- Tell us something about yourself, your background:
A natural sales person with an enthusiastic disposition, Kim Strong is the perpetual positive thinker. She believes in dreaming big and pursuing those dreams with all her might! Born and raised in Southern Indiana, Kim had a heart for business adventure after graduating from Indiana University Southeast. A former Miss Indiana USA, Kim knew what it was like to try and try again. Not achieving a goal didn’t mean failure, it just meant delay…until the next time! She grew up surrounded by hard working people who earned their way through life’s journey. Kim has always had a mindset to see things a little differently and think outside the box. She believes that hard work pays off and that there is always something new to learn. Loving people and wanting to help them is a key driver in Kim’s life. “When it’s all said and done, how you make people feel is the most important part of connection”. As Maya Angelo perfectly said, “people will forget what you said and people will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel”. Kim lives by this manta in every area of her life. “Plan, Prepare and Persevere” is her formula for success in business and overall well being. Kim lives in Louisville, KY with her husband, Terry and their three children.
- Tell us about the product you invented with a brief explanation
The ciao! baby chair is a patented portable high chair. It’s a practical solution for busy families on the go with small children. Ciao! baby understands the pain points of managing mealtime for a baby outside the comforts of home. This all one-piece solution easily unfolds, locks into place and folds back in seconds! Ciao! baby make life easier for families on the go! Kim and her business partner, Jamye Baker, co-founded the Jamberly Group in 2007, which markets the ciao! baby® branded items and is dedicated to bringing unique products to life! Jamberly’s mission for ciao! baby® is to offer solutions for families on the go with small children who want to enjoy life with little one outside the comforts of their own home.
- How/Why did you start inventing. What set you off?How did you get from idea to finished product?
Necessity is the mother of invention and so my story began…. The ciao! baby idea was inspired by need. This was an upclose and personal experience for me as I had three young children when the idea for ciao! baby was born. Once the idea for ciao! baby was conceived, my business partner and I began the process of researching the market to determine if there was anything like it AND if there was truly a need for such an idea. A great idea is one thing, but you get the perfect storm when you have a magnificent need to go along with it! Thankfully, we had connections with graphic artists and business people who worked overseas who could help us begin the prototyping process. We learned about compliance and testing and the importance of quality control when producing a consumer product. We connected with a great patent attorney who helped us with IP and TM applications. We both had experience in sales and marketing so pursing sales and developing a marketing plan felt natural. So much was learned organically and we made sure we were always learning from those who went before us.
- Let us know of useful resources that helped you i.e. Books, websites, software etc
The best resources we found were people… individuals who helped us along the way, mentoring, advising and opening doors. My success is a tribute to my closest business partner and many others who contributed along the way.
- Where are you with your product? Where can we buy your product?
Ciao! baby is sold worldwide on Amazon and available in Walmart USA stores as well as a host of other ecommerce platforms and retail stores. We sell directly on our website, theportablehighchair.com
- Social Media, Website and Video Links:
Facebook: Click HERE
Twitter: Click HERE
Instagram Click HERE
Pinterest: Click HERE
Website: Click HERE
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