Ashburn mom of three Krista Woods was tired of her children’s smelly sports equipment. In less than a year, Woods developed and started manufacturing GloveStix, a portable odor-management solution that helps prevent odor-causing bacteria growth, reduces odor and absorbs moisture in athletic gloves, shoes, boots and skates. GloveStix work as an antimicrobial agent and an alternative to harsh sprays and dryer sheets.
After being selected from hundreds of entries, Woods was voted as the overall winner of TODAY’s Next Big Thing, enabling her to appear and sell her product on QVC.
“What an amazing experience to be on both TODAY and QVC in only three days! It’s a life-changing experience, and I’m so grateful that TODAY’s Next Big Thing gave a boost to ‘mompreneurs’ like myself,” Woods says. “I will now be able to take my mission to stop stink to a whole new level.”
We sat down with Woods to ask her some questions and find out more about her journey.
As a new inventor and entrepreneur, what has been your most surprising experience?
I’d say the support from friends and family has been amazing. I went into this with really no experience at all—except major stink experience—and had so many questions about manufacturing, patents, distribution, packaging, e-commerce, etc. You name it, I had to learn it. I relied on my relationships with incredible people to answer my questions.
Tell us about the feedback you’ve received about GloveStix.
We have a whole book of “stinktimonials.” I personally make a habit of trying to email every customer and ask for feedback. It’s overwhelmingly positive and filled with words like miracle, awesome, incredible and magic.
In the beginning they were sending us comments saying “Hey, I tried them in my son’s soccer cleats, and they work like magic. Now I can keep them in the house!” or “You know these work so awesome in volleyball kneepads. My daughter puts them in hers right after her game, and she can now ride in the same car with me!”
It might be hard to email them all personally now, but having a relationship with my customers is really is one of the things I like to do most.
Where can consumers buy GloveStix?
We have 20 retailers across the U.S., but locally you can find them at Reston Skate Quest, Sterling Soccer, Play it Again Sports in Leesburg and Evergreen Sportsplex. We have had several vendors reach out to us recently, so I am certain we will be adding more to that list soon. And of course you can find them on QVC and at Glovestix.com.
What is an average workday like for you?
Ha! I pretty much work day and night. It’s a labor of love, but it’s a lot. I normally start answering emails around 7 a.m. while helping get the kids off to school,. Then once they are off I could do anything from filling orders to conference calls with our manufacturer, packaging meetings, scheduling events, accounting and trade shows. Overall it’s a mixed bag and can be different every day.
Do you have any plans to make any related products in the near future?
We have several ideas in the works to expand on Glovestix. I’m hoping our success with QVC and TODAY will help us get to a place where we can start to move forward with those ideas.
What do you do on a daily basis to grow as an entrepreneur?
Ask questions. I’m not afraid to ask questions. There is some vulnerability in that, but I think people respect it. I know what I know and what I don’t, which is a lot. I would also say building real relationships. I am who I am, and most people like that.
What advice do you have for other moms with a new product idea?
It’s not the idea—there are lots of those. It’s the willingness to jump in and do the work. It’s pretty scary sometimes, but lean on your friends and ask questions. At some point you will have to jump in financially, but do all the legwork you can first.
How do you enjoy spending your free time when you are not working on GloveStix?
My youngest son, Jackson, 15, plays junior varsity lacrosse at Briar Woods High School. I love watching him play. It’s one of my favorite things to do, and no matter what growing list of things to do I have, I never miss it. We also belong to Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, which is a really good place to get reset. I try to exercise and stay fit as best as possible, but my husband and I also love a good meal, a good beer and good friends. Sometimes that gets in the way, but it’s a good balance of fun and discipline.
Courtesy of Tiffany Brown, Mamaratzy Photography Micaela Williamson is a co-author of local travel guide Kid Trips Northern Virginia, an extraordinary resource that provides descriptions, useful information and insider tips for hundreds of local destinations. Micaela is also an award-winning blogger who enjoys supporting area businesses and scouting out family-friendly venues with her two young sons.