.jpg)
Has there been a time in your life when you needed a kick in the pants, something to get you moving toward your dreams? Or maybe you've noticed the perfect inspirational message at the exact time you needed it. Me too.
My little "kick in the pants" came from an Oprah show in when the “QVC/Oprah’s Search for the Next Big Idea” event was announced. This show triggered something in me because I had a product invention idea in mind but I needed a nudge -- something to help me make the leap from "why me?" to "why not me?"
Being vertically challenged, and okay maybe a few pounds over my desired weight, I love to wear long pants with high heel shoes for a long slimming silhouette look – ahh don’t we all. But when I wore my favorite open-back heels with my long pants I experienced what I affectionately started calling the “Heel Wedgie!” This is when the fabric of your pants gets bunched up between your heel and shoe. Don’t you just hate that? Yikes ~ it's not only frustrating, it’s distracting. As a mom of two wonderful boys, I understand that women’s time is a valuable. We don’t have time to muss and fuss over all these little wardrobe malfunctions that stand in our way of getting the important things in our day done - we just want to basically fix it and forget it, like a crock pot recipe.
Inspired by the Search for the Next Big Idea show, and wanting to help other women feel more confident, I quickly filled out the registration form and sent it off before I had time to change my mind. The next thing I knew we were on our way to the show in Los Angeles! I’d love to say I was one of the eight winners chosen but I wasn’t and that was okay because I learned so much and realized that was only one small part of this journey but it was the one I needed to get me going. As Walter Elliot once said “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.”
Since then my life has been a wonderful little whirlwind of rave reviews, patent attorneys, graphic designers, manufacturing companies, wholesale suppliers, web designers and one fabulous marketing consultant, Cindy Aggson, who has become a dear friend and partner in this adventure. We were even selected as a Top 10 Finalist in a National Great Idea search by Inc. and Fast Company Magazines. With a grateful heart we've learned it is never too late to pursue your dreams and create something amazing. Kix By Katie represents our core values Spirit, Support and Success:
SPIRIT helps us stay focused on doing work that reflects our spiritual goals. It also illustrates how valuable it is to care of the mind, body and spirit.
SUPPORT represents our goal to support women through the “fix it and forget it” fashion motto. We believe that allowing women to fix fashion issues quickly lets them feel more confident so they can focus their attention on more important things. Support also stands for the role we play in our families and communities. We believe in giving back to our communities and portion of proceeds from the sale of Kix By Katie is donated to a charity supporting Random Acts of Kindness.
SUCCESS stands for our goal to always do our best, Lord Chesterfield said it all in legendary words “Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.”
My hope is that in some small way our story might inspire other women inventors, writers, artists and entrepreneurs, and give them the gentle kick in the pants they need to get them moving toward their dreams.