I recently read a press release about a company. 2Virtues started my a "Mom Inventor" named Heather Allard. She invented a product called the "Swaddleaze" which is used to help your very young child get to sleep at night. I contacted her to set up an interview, and she agreed. The interview was conducted via e-mail, and I just received it back today. The following is that interview.

TheLoneInventor: What's the story behind the Swaddleaze?

Heather Allard: My daughter Grace suffered terribly from the newborn startle reflex. She wasn't able to fall asleep or stay asleep because she'd just keep "startling". My husband and I tried everything--traditional swaddling, sleep sacks, etc. but NOTHING helped. I couldn't find any products in Babies-R-Us or BabyCenter.com that I thought would help. I would lie beside her and literally WATCH her startling/waking up. It was so frustrating--the normal sleep deprivation that comes with new parenthood is bad enough, but Grace was still startling/not sleeping at 4-5 months old!!!! I was desperate, and initially, I kind of joked about creating a "baby straight jacket" that would hold her arms down to keep them from flailing, startling & waking her up. Then one night, a lightbulb went off in my head, I took out a notebook and drew a very primitive sketch of what is now the Swaddleaze.

TheLoneInventor: Your site (2Virtues) mentions that you designed the Swaddleaze after being unable to find a product like it on the market. Were you at all daunted by the fact that the product didn't exist? Or did you take it as a sign of encouragment that your product was unique?

Heather Allard: I took it as a sign of encouragement--especially after my same frustration with swaddling, startling & sleep deprivation was echoed by so many other parents.

TheLoneInventor: What was the order of the steps you took to get your product to completion?

Heather Allard: First, I found someone who could make a very simple prototype--a co-worker of my husband's who owned a sewing shop. Then, I brought the prototype to a local clothing manufacturer to see if they could produce it. Initially, they thought they could, but then decided NOT to take on my contract because they didn't have the machinery/expertise to make infant products. All of their manufacturing was in the adult outerwear segment, and their machinery was calibrated accordingly. Now this concept to consumer process sounds pretty simple--but there were several more steps in between, along with several roadblocks ("learning opportunities", as I like to optimistically call them!). Because my product is for newborns, there are several consumer safety regulations that come into play. Plus, I had to locate US companies that sold all the materials I'd need--flame resistant fleece, zippers, trim fabric, hangtags, packaging, Velcro, etc. because the trade quotas imposed on China made it impossible to purchase & import the materials from there.

TheLoneInventor: How long after the conception of the product did you prototype it?

Heather Allard: About 3 months.

TheLoneInventor: Did you prototype it yourself?

Heather Allard: No, someone else prototyped it--it's a pretty simple infant apparel design, so prototyping wasn't a labor intensive process like it might be for an inventor with a more "technical" or elaborately designed product.

TheLoneInventor: Was the first protype functional? How many did you make in all?

Heather Allard: The first prototype WAS functional, but it was sized improperly. It would've fit a toddler, and I needed the sizing to fit a preemie or newborn baby. About 6 prototypes were made--each one getting closer to the perfect design, whether it was a more rounded neck, more adjustable Velcro, or the way the zipper was sewn.

TheLoneInventor: After your first successful prototype, were you sure that your product would sell?

Heather Allard: No, honestly I would wake up in a cold sweat MANY nights thinking that I'd just wasted my time & money on a dud product. It wasn't until I had a few parents test it on their babies that I felt even the slightest bit sure it'd sell. There were many days that I'd waver between thinking I'd be an instant millionaire and then minutes later thinking I'd be in debt until I died.

TheLoneInventor: Did you use, or contemplate using an "invention development firm"?

Heather Allard: No--my product doesn't really warrant such services.

TheLoneInventor: Have you recieved, or applied for a patent?

Heather Allard: Yes, I've applied for a patent, as well as trademarking for my product name & tag line.

TheLoneInventor: Have you applied for or recieved foreign patents as well, and if so, where?

Heather Allard: No, at this time I haven't applied for foreign patents.

TheLoneInventor: Did you prepare the patent(s) yourself, or did you employ a patent attorney?

Heather Allard: After spending countless hours on the mind-boggling US Patent website, I employed a patent attorney. It's some of the best money I've spent--they do all the tedious legwork for you, and they know the legal ins & outs of patenting.

TheLoneInventor: Did you find the patent attorney locally, or were you directed to one?

Heather Allard: I found a local patent attorney simply by searching my local yellow pages & calling around.

TheLoneInventor: Before patenting, what method if any did you use to disclose the idea to others?

Heather Allard: I'd give very vague details to people, as any suspicious inventor does! :)

TheLoneInventor: Have you been manufacturing the product yourself, or have you licensed it's production to a manufacturer?

Heather Allard: A SC-based company is manufacturing my product.

TheLoneInventor: How did you come to that descision?

Heather Allard: Since I can't sew a button on a shirt, I figured I'd better leave the manufacturing to the professionals. I bought a HUGE directory of US Apparel manufacturers, and then called or emailed a handful of companies that specialized in children's apparel. I was very fortunate to find my current manufacturer pretty quickly.

TheLoneInventor: Would you recommend to inventors building a company around thier invention?

Heather Allard: It really depends on the product & if the inventor foresees any additional products that are related to the original invention. In my case, I had several other sleepwear products in mind, so I decided to start my own company and begin positioning myself as a "sleep" company--all my products are inspired by my children's sleep habits or my own love of sleeping. :)

TheLoneInventor: What are some of the benefits of doing this?

Heather Allard: If you're the type of person who possesses "corporate skills"--sales, marketing, organization, time management, etc, running your own company can be the best way to control your product integrity and the direction YOU want to take. I guess it all comes down to how much of a control freak you are--or how much control you're willing to relinquish to someone else who might be better equipped to bring your product to market.

TheLoneInventor: How do you market the Swaddleaze, and how did you come to that descision?

Heather Allard: I market Swaddleaze myself--but I have a background in sales, marketing, corporate training & freelance copywriting, so to a certain extent, I know how the marketing game is played. I write & distribute press releases, contact magazine editors, give samples to people who might have some valuable "connection" to a retailer, etc. I basically am a shameless self-promoter, which is really what you have to be if you go the route of starting your own company. You could certainly employ a PR firm--it just depends on how much money you have to spend. I spent the bulk of my money on the product manufacturing & my company website, so I haven't spent much in terms of advertising, PR firms, etc. Eventually, I hope to be able to do those types of things--because I think it can make or break your product.

TheLoneInventor: From the products conception, to your first product sale, approximately how much time did you pour into it's development?

Heather Allard: About 18 months.

TheLoneInventor: Since then, how much time have the logistics of running your company consumed?

Heather Allard: It's a 7 day per week job--not that I'm working 24/7, but I spend SOME time every day (even on weekends or nights) doing SOMETHING to build my business & increase sales. It's all the little things you do each day that add up to BIG success.

TheLoneInventor: Did you have to quit a job to pursue the development of the Swaddleaze?

Heather Allard: No, I was already an at-home mom, so I didn't have to quit a "real" job. :)

TheLoneInventor: Has 2 Virtues, Inc. become a full time job for you now? Do you still have time to spend with your two children?

Heather Allard: I somehow manage to balance 2 Virtues, Inc. with my REAL 2 virtues, my daughters Hope & Grace. It's a serious juggling act, though--even more so because I run my company from home while simultaneously being an at-home mom to my 2 girls. But I think it's an amazing opportunity--and I think my girls are learning from watching their mom that women can do ANYTHING they put their minds to & that you can be both a business woman and a mom successfully if you strive to reach a balance between the two. The bottom line is that my children are my first priority--they come first. But having my own company brings an amazing sense of fulfillment & accomplishment. I'm very fortunate.

TheLoneInventor: Were your spouse, family and friends supportive in your endevour?

Heather Allard: Very, very supportive. They would always tell me how proud they were of me, or offer help & support.

TheLoneInventor: How did that affect the way things turned out for you?

Heather Allard: Without that network of friends & family, it would've been difficult to plod on the long, strange entrepreneurial trip. My father was diagnosed with cancer in January of 2004 and died two months later--that was really tough. He was probably my biggest fan, the way only a proud papa can be. It took me a few months of grieving before I could pull myself up by my bootstraps to continue the endeavor.

TheLoneInventor: Have you invented things before, or is this your first invention?

Heather Allard: This is my first invention--though I've always been kind of an inventive, imaginative person.

TheLoneInventor: At what point did you really feel rewarded for all your hard work?

Heather Allard: I felt rewarded when people started buying my product--individuals and retailers. And then I felt really rewarded when several people told me my product had helped them & their newborn get their first full night of sleep!

TheLoneInventor: What are some of the pitfalls of inventing and being entrepreneur that you have experienced?

Heather Allard: It's a daunting experience--there's so much research, and trial & error, and failure before success. It's not for the faint of heart. It can take over your life if you let it. And, most inventors & entrepreneurs think they're invention is absolute genius--and sometimes it is. But sometimes it's NOT--and it's hard to see that when it's so near & dear to your heart. When you've put your all into it, given it your heart & soul, it's painful to even entertain the prospect of failure--and even more painful to eventually discover that your precious invention is unmarketable at best.

TheLoneInventor: Is there anything specifically to avoid?

Heather Allard: Avoid sugar coating, and people who sugar coat, at all cost. Don't just assume that because you believe in your product & the need your product fills, that others will, too.

TheLoneInventor: What are some absolute "do's" for would-be inventors?

Heather Allard: Surround yourself with qualified, honest, likeminded people. Ask for critiques, advice, opinions, and input. Have an open mind. Research, research, research--learn as much as you can about the particular market & consumer your invention is targeted to. And understand early on that sometimes it all comes down to marketing--you could have the best product, but if you sit around on your ass and wait for customers to come to you, you'll fail. You could have the worst product, but if you're a relentless go-getter, you might be a quick millionaire.

TheLoneInventor: Are there any useful websites you came accross as you were developing this product that steered you in the right direction?

Heather Allard: Honestly, google.com was my savior. I found so much information on Google about everything--materials, patenting, manufacturing, safety standards, resources, marketing, press releases, etc. One website that is particularly helpful to inventors is mominventors.com. Unfortunately, I discovered it about a month ago after seeing the founder, Tamara Monosoff, in NBC Nightly News. But while I wasn't able to take advantage of the wonderful inventor resources the website offers, I did apply to their Mom Invented eBay store and was accepted--Swaddleaze is now for sale at that store!

TheLoneInventor: If you could only say one thing to all the Mom Inventors out there, what would it be?

Heather Allard: That necessity truly IS the mother of invention, and moms are some of the most innovative, creative, qualified inventors out there. And for at-home moms, don't doubt your abilities just because you're not "out there" in the work force. If you can manage a household & motherhood and still find the time & spark to invent something, then you're heading in the right direction--so many "mom skills" transfer over to inventing and running a business.

TheLoneInventor: How has becomming the inventor of a hit product affected you?

Heather Allard: It's almost surreal--it was such a long, strange trip to get here that it hasn't really sunken in. I feel very fortunate--so many people said to me, "Wow, I can't believe no one has ever thought of a product like Swaddleaze before". And I always answer the same way--that I bet plenty of people HAVE thought of a Swaddleaze-type product before, but not many people have the time, the money, the resources, the tenacity and the drive to pursue it. Because you HAVE to have all those things to bring your invention from concept to consumer. You have to be extremely self-motivated and self-driven to succeed as an inventor--so many times on that entrepreneurial road, it is literally just YOU, all alone. You have to be able to constantly pump yourself up and believe in yourself enough to persist.

TheLoneInventor: Is there anything I haven't touched on, that you would like to share with us?

Heather Allard: I'd like to suggest that my fellow inventors & entrepreneurial spirits create an encouraging, inspiring environment for themselves. Tack poems, song lyrics, literary quotes, or greeting cards that move you, that push you, that spurn you on. Early on in the Swaddleaze development, I got a Chinese fortune cookie with a message inside that said, "Many a false step is made by standing still". I loved that saying--because it's true. So many people never pursue their dreams--they HAVE the dreams, but they never take even baby steps towards making them come true. I taped that fortune onto my computer monitor, and looked at it daily. I also had the lyrics to "One Little Victory" by RUSH, photos of my family & friends, and quotes & poems I'd torn out from Oprah's magazine. And I did something that I'd heard Jim Carrey say he'd done--early in his acting career, he wrote himself a sizeable check--a million dollars, maybe--and kept it in his wallet to look at for inspiration. So I decided to send myself an email from a "retail buyer" saying they wanted to purchase 10,000 Swaddleazes and that they'd be mailing a check--I look at it at least once a week & it keeps me motivated and focused on my goals. So do that--create a nurturing, inspiring, supportive "place" for your creative, inventive self.

TheLoneInventor: Is there anything you would like to plug here? Your website, etc.?

Heather Allard: Well, as I mentioned earlier, I'm a shameless self-promoter, so DUH!, of course I'd love to plug 2 Virtues, Inc. & the innovative Swaddleaze The Startle-Free Sleeper. It's a MUST HAVE item for any new parent. Check out www.2virtues.com for more info.

TheLoneInventor: What do you see in the future for 2 Virtues, Inc.?

Heather Allard: Stay tuned--I've got a couple new children's sleepwear products in development and a line of sportswear/sleepwear for moms. I hope 2 Virtues becomes the Juicy Couture of sleepwear for babies, children & women. I hope to someday be on the Oprah Show--maybe a show featuring women entrepreneurs so I can "pay it forward" and help all the aspiring mom inventors. My mom always told me, "To whom much is given, much is asked"--and I've certainly been given a lot. I'd love to share my experiences, knowledge & encouragement with others who are on that sometimes lonely road of the inventor.