never lost her compassion or understanding for the lower and middle classes. She connects on a personal level to the masses through her ability to be empathetic, rather than sympathetic. She models intelligence and grace, rather than artificial beauty.