Mom Invented

Meet Jordan Golomb, who took an idea for personal inspiration and decided to use it to spread positive vibes to others. Trained as a mechanical engineer, this mom of three founded Frame of Mind, a company that sells inspirational messages in frames and on note cards. Though it took her a while to truly listen to her gut and pursue the path she really wanted to take with her business, she finally tapped into her passion and has seen sales double over the past year. Here's how she did it...

Why did you start Frame of Mind and when?

I started this company in 2002 on the side while working. I started it because I loved the Frame of Mind concept that came to me in bathroom one morning. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and I was putting positive messages on post-it notes on our bathroom mirror.  One day my husband, the neat freak, said, "You’ve got to find another way to do this."

That was the beginning of my business. My first prototype was a plain old frame and I just changed the card displayed in it each day depending on my mood or the motivation I needed for that day. But it was cumbersome to open the frame and change the card. That was when I came up with the frame with the slot in the back to hold the changeable cards.

Right after I started the business, I got pregnant with my first child and I got very discouraged very quickly -- I thought how could I possibly do this, and I was letting the dream slip away.  Then, at 12 weeks I had a miscarriage. That was devastating, but it fueled the fire, I worked harder than ever, and shortly after selling my first homemade units at a craft fair to test market the idea, I got pregnant with the first of my three kids!

Describe your company and your product:

Frame of Mind LLC provides inspirational and spiritual products dedicated to recognizing the value of each person, each day and every situation in life.  Our main product is a frame with changeable inspirational cards; card packs are tailored to specific themes and make fantastic, thoughtful, gifts or great self-motivators. We believe that all events in live, whether positive or negative, can be used for good if we approach them with the right frame of mind.

Frame of Mind recognizes that our potential, and simply the way our day goes, lies in our perspective... or Frame of Mind.  The brand focuses on simple truths that are easy to digest. What we read hidden away in books on a shelf may leave our minds, but thought provoking messages placed in daily life have the power to strengthen us continually and improve our lives.

Describe yourself and your family. What is your background and how does it relate to your company?

I'm married to the love of my life, Chris, who pulls more than his weight. I have a bachelor’s and master's degree in Mechanical engineering, and I have spent most of my career designing airbags and doing crash testing. I also worked on an MBA at the University of Michigan in entrepreneurial studies which I wasn't able to finish, but it was a tremendous learning experience that was invaluable. I have also spent some time as a patent examiner, a great way to learn the process.

Have you ever experienced an epiphany that changed the direction of your life?

My biggest epiphany is that during the process of becoming a mother I got overwhelmed and discouraged and thought I couldn't possibly make this happen -- that the Frame of Mind concept was too big for me to implement.  So I decided to pursue another invention that I thought would be easier. I wasn't nearly as excited about it but thought had some market potential and could be a useful product. I filed a provisional patent and started shopping it around to license it. I made contacts with a big company and based on our discussions thought a licensing deal might be possible. They were planning to pitch it to Wal-Mart and Target, and so I proceeded with the expense of a patent.

Shortly afterward the opportunity fell apart in one phone conversation due to an unforeseen liability issue. In that moment the $5000+ I had spent on the patent (done on the cheap) was gone.  Can you believe all I felt was a tremendous relief? I felt that God slapped me upside the head and said, I've been telling you to do the thing you love, so why are you chasing after a product that doesn't drag you out of bed at 3am?

My husband came home, I told him what happened, I told him I was happy about it, considered the money a complete loss and that I was going to revive my original product, Frame of Mind. Unbelievably, he was happy for me and totally at peace -- it was a weird, but great day.

What process did you follow to develop a prototype?

I built a lot of prototypes, probably 20 different versions. My engineering background came in helpful here, but I asked a lot of people for their ideas. I shopped hardware stores and electronics catalogs looking for things that might help me cobble something together. Narrowing it down to a final design was tough. I wanted to be able to manufacture the first units without tooling to reduce my risk if things didn't work out, but still wanted it to be easy to manufacture.

What process did you follow to determine your product’s marketability?

I built 100 units by hand and sold them at a craft fair.  They all sold with positive response so I knew I had something.

What process did you follow to find a manufacturer for your product?

I became friends with my parents’ next door neighbor because she has kids the same age as mine and it turns out her husband works in sourcing for target. He hooked me up with an overseas company with representatives here in the U.S. that normally would not have worked with a company as small as mine.

What was the biggest learning curve in terms of developing your product?

The process of working with an overseas supplier. Even though it's generally less expensive, I'm not sure I would do it again if I had a domestic option for manufacturing.

What secrets have you learned in terms of publicity and marketing your product?

Tell everyone about your product and eventually you will make the right connection. I have a product that sells really well around Christmas and Mother's Day/Graduation/Wedding season so I tailor my marketing around those events and times of year.

How long did it take to get your product from idea to market?

I came up with the idea in 2001, started the company in 2002 (first sales in December), and put it on the back burner while I took a detour to work on the other "easier product." In 2005 I started working hard on Frame of Mind and really dedicated myself to it. I received my first units in November of 2006, just two months after our third child was born (the product was supposed to arrive before the baby, but in typical fashion, the baby came early and the product came late). We then launched our website a couple days after receiving the first shipment in December 2007

How have you managed to juggle the roles of business owner and mom?

My husband is very helpful; I couldn't have done it without him. During our slow season, life is relatively balanced. Personal email is something I can't keep up with and I don't have time to get addicted to Facebook like my friends. During the busy season it is proper family dinners that fall by the wayside. That first month we launched my kids spent dinner helping me get shipments out to UPS by the 6:30pm pickup. That wasn't great, but it had to be done.

What kind of support system do you have in place personally and professionally?

I have a great family, a mom who will tell me exactly what she thinks even if I don't want to hear it. She's got a pretty good business head on her shoulders and more than anyone she has made me tough and now I love criticism -- it is the most useful kind of feedback. My dad is really technically smart and has helped me build better prototypes than I could have built on my own.  My husband is dedicated to helping me do whatever, but I really have to be clear about what I need or he thinks I've got it all under control.

Equally important, I have a network of friends who love to talk about ideas. I also have friends that believe in me, even though they are not entrepreneurs, and that is such a gift. I also have my product, Frame of Mind, sending me messages of inspiration that keep me focused on my goal with quotes like, "Having a dream you don't pursue is like having an ice cream cone and watching it melt all over your hand" - Walt Disney.

How did you finance your business?

It's been all personal contributions so far of about $15,000. We are a very frugal family even though we don't really need to be.  The money has been spent bit by bit over time, but the business has been self-funded over the past year. Last year we doubled sales over the year before.  My plan is to double or triple them this year.

What advice would you offer other moms developing their products/ideas?

Pick something you love and surround yourself with great people.  "Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dreams" (from the "Inspiration" card set).

What surprised you about this process?

I never imagined that I would have to know so much about so many different things.

Thank you for sharing your story with us! If you have a great story to share, we’d love to hear it!

Tagged as: feature mom, featured mom, mom inventor, mom inventors, product business