E-commerce Entrepreneurship: Navigating the Challenges and Triumphs of Product Innovation

Lisa Lane is the innovative mind behind Rinseroo, an e-comm shower darling to solve the pain point of washing big dogs in the shower. She joins Reid and Liz to discuss the intricacies of bringing a new product to market, including the importance of building and maintaining brand identity and the need for brand protection in the ever-evolving landscape of e-commerce.

Her perspective offers practical advice for entrepreneurs seeking to establish and safeguard their brands in online marketplaces. She underscores the immense potential of platforms like Amazon and TikTok Shop for reaching new customers and driving sales and also delves into the challenges faced during product manufacturing. Tune in for her insight into bringing an idea to life in the marketplace.

Key takeaways:

The significance of understanding the market, manufacturing, distribution, and advertising aspects of product development when bringing a new product to market. the significance of having a viable product that is different from what's already out there, determining the market size and potential customer appeal, understanding profit margins, and making the right decisions about manufacturing and distribution.
The power of ecommerce platforms and technology, particularly Amazon and TikTok, in reaching a wide audience and scaling a business, which have enabled small businesses to thrive in the ecommerce landscape.
The importance of building a strong brand identity and obtaining trademarks to protect products from knockoffs, particularly in the ecommerce space, and the role of GS1 barcodes in ensuring legitimacy and brand protection.

Connect with GS1 US:

Our website - www.gs1us.org

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Connect with the guest:

Follow Lisa Lane on LinkedIn

Check out Rinseroo

[00:00.000 --> 00:03.240] Number one, is it different than what's already out there? [00:03.240 --> 00:04.680] Don't copy what's out there. [00:04.680 --> 00:06.520] Create a better mousetrap. [00:06.520 --> 00:08.880] Even if it's a slightly better mousetrap, [00:08.880 --> 00:10.080] the odds are pretty good [00:10.080 --> 00:11.340] that you're gonna be able to sell it. [00:11.340 --> 00:13.500] Number two, especially if you're going online, [00:13.500 --> 00:14.960] is a demonstrable. [00:14.960 --> 00:18.920] Can you videotape this thing and show people how it works? [00:18.920 --> 00:21.220] That's a key to success on Amazon. [00:21.220 --> 00:22.280] Bring it to life. [00:22.280 --> 00:23.640] What is the price point? [00:23.640 --> 00:25.880] Does it make sense if you manufacture it [00:25.880 --> 00:28.500] that people are gonna be willing to pay that price [00:28.500 --> 00:29.680] to actually purchase it? [00:29.680 --> 00:32.400] If it costs $100 to make a cup or something, [00:32.400 --> 00:33.440] people aren't gonna buy that. [00:33.440 --> 00:37.100] Just the key to those few elements that, in my mind, [00:37.100 --> 00:38.920] I'm like, you check those boxes? [00:38.920 --> 00:41.280] That could be a good start, I would say. [00:41.280 --> 00:43.720] Hello and welcome to The Next Level Supply Chain [00:43.720 --> 00:47.040] with GS1 US, a podcast in which we explore [00:47.040 --> 00:49.720] the mind-bending world of global supply chains, [00:49.720 --> 00:52.760] covering topics such as automation, innovation, [00:52.760 --> 00:55.020] unique identity, and more. [00:55.020 --> 00:56.560] I'm your co-host, Reed. [00:56.560 --> 00:57.560] And I'm Liz. [00:57.560 --> 00:58.800] And welcome to the show. [01:00.520 --> 01:01.400] Hello, everyone. [01:01.400 --> 01:04.020] Today's guest is Lisa Lane. [01:04.020 --> 01:07.500] If you've ever had an idea that you wanted to bring to market [01:07.500 --> 01:10.600] or a product that you wanted to create and then sell, [01:10.600 --> 01:14.240] well, Lisa had that same idea, but she made it happen. [01:14.240 --> 01:18.240] And today she shares everything she learned along the way [01:18.240 --> 01:22.380] with creating her company and product, Rinsaru. [01:22.380 --> 01:26.600] And she shares with us today the ups and downs, [01:26.600 --> 01:30.720] ins and outs, do's and don'ts of entrepreneurship, [01:30.720 --> 01:34.280] creating a product and a brand, protecting it, [01:34.280 --> 01:37.040] scaling it, and driving sales. [01:37.040 --> 01:39.520] I really think you're gonna enjoy this conversation. [01:39.520 --> 01:40.760] So let's jump right in. [01:41.640 --> 01:43.680] Hey, Lisa, welcome to the show. [01:43.680 --> 01:45.980] Hi, Liz, thanks for having me. [01:45.980 --> 01:46.820] Absolutely. [01:46.820 --> 01:48.280] Reed and I are really looking forward [01:48.280 --> 01:51.720] to the conversation today, just before and as we get started. [01:51.720 --> 01:53.760] Tell us a little bit about yourself [01:53.760 --> 01:56.320] and a little bit of background on Rinsaru. [01:56.360 --> 01:58.920] It's interesting because I have turned into [01:58.920 --> 02:01.420] what I refer to as like a serial inventor, [02:01.420 --> 02:04.040] but my background is in pharmaceutical sales. [02:04.040 --> 02:08.980] I honestly had no intentions at all of becoming an inventor. [02:08.980 --> 02:12.680] It was sort of an aha moment that I had in my shower. [02:12.680 --> 02:14.000] And I thought, you know what? [02:14.000 --> 02:16.200] This is kind of a great idea. [02:16.200 --> 02:18.480] I thought of a new way to rinse my shower. [02:18.480 --> 02:21.160] And I thought I could also use this to be dogs. [02:21.160 --> 02:22.000] And I thought, you know what? [02:22.000 --> 02:23.360] I might be onto something here. [02:23.360 --> 02:24.680] And the more I researched it, [02:24.680 --> 02:28.040] the more I realized this could really be mass market. [02:28.040 --> 02:32.240] Like anyone with a shower or a dog could potentially use this. [02:32.240 --> 02:36.280] So I worked part time at night developing my idea. [02:36.280 --> 02:38.320] And the more I researched, the more I realized, [02:38.320 --> 02:40.200] you know, you really have something viable here. [02:40.200 --> 02:41.680] And when I got to that point, [02:41.680 --> 02:43.200] I thought I'm going to go for it [02:43.200 --> 02:46.360] and just try to sell some of these things and create it. [02:46.360 --> 02:49.660] But I had no idea how to create anything [02:49.660 --> 02:51.440] or manufacture anything. [02:51.440 --> 02:52.880] It was like a shot in the dark, [02:52.880 --> 02:54.280] the beauty of the internet now. [02:54.800 --> 02:57.160] And books that are out there, you can learn to do this. [02:57.160 --> 02:59.880] If you have that aha moment, you can figure it out. [02:59.880 --> 03:00.720] And that's what I did. [03:00.720 --> 03:03.080] I read, I researched, figured it out. [03:03.080 --> 03:04.760] And that's when the Rensselaer was born [03:04.760 --> 03:06.200] right there in my shower. [03:06.200 --> 03:07.280] That's amazing. [03:07.280 --> 03:09.040] We hear stories about this all the time. [03:09.040 --> 03:10.880] I'm from friends and family and stuff, [03:10.880 --> 03:13.280] but there's a lot more with having a great idea. [03:13.280 --> 03:15.840] And there's a lot more between the idea [03:15.840 --> 03:17.860] and then bringing it to market. [03:17.860 --> 03:20.360] So maybe if we could slow down, [03:20.360 --> 03:23.240] bring it back to like just some of the steps, [03:23.240 --> 03:26.640] the process of bringing a net new product to market. [03:26.640 --> 03:29.720] I mean, you mentioned that you were in pharma sales before. [03:29.720 --> 03:32.480] Now you're a serial inventor, which is awesome. [03:32.480 --> 03:34.240] It's a new life, it's a new career, [03:34.240 --> 03:36.600] it's a new muscle that you're leaning into, [03:36.600 --> 03:40.500] but there's manufacturing, there's distribution, [03:40.500 --> 03:44.080] there's advertising, there's a lot to unpack here. [03:44.080 --> 03:46.920] So maybe take us through some of those steps. [03:46.920 --> 03:49.920] I think the key to me was really just, [03:49.920 --> 03:51.440] there was one book in particular. [03:51.440 --> 03:54.400] It was called the Mom Inventors Handbook, [03:54.400 --> 03:57.820] how to turn your idea into the next big thing. [03:57.820 --> 03:59.720] And I'm like, that was me, I was a mom? [03:59.720 --> 04:01.280] I'm like, I relate to the title. [04:01.280 --> 04:02.960] Let me find out what this is all about. [04:02.960 --> 04:05.000] That book alone, honestly, [04:05.000 --> 04:07.200] gave me everything I needed to know. [04:07.200 --> 04:09.920] It showed me how to connect to a manufacturer. [04:09.920 --> 04:11.800] It told me how to figure out, [04:11.800 --> 04:14.800] hey, you have potential here, but are you sure? [04:14.800 --> 04:18.060] How do you really know if this product will appeal to [04:18.060 --> 04:18.900] and not people? [04:18.940 --> 04:20.780] For example, let's say you have an idea [04:20.780 --> 04:23.060] for like a horse product, right? [04:23.060 --> 04:24.500] How big is that market? [04:24.500 --> 04:26.780] How many people even own horses? [04:26.780 --> 04:27.980] Is it worth pursuing? [04:27.980 --> 04:30.340] So it made you think of those type of things. [04:30.340 --> 04:32.760] And then once I got going, like I said, [04:32.760 --> 04:34.820] I kind of said, I really have something here. [04:34.820 --> 04:36.920] It showed how to find an engineer [04:36.920 --> 04:39.300] to make your idea come to life. [04:39.300 --> 04:41.740] How to figure out the profit margin, [04:41.740 --> 04:44.300] like what could you potentially sell this for [04:44.300 --> 04:47.400] versus what might it actually cost? [04:47.400 --> 04:49.480] Should you manufacture in the US? [04:49.480 --> 04:51.440] Should you consider going overseas? [04:51.440 --> 04:52.280] What makes sense? [04:52.280 --> 04:55.040] It made me think of every detail. [04:55.040 --> 04:56.480] And when I finished that book, [04:56.480 --> 04:58.440] I knew that I was ready to go. [04:58.440 --> 05:00.640] It checked all the boxes, my idea. [05:00.640 --> 05:02.680] And I'm like, I think I'm onto something. [05:02.680 --> 05:06.140] And just a resource like that, I think is all it takes. [05:06.140 --> 05:07.280] There's companies out there, [05:07.280 --> 05:08.900] they're invention help companies. [05:08.900 --> 05:10.560] Have you seen George Foreman? [05:10.560 --> 05:13.800] The InvenHelp people, they will rob you blind. [05:13.800 --> 05:16.080] They will take thousands of dollars [05:16.080 --> 05:18.640] and make promises that are not true. [05:18.640 --> 05:22.880] Buy a book for 20 bucks, dig in and you can figure it out. [05:22.880 --> 05:25.280] Wow, it's a great recommendation. [05:25.280 --> 05:27.160] I mean, it's something that has gotten you [05:27.160 --> 05:28.960] to where you are today. [05:28.960 --> 05:30.340] Was there anything in the book, [05:30.340 --> 05:32.240] you mentioned a lot of things, [05:32.240 --> 05:33.840] profit margins, other things, [05:33.840 --> 05:35.500] but were there one or two things [05:35.500 --> 05:36.840] where as you're reading the book, [05:36.840 --> 05:38.600] oh my gosh, like I never thought of that. [05:38.600 --> 05:40.600] I'm so glad that I'm reading this book. [05:40.600 --> 05:41.760] Were there a couple of those [05:41.760 --> 05:43.800] that you just didn't anticipate? [05:43.800 --> 05:45.680] I think what resonated the most with me, [05:45.680 --> 05:48.840] I would say is the checklist for a viable product. [05:48.840 --> 05:50.520] Okay, there's a few things. [05:50.520 --> 05:53.800] You think of those like as seen on TV commercials, [05:53.800 --> 05:56.140] there's a few things, but it should be this price point. [05:56.140 --> 05:58.280] It should say this, it should say that [05:58.280 --> 05:59.400] there were several things. [05:59.400 --> 06:02.620] Number one, is it different than what's already out there? [06:02.620 --> 06:04.680] You don't wanna copy what's out there, right? [06:04.680 --> 06:07.840] There's a lot of products on Amazon, for example. [06:07.840 --> 06:09.320] Don't copy what's out there. [06:09.320 --> 06:11.160] Create a better mousetrap. [06:11.160 --> 06:13.520] Even if it's a slightly better mousetrap, [06:13.520 --> 06:14.720] the odds are pretty good [06:14.720 --> 06:15.960] that you're gonna be able to sell it. [06:15.960 --> 06:16.800] Number one. [06:16.800 --> 06:18.680] Number two, especially if you're going online, [06:18.680 --> 06:20.140] is it demonstrable? [06:20.140 --> 06:24.120] Can you videotape this thing and show people how it works? [06:24.120 --> 06:26.400] That's a key to success on Amazon. [06:26.400 --> 06:27.840] Bring it to life. [06:27.840 --> 06:29.200] What is the price point? [06:29.200 --> 06:31.440] Does it make sense if you manufacture it [06:31.440 --> 06:34.080] that people are gonna be willing to pay that price [06:34.080 --> 06:35.240] to actually purchase it? [06:35.240 --> 06:37.960] If it costs $100 to make a cup or something, [06:37.960 --> 06:39.000] people aren't gonna buy that. [06:39.000 --> 06:42.680] Just the key to those few elements that in my mind, [06:42.680 --> 06:44.480] I'm like, you check those boxes, [06:44.560 --> 06:46.640] that could be a good start, I would say. [06:46.640 --> 06:49.040] You mentioned Amazon, [06:49.040 --> 06:52.680] and I know when we had spoken a few weeks ago, [06:52.680 --> 06:54.520] one of the things that you talked about [06:54.520 --> 06:58.080] was the importance of building your brand identity [06:58.080 --> 07:02.400] to make you unique and uniquely you to your products. [07:02.400 --> 07:04.360] Tell us a little bit about [07:04.360 --> 07:07.160] how you created your brand identity [07:07.160 --> 07:08.760] and how you maintain it, [07:08.760 --> 07:11.240] because there's a lot of products out there, right? [07:11.240 --> 07:13.960] So how do you make sure that that's front of mind? [07:13.960 --> 07:18.360] I think brand number one is the key to success on Amazon. [07:18.360 --> 07:21.720] In order to have brand protection, for example, [07:21.720 --> 07:24.440] to have access to that department of Amazon, [07:24.440 --> 07:26.240] you have to have a trademark. [07:26.240 --> 07:27.320] All you need is a trademark. [07:27.320 --> 07:28.800] You can hire an attorney to do it. [07:28.800 --> 07:31.960] You can even do your own trademark application [07:31.960 --> 07:33.360] for a couple hundred dollars. [07:33.360 --> 07:34.760] Once you have that trademark, [07:34.760 --> 07:36.520] it will take approximately six months [07:36.520 --> 07:38.640] to get it approved through the system. [07:38.640 --> 07:40.120] Then you go to Amazon and you say, [07:40.120 --> 07:42.440] hey, I'm a brand, here's my trademark, [07:42.440 --> 07:45.160] and then you register and you immediately become a brand. [07:45.160 --> 07:47.000] Like I said, it gives you the ability [07:47.000 --> 07:49.600] to use that part of Amazon [07:49.600 --> 07:53.120] that will help protect the product once you go live. [07:53.120 --> 07:55.080] And I have used the heck out of that [07:55.080 --> 07:57.840] because when you have a successful product, [07:57.840 --> 08:00.920] within months, you will have knockoffs, [08:00.920 --> 08:02.240] unfortunately, on Amazon. [08:02.240 --> 08:04.320] Everybody wants to get on the bandwagon, [08:04.320 --> 08:07.400] and then it becomes a race to the bottom. [08:07.400 --> 08:09.080] If you don't protect your brand, [08:09.080 --> 08:10.440] they're gonna undercut your price. [08:10.440 --> 08:12.120] They're gonna sell the exact same thing. [08:12.120 --> 08:13.680] What burned me up was that [08:13.680 --> 08:16.440] they actually use my exact images. [08:16.440 --> 08:18.520] I had pictures of me in my shower [08:18.520 --> 08:20.200] with my product with my dog. [08:20.200 --> 08:22.600] They stole my images of me [08:22.600 --> 08:24.000] and put it on their own product [08:24.000 --> 08:25.480] and were saying, that's their product. [08:25.480 --> 08:27.000] And I was so mad. [08:27.000 --> 08:29.040] So the brand protection did help. [08:29.040 --> 08:30.000] The other thing I did [08:30.000 --> 08:32.440] is I hired a company called Redpoints. [08:32.440 --> 08:36.040] And what they'll do is they'll scour the internet for me. [08:36.040 --> 08:38.120] It really became a full-time job [08:38.120 --> 08:39.560] taking down all the knockoffs. [08:39.560 --> 08:41.920] I couldn't do anything else but take down knockoffs. [08:41.920 --> 08:43.080] It was terrible. [08:43.080 --> 08:45.200] But Redpoints was very helpful. [08:45.200 --> 08:47.720] I gave them all of my trademark information, [08:47.720 --> 08:49.720] my patent information, [08:49.720 --> 08:52.720] and then they have people that will scour. [08:52.720 --> 08:56.360] There's some kind of bot that will go through internationally [08:56.360 --> 08:58.720] and take down fakes on my behalf. [08:58.720 --> 09:00.320] And I pay monthly to do that, [09:00.320 --> 09:02.200] but it has been invaluable. [09:02.200 --> 09:05.960] The ability to maintain my brand integrity [09:05.960 --> 09:08.560] by using them and by having my trademark [09:08.560 --> 09:09.880] is the key to success. [09:09.880 --> 09:12.080] Otherwise, it's a waste to the bottom [09:12.080 --> 09:14.440] and then you fall to the competitors. [09:14.440 --> 09:17.040] Are there other challenges that you've come across [09:17.040 --> 09:18.320] being a small company, [09:18.320 --> 09:20.560] starting out with this idea, then growing? [09:20.560 --> 09:22.040] I mean, we've also heard of, [09:22.040 --> 09:25.160] we went from zero to $10 million in sales [09:25.160 --> 09:27.360] because of Amazon or because of Walmart [09:27.360 --> 09:29.680] or because of Shopify or because of these other things. [09:29.680 --> 09:31.720] And like you said, you just mentioned Redpoints [09:31.720 --> 09:33.640] and talking about trademarks, [09:33.640 --> 09:36.800] but are there any other challenges you've come across [09:36.800 --> 09:39.840] and that you're preparing for in the future? [09:39.840 --> 09:42.400] I think initially, starting out, [09:42.400 --> 09:44.520] the key is to get a great manufacturer [09:44.520 --> 09:45.880] and that's a little bit difficult, [09:45.880 --> 09:49.760] especially if you're going to China or overseas, [09:49.760 --> 09:53.600] you really don't have that great relationship initially. [09:53.600 --> 09:55.280] So it's kind of a shot in the dark. [09:55.280 --> 09:59.200] I would say it's important to find a reputable manufacturer [09:59.200 --> 10:02.760] and just by word of mouth, you can find one. [10:02.760 --> 10:05.880] I had a manufacturer in the beginning, they were okay, [10:05.880 --> 10:08.600] but the first batch of Rinseroos I got, [10:08.640 --> 10:10.800] I ordered 10,000, I was very optimistic. [10:10.800 --> 10:12.960] I'm like, I'm going to sell a heck of a lot of these. [10:12.960 --> 10:16.040] I got them and all the hoses that I thought, [10:16.040 --> 10:19.120] I ordered were not the hoses that I got. [10:19.120 --> 10:20.760] 10,000 hoses? [10:20.760 --> 10:22.240] They were all in boxes. [10:22.240 --> 10:25.080] Imagine my connector, the hoses. [10:25.080 --> 10:27.880] I personally, and I'm like, I need new hoses. [10:27.880 --> 10:28.960] I can't sell them like this. [10:28.960 --> 10:30.680] There'll be nothing to sell. [10:30.680 --> 10:31.840] I got new hoses. [10:31.840 --> 10:35.360] I had to physically, myself, I recruited my family members. [10:35.360 --> 10:38.640] We'd have pizza parties, unloading boxes [10:38.640 --> 10:41.360] and reattaching hoses that should have been in there [10:41.360 --> 10:42.320] in the first place. [10:42.320 --> 10:45.120] Very time consuming, but in the end worthwhile [10:45.120 --> 10:47.560] because I spent a lot of time bringing this to market. [10:47.560 --> 10:48.680] I wasn't going to fail. [10:48.680 --> 10:51.720] And I think it's important to get that great manufacturer, [10:51.720 --> 10:56.280] get a golden sample before you set off and order a bunch. [10:56.280 --> 10:58.600] You can get golden samples, ask for one. [10:58.600 --> 11:00.600] And when you have that golden sample, [11:00.600 --> 11:02.920] you know that's exactly what to expect. [11:02.920 --> 11:04.680] I didn't ask for a golden sample [11:04.680 --> 11:06.360] and my sample that I actually got [11:06.360 --> 11:08.480] was what's significantly less than gold. [11:08.480 --> 11:09.840] It was a silver sample. [11:10.800 --> 11:13.520] Is that like a known terminology in the industry? [11:13.520 --> 11:17.160] Like ask for, I need a golden sample or I need a sample. [11:17.160 --> 11:19.880] I mean, samples come and go, you can approve things [11:19.880 --> 11:23.920] but the golden sample, it's like the golden egg, right? [11:23.920 --> 11:25.960] The golden sample is what you have [11:25.960 --> 11:29.280] and then they should have a sample of the exact item. [11:29.280 --> 11:31.720] You have a sample and I'm not saying the manufacturer [11:31.720 --> 11:33.760] was intentionally doing that. [11:33.760 --> 11:35.840] It was just maybe a little miscommunication. [11:35.840 --> 11:38.000] Do the golden sample, you have your golden sample, [11:38.000 --> 11:39.880] you send it back to them, I approve this, [11:39.880 --> 11:43.040] this is the golden sample and then there's no question. [11:43.040 --> 11:46.520] That's a hard lesson, but super important. [11:46.520 --> 11:50.480] Yeah, but you know what, that happens a lot to people. [11:50.480 --> 11:52.080] Well, and if you don't know, [11:52.080 --> 11:55.320] you just buy what you think is the right thing, [11:55.320 --> 11:58.960] 10,000 of them come and they're the wrong thing. [11:58.960 --> 12:02.440] Where did you keep the 10,000 in your garage? [12:02.440 --> 12:05.160] Yeah, well, that's the thing, you start small, right? [12:05.160 --> 12:07.680] I didn't know, I don't wanna pay for storage [12:07.680 --> 12:09.640] or I had a great garage down there, [12:09.640 --> 12:11.040] parked my cars in the driveway, [12:11.040 --> 12:13.000] made room for my Rinseroos. [12:13.000 --> 12:15.560] And yes, literally, you know how so many companies [12:15.560 --> 12:16.560] start in the garage? [12:16.560 --> 12:18.400] It happens a heck of a lot of time [12:18.400 --> 12:20.280] and it's a convenient way. [12:20.280 --> 12:22.600] Are you still working out of the garage today [12:22.600 --> 12:24.240] or are you using a warehouse? [12:24.240 --> 12:27.560] I did three years of the garage [12:27.560 --> 12:28.960] and then it got to the point [12:28.960 --> 12:32.560] where we were unloading huge containers. [12:32.560 --> 12:34.560] Like I started with a little container, [12:34.560 --> 12:37.200] then like a 40-foot container was shot. [12:37.200 --> 12:38.600] Thank God I live in a cul-de-sac. [12:38.600 --> 12:40.040] They'd show up and I'd be like, [12:40.040 --> 12:41.760] and my son was working with me. [12:41.760 --> 12:43.800] Thank God he's a young guy with muscle. [12:43.800 --> 12:46.360] We were excited at first, the truck is coming. [12:46.360 --> 12:47.880] We're here coming to the product. [12:47.880 --> 12:49.960] By the end, we're like, oh my God, [12:49.960 --> 12:51.320] are we ready to unload this thing? [12:51.320 --> 12:53.000] We'd have to recruit his friends. [12:53.000 --> 12:55.120] Next thing you know, his friends abandon us. [12:55.120 --> 12:57.360] Like we don't wanna unload one more truck. [12:58.000 --> 13:01.760] So it's the point where we now have a 3PL in Maryland [13:01.760 --> 13:03.960] and they do 90% of our shipping. [13:03.960 --> 13:05.160] I do have some here, [13:05.160 --> 13:07.840] but you get to the point where you're busting at the seams [13:07.840 --> 13:09.040] and it just makes sense. [13:09.040 --> 13:11.080] Now they can unload the trucks. [13:11.080 --> 13:13.680] Yeah, not enough pizza for your son's friends [13:13.680 --> 13:15.640] which incentivize them. [13:17.040 --> 13:18.320] Enough is enough, man. [13:18.320 --> 13:19.160] I'm out. [13:19.160 --> 13:20.680] Oh my God, so far. [13:20.680 --> 13:23.360] Yeah, exactly, that's so funny. [13:23.360 --> 13:26.200] Reed and I obviously have a passion for barcodes [13:26.240 --> 13:28.480] and standardization. [13:28.480 --> 13:31.640] How do the standards come into play from your perspective [13:31.640 --> 13:33.200] in a UPC barcode? [13:33.200 --> 13:35.280] I have to say, it's a little difficult [13:35.280 --> 13:37.520] in the beginning figuring out the barcode thing [13:37.520 --> 13:39.480] because just like I had fake products, [13:39.480 --> 13:40.720] if I'm not mistaken, [13:40.720 --> 13:43.040] there are fake barcodes out there, am I right? [13:43.040 --> 13:44.480] Yes, right? [13:44.480 --> 13:47.040] So I'm like, you can easily fall prey to that [13:47.040 --> 13:49.520] which you don't want to fall prey to that. [13:49.520 --> 13:51.640] If you really wanna build a brand [13:51.640 --> 13:54.840] that you're gonna scale, that's gonna go into retail, [13:54.840 --> 13:56.400] you don't wanna make that mistake. [13:56.400 --> 13:58.200] You need a legit barcode [13:58.200 --> 13:59.800] and thank God I figured out [13:59.800 --> 14:02.960] that I needed a GS1 official barcode. [14:02.960 --> 14:04.400] And it's not a big investment. [14:04.400 --> 14:06.680] I think initially it's like you get 10 barcodes [14:06.680 --> 14:09.560] for what, $100, $200? [14:09.560 --> 14:10.840] It is so worth it [14:10.840 --> 14:14.360] and the people that work at your company are very helpful. [14:14.360 --> 14:17.520] If we have any questions, I know I've reached out, [14:17.520 --> 14:18.920] I've printed barcodes. [14:18.920 --> 14:21.760] There's always someone available to make it happen to help [14:21.760 --> 14:23.080] which I think is key. [14:23.080 --> 14:24.800] I think when you're creating, like I said, [14:25.640 --> 14:27.120] it's a great brand that's gonna scale. [14:27.120 --> 14:29.360] Hopefully when you're starting out, that's the goal, right? [14:29.360 --> 14:30.720] Do everything correctly [14:30.720 --> 14:34.160] and the barcodes are definitely a piece of that pie. [14:34.160 --> 14:35.120] We appreciate that. [14:35.120 --> 14:37.720] And like you said, you're out there doing things. [14:37.720 --> 14:39.000] It's a good manufacturer. [14:39.000 --> 14:40.280] It's not a good manufacturer. [14:40.280 --> 14:41.560] I mean, we've all been there too. [14:41.560 --> 14:42.680] Is this a good lawyer? [14:42.680 --> 14:44.120] Is this a good doctor? [14:44.120 --> 14:47.160] You hit the nail on the head with ask around. [14:47.160 --> 14:48.760] Ask around, get to know. [14:48.760 --> 14:50.960] You gotta get second opinions, third opinions [14:50.960 --> 14:52.080] and working through things. [14:52.080 --> 14:54.360] We all don't know what we don't know [14:54.560 --> 14:55.400] when we're working through this. [14:55.400 --> 14:57.040] We have passion, we have energy, [14:57.040 --> 14:59.280] but there's a lot to learn and there's always nuance [14:59.280 --> 15:01.000] and things are constantly changing. [15:01.000 --> 15:03.200] I mean, how are you selling your product today? [15:03.200 --> 15:06.240] What are the channels that you sell through today? [15:06.240 --> 15:09.920] I would consider myself predominantly e-commerce. [15:09.920 --> 15:13.000] I've had opportunities to go into brick and mortar, [15:13.000 --> 15:15.160] but to me, it's all what the goal is. [15:15.160 --> 15:17.160] Like to me, it's easy to sell online. [15:17.160 --> 15:18.720] My site works for me. [15:18.720 --> 15:20.360] We can just sell the Amazon. [15:20.360 --> 15:23.520] 90% of all of our sales are on Amazon [15:23.600 --> 15:24.720] and I'm focused on that. [15:24.720 --> 15:26.840] I wanna bring new products to market. [15:26.840 --> 15:28.280] And the goal will be Amazon. [15:28.280 --> 15:30.080] I mean, to get into Walmart [15:30.080 --> 15:32.040] is like a whole nother ball of wax. [15:32.040 --> 15:33.200] You need more people. [15:33.200 --> 15:34.400] It's whatever the goal is. [15:34.400 --> 15:35.880] I mean, there's definitely brands out there [15:35.880 --> 15:37.040] where that's the goal, [15:37.040 --> 15:39.400] but I don't really think that's what interests me now. [15:39.400 --> 15:40.680] I just say I'm all e-commerce. [15:40.680 --> 15:44.320] We sell on chewy.com, walmart.com, lowes.com. [15:44.320 --> 15:46.360] And there's a lot of good business [15:46.360 --> 15:48.080] that could be had just selling online [15:48.080 --> 15:49.440] and on your own website. [15:49.440 --> 15:50.320] And it's also important. [15:50.320 --> 15:53.200] I think, you know, talking about what your goals are. [15:53.200 --> 15:54.840] Every company has different goals [15:54.840 --> 15:56.440] and this is what's working for you. [15:56.440 --> 15:57.400] And obviously it's working. [15:57.400 --> 15:59.720] You've been doing it for a bunch of years now. [15:59.720 --> 16:01.840] It's not just a little side hustle thing. [16:01.840 --> 16:04.920] It's work and you have to define your parameters [16:04.920 --> 16:06.520] that you're comfortable with. [16:06.520 --> 16:08.560] What's next for Rinseroo? [16:08.560 --> 16:11.040] Do we have products that are on the horizon [16:11.040 --> 16:13.440] that we wanna share or? [16:13.440 --> 16:16.480] Well, yeah, I've been at this for four, [16:16.480 --> 16:19.280] almost five years and my son works for me. [16:19.280 --> 16:21.080] It's just me and my son at this point. [16:21.080 --> 16:23.760] I wanna build this for my son [16:23.760 --> 16:25.720] and he's learning so much. [16:25.720 --> 16:26.960] He's 25 years old. [16:26.960 --> 16:29.320] He started with me right out of college. [16:29.320 --> 16:31.920] I want him to be able to take it over [16:31.920 --> 16:34.120] and then send me off into the sunset [16:34.120 --> 16:35.720] and maybe pay me a little bit on the side. [16:35.720 --> 16:37.080] That's the goal. [16:37.080 --> 16:38.880] But I'm 58 now. [16:38.880 --> 16:40.920] I plan to work maybe five more years [16:40.920 --> 16:44.320] and I have a goal of adding more to the line. [16:44.320 --> 16:46.960] We'll do about $5 million in sales this year. [16:46.960 --> 16:48.800] Once you come up with one product, [16:48.800 --> 16:50.920] you're always thinking of something else you could do. [16:51.000 --> 16:52.760] Once you figure out how to do it, [16:52.760 --> 16:54.800] it's kind of easy to think of new ones. [16:54.800 --> 16:55.840] I have ideas. [16:55.840 --> 16:59.040] I wanna stick in that space to keep the brand going. [16:59.040 --> 17:01.000] Bathing, cleaning, rinsing. [17:01.000 --> 17:02.360] Yeah, I have a few ideas. [17:02.360 --> 17:03.680] Our manufacturer is great. [17:03.680 --> 17:04.560] They work with us. [17:04.560 --> 17:06.440] They help bring the ideas to life. [17:06.440 --> 17:07.960] And hopefully in the next few years, [17:07.960 --> 17:09.120] we'll bring it to 10 million [17:09.120 --> 17:10.800] and then he can pay me to go away [17:10.800 --> 17:11.640] and he takes over. [17:11.640 --> 17:12.680] That's the plan. [17:12.680 --> 17:13.840] That's fantastic. [17:13.840 --> 17:15.880] There's so much to get out of that [17:15.880 --> 17:17.720] on so many different levels. [17:17.720 --> 17:19.000] It's kind of addicting. [17:19.000 --> 17:21.160] Once you figure out the secret sauce [17:21.160 --> 17:22.240] or the secret recipe, [17:22.240 --> 17:23.880] it's like, oh, I can do that too. [17:23.880 --> 17:25.000] Pretty cool. [17:25.000 --> 17:26.360] We all have these ideas. [17:26.360 --> 17:27.480] Oh, that would be cool. [17:27.480 --> 17:28.320] That would be cool. [17:28.320 --> 17:31.160] But you actually had the idea of that would be cool. [17:31.160 --> 17:34.120] You created your secret sauce through some trial and error. [17:34.120 --> 17:35.960] And now you're able to think, [17:35.960 --> 17:37.120] oh, I could do that. [17:37.120 --> 17:38.760] And you already have your checklist. [17:38.760 --> 17:40.280] I need to do this, this, this, and this. [17:40.280 --> 17:41.120] It's really cool. [17:41.120 --> 17:42.640] And you get to do it with your son, [17:42.640 --> 17:45.000] which I think makes it even more special, right? [17:45.000 --> 17:46.200] Oh yeah, yeah. [17:46.200 --> 17:48.040] We have a meeting every morning together. [17:48.040 --> 17:49.160] He works remotely. [17:49.160 --> 17:50.000] He's in New York. [17:50.000 --> 17:51.480] He comes home like once a week. [17:51.480 --> 17:53.040] We make TikToks together. [17:53.040 --> 17:54.280] It's like all this fun stuff, [17:54.280 --> 17:56.680] but it's really brought us together. [17:56.680 --> 17:58.000] Obviously you love your kids, [17:58.000 --> 18:01.000] but to be able to work with your son, [18:01.000 --> 18:02.080] I enjoy it. [18:02.080 --> 18:03.400] He's a good guy, you know? [18:03.400 --> 18:05.040] And if we're having a bad morning, I'll say, [18:05.040 --> 18:06.840] Jay, I'm just not having a good day today. [18:06.840 --> 18:07.800] Be my light. [18:07.800 --> 18:09.920] And he's like, Mom, come on, we can do this. [18:09.920 --> 18:12.600] And it just seeing his face with FaceTime, [18:12.600 --> 18:14.480] it just makes it so much better. [18:14.480 --> 18:16.080] I think a lot of them miss now [18:16.080 --> 18:17.860] with everybody working remotely, right? [18:18.860 --> 18:19.780] So whenever you can show your face, [18:19.780 --> 18:21.540] it helps you out a little bit. [18:21.540 --> 18:22.780] Yeah, that's awesome. [18:22.780 --> 18:25.980] Well, as we are kind of running down with time, [18:25.980 --> 18:27.980] Reed and I have two questions [18:27.980 --> 18:29.860] that we like to ask our guests. [18:29.860 --> 18:31.300] I'll take the first one. [18:31.300 --> 18:34.980] And it's around what technology that you're using [18:34.980 --> 18:38.700] either for work or for personal is your favorite. [18:38.700 --> 18:42.020] What I will say that I love right now is TikTok. [18:42.020 --> 18:43.380] I love TikTok. [18:43.380 --> 18:44.880] I love TikTok shop. [18:44.880 --> 18:47.820] I feel like that's the wave of the future, TikTok. [18:48.300 --> 18:50.460] They want to compete with Amazon. [18:50.460 --> 18:53.680] And right now, if you're able to create videos [18:53.680 --> 18:56.340] and if you have products for sale that are on Amazon, [18:56.340 --> 18:59.340] put them onto TikTok shop, create some videos. [18:59.340 --> 19:04.140] It will open up a world of new people, new customers. [19:04.140 --> 19:05.480] Sometimes you'll get lucky. [19:05.480 --> 19:07.140] Your videos will go viral [19:07.140 --> 19:10.300] and you'll sell thousands of products with just one video. [19:10.300 --> 19:11.940] It's really fun to make. [19:11.940 --> 19:15.180] I feel like the wave of the future is TikTok. [19:15.180 --> 19:16.020] It really is. [19:16.020 --> 19:19.380] And to have those followers like to be able to, [19:19.380 --> 19:20.540] you come up with a new product. [19:20.540 --> 19:22.500] You have a couple hundred thousand followers, [19:22.500 --> 19:24.820] you show them the product, boom, there's your launch. [19:24.820 --> 19:26.260] It's so easy. [19:26.260 --> 19:27.580] So I think it's a great way [19:27.580 --> 19:30.500] to really help scale the business TikTok. [19:30.500 --> 19:31.620] The other question we ask, [19:31.620 --> 19:33.860] and this started with our very first episode, [19:33.860 --> 19:36.620] it's just something that has just blown your mind. [19:36.620 --> 19:38.300] It was a moment in time in your life [19:38.300 --> 19:39.780] and you're like, wow. [19:39.780 --> 19:40.620] And it just blows your mind [19:40.620 --> 19:42.020] and you just look at the world differently [19:42.020 --> 19:43.240] from there on up. [19:43.240 --> 19:48.040] What really blows my mind is thinking about Amazon. [19:48.040 --> 19:51.840] There are millions of sellers on Amazon [19:51.840 --> 19:53.640] with millions of products. [19:53.640 --> 19:58.240] It blows my mind to think of that distribution network. [19:58.240 --> 20:02.240] I mean, I alone, I'm one of millions of sellers on Amazon [20:02.240 --> 20:05.800] and I have thousands of units sitting in their warehouses [20:05.800 --> 20:07.480] with millions of people like me. [20:07.480 --> 20:08.860] How do they do that? [20:08.860 --> 20:10.800] It just blows my mind. [20:10.800 --> 20:13.340] And then nevermind, like I send them stuff, [20:13.340 --> 20:15.100] they get it to the right locations [20:15.100 --> 20:16.960] and then they can ship it to all my customers. [20:16.960 --> 20:19.760] And one day that blows my mind. [20:19.760 --> 20:22.080] You know, you go up to the curtain and it's like miles, [20:22.080 --> 20:22.920] like what is it? [20:22.920 --> 20:25.360] It just blows my mind. [20:25.360 --> 20:26.200] I don't know. [20:26.200 --> 20:27.040] That's my thing. [20:27.040 --> 20:27.880] I don't get it, [20:27.880 --> 20:29.600] but they do a pretty darn good job. [20:29.600 --> 20:30.440] So yeah. [20:30.440 --> 20:33.600] And we're constantly improving upon it [20:33.600 --> 20:35.280] and tweaking it and looking at it. [20:35.280 --> 20:36.560] I had the privilege of going [20:36.560 --> 20:40.600] to one of their distribution centers this May in San Diego. [20:41.400 --> 20:45.040] It was one of their newer robotic environments. [20:45.040 --> 20:47.440] They have two shifts a day [20:47.440 --> 20:50.080] with a four hour maintenance window, [20:50.080 --> 20:51.840] but it's 10 hour shifts. [20:52.760 --> 20:54.100] There's more people that work [20:54.100 --> 20:56.540] in the robotic distribution center [20:56.540 --> 20:58.760] than in the non-robotic distribution center [20:58.760 --> 21:01.280] because they can handle more product. [21:01.280 --> 21:04.440] It was just like everything I was thinking of going in [21:04.440 --> 21:05.280] is so much. [21:05.280 --> 21:07.480] And then they only in that distribution center, [21:07.480 --> 21:09.600] they only take certain types of products [21:09.600 --> 21:11.960] and certain sizes of products. [21:11.960 --> 21:13.480] So like no PASMAT, [21:13.480 --> 21:16.200] it had to be in a certain dimension type piece [21:16.200 --> 21:18.020] and it was just mind blowing. [21:18.020 --> 21:22.640] Like the different types of tech, just in the picking area. [21:22.640 --> 21:26.880] I was like, whoa, this is crazy lights and cameras [21:26.880 --> 21:29.880] and had nothing to do with TV production. [21:29.880 --> 21:31.760] I mean, it was really wild. [21:31.760 --> 21:33.520] I don't think people realize [21:33.520 --> 21:36.640] how many people have businesses with Amazon. [21:36.640 --> 21:39.280] I know people like to bash Amazon and say, [21:39.300 --> 21:40.640] the mall is going away. [21:40.640 --> 21:42.040] The small businesses are going away. [21:42.040 --> 21:43.280] That's not true. [21:43.280 --> 21:46.400] There are more small businesses now than ever [21:46.400 --> 21:47.680] because of Amazon. [21:47.680 --> 21:49.240] You just don't realize. [21:49.240 --> 21:50.360] That's a great point. [21:50.360 --> 21:51.720] Then black people don't think about it. [21:51.720 --> 21:53.400] It's a disruptive change. [21:53.400 --> 21:55.120] We do, we have less malls, [21:55.120 --> 21:57.880] but we'll have more smaller companies. [21:57.880 --> 21:59.400] It's just a disruptive change, [21:59.400 --> 22:01.440] but the commerce, I mean, just look at it. [22:01.440 --> 22:03.160] We're still battling inflation [22:03.160 --> 22:06.360] because commerce is just still driving through. [22:06.360 --> 22:09.360] Getting more jobs and people are spending more money [22:09.360 --> 22:11.160] and I don't know how they're doing it. [22:11.160 --> 22:13.360] I don't have the money to spend anymore. [22:13.360 --> 22:16.000] Mine are 14, 15, and 16 years old. [22:16.000 --> 22:17.720] Yours is 25 out of college. [22:17.720 --> 22:19.600] I'm just getting into those big years [22:19.600 --> 22:21.960] of car insurance and college. [22:21.960 --> 22:24.440] Watch the bills, yeah. [22:24.440 --> 22:26.480] Well, Lisa, thank you so much. [22:26.480 --> 22:30.120] This has been just a pure pleasure to speak with you [22:30.120 --> 22:32.480] and to hear just from someone that's just doing it. [22:32.480 --> 22:35.120] You had the idea, you had a career, [22:35.120 --> 22:37.600] and you're like, I'm gonna look into this a little bit more [22:37.600 --> 22:39.720] and the mom inventor handbook. [22:39.720 --> 22:42.800] I think that there's probably about a hundred people [22:42.800 --> 22:44.760] that have just ordered that book right now. [22:44.760 --> 22:48.000] So you might wanna try to get some referrals from that group. [22:48.000 --> 22:50.920] The checklists and the brand protection, [22:50.920 --> 22:53.800] red points, I've never heard of them before. [22:53.800 --> 22:55.000] This is truly enlightening. [22:55.000 --> 22:57.000] Thank you for sharing the day with us. [22:57.000 --> 22:58.400] Thank you guys so much. [22:58.400 --> 22:59.320] I really appreciate it. [22:59.320 --> 23:02.640] And thank you for your GS1 barcodes. [23:02.640 --> 23:03.960] I'm a big fan [23:03.960 --> 23:05.880] and I'm happy to spread the word. [23:06.840 --> 23:08.320] Awesome, thank you. [23:10.480 --> 23:12.680] Thank you for joining us on this episode [23:12.680 --> 23:15.640] of the Next Level Supply Shame with GS1 US. [23:15.640 --> 23:18.160] If you enjoyed today's show, please subscribe to our feed [23:18.160 --> 23:19.840] and explore more great episodes [23:19.840 --> 23:21.760] wherever you get your podcasts. [23:21.760 --> 23:24.320] Don't forget to share and follow us on social media. [23:24.320 --> 23:26.480] Thanks again, and we'll see you next time. Transcription results written to '/home/forge/transcribe.sonicengage.com/releases/20240202210237' directory