The Pitch Tank

In business, there are always risks…

Going to the Locker2Locker Pitch Tank in Florida was a risk – both personally and financially. The question is… was it worth it?

I first heard of the contest when Kevin Harrington posted a tweet announcing the contest. After checking it out and seeing it would take place in “Hollywood”, I thought to myself – “heck, if I win, it’s only a few hours drive”, so I completed the application, printed a copy for my records and boom, hit the send button.

Several weeks later, when I received an email advising I was chosen as a finalist, I got excited. Until I realized it was in Hollywood – FLORIDA and only one week to book the trip. Oh. Crap. Quick mental calculation: Air (last minute ticket), hotel (Super Bowl week), rental car, mileage, parking, food and other incidentals  = NOT IN BUDGET. My head droped and my shoulders slumped in dissapointment.

But after speaking with the coordinator and learning about the invitee list, I thought this could be a great networking opportunity. The infomercial wasn't as attractive to me as was the chance to meet Kevin Harrington, Les Brown, Lisa Nichols, Susie Carder and others in person. When would I ever have the opportunity again to meet professionals like this all in one place? After discussing it with my husband, we both agreed this could be a great opportunity... and you just never know what could happen. So keeping myself open to possibilities, I booked the trip.

The Pitch was held at Trump Hollywood, a luxurious high-rise immediately recognizable as The Donald's brand. As a finalist, I was invited to attend a VIP Pre-Awards Reception in one of the high-rise suites... Swanky!



Following the reception, the finalists were asked to meet in the library to begin preparing for our presentations. At this point, I start getting nervous. Being upstairs the entire time, I didn't realize that several hundred people were partying downstairs too - and they were going to be watching our presentations. YIKES.

To help me relax, I went up to each and every person in the room, handed them a pack of Action Wipes and said... "I'm pitching my product tonight, Action Wipes, and I'd like you to try them. I would really like your feedback after I'm done." Everyone was very kind, gave me words of encouragement and wished me well. How cool is that!

We were then asked into the "green room"...

Where we were briefed and given instructions...


We were also advised that we would go in random order, except for Elite Health, they would go first. Overall, the event didn't go exactly as planned due to time constraints. Originally, all the contestants were suppose to pitch, then three finalists would be selected, they would pitch again then a winner would be announced. Instead, we all pitched and were told the winner would be announced in the morning - during the business summit. Bummer.

However, after the pitch, I stuck around to thank the judges – that’s when I saw Kevin speaking to a camera, announcing the winner.… As I read his lips, I was disappointed, I didn’t win. The winner was Elite Health, the first presenter.

At the end of the evening, as I was waiting for my car, I had the opportunity to speak with Kevin one-to-one as he waited for his car too. (Ok…his limo.) I asked “why Elite?”  He told me what he liked was that Elite already had 180,000 distributors and was generating income. Having said he liked my product and could see a lot of opportunity, I asked - "Can you help me, and if not, do you know anyone that can?" He said it would be a good product for the Home Shopping Network (HSN), but he wanted to think about it more as he was on overload from all of the day's events. So he asked that I follow up with him by sending more detailed information and we would go from there.

So there you have it. Was it worth it? It was to me. And you just never know what can happen from the samples I passed out (not only at the event, but to the flight attendants, business folks in the shuttle, passengers next to me on the plane... call me Johnny Appleseed!)

And remember - always ask for help and don't stop there. The person you ask may not be able to, but you never know who they may know!

My Comfort Zone

Martha Van Inwegen, Action Wipes from Doug MacMillan on Vimeo.

As a small business owner, I constantly have to step out of my comfort zone, which makes me uncomfortable! Very uncomfortable.

My friends and family think I’m an extrovert and that getting in front of people just comes naturally to me – but it doesn’t, honestly. It takes every ounce of courage I can muster to approach a complete stranger and ask if they would like to try our Action Wipes. When we go to events and people start making their way towards our booth, my stomach does summersaults and my coffee starts coming up my throat just watching them walking our way. When I won the Shorty Award for Brand last year and had to go in front of some 300 people and thousands more watching via the web to give my 140 character speech – I was so scared, I almost didn’t make it to the stage because I shaking in my boots so hard (ok, I wore sandals).

So now that you know this about me, you’ll laugh when I tell you that I seriously considered participating in ABC’s Shark Tank. Yes, a show with millions of viewer’s nation wide! I have to tell you, I was sick to my stomach just creating the five minute video required to be considered. But I submitted it non-the-less. So imagine my surprise when they called and told me they loved it and wanted to move forward. Man, I had just about puked and even cried on that demo tape – how could they possible want me?! However, I passed on the opportunity – not out of fear, but out of what I believe is smart business sense. After reading the 40 page contract and them not willing to accept changes, I decided there was no way I could sign it.

As uncomfortable as it makes me, I am always looking for opportunities that will help promote Action Wipes, or at minimum, put them in front of people that can help me. So, here’s another opportunity for you to laugh at me again… I recently entered a contest to win a free infomercial at the Locker2Locker Pitch Maker Contest, in conjunction with the 2010 Professional Athletes Business Summit. For the contest, entrepreneurs submitted their product, or idea in the hopes of being one of 20 finalist chosen to present to a distinguished panel and in front of over 100 professional athletes. Guess what? We made the final 20. GULP.

I am now sitting in Oakland, waiting to take the Bart to the San Francisco airport to catch a red-eye to Hollywood. Florida. Since the day I found out, my stomach has been in knots. The closer it gets to stepping on that plane, the more I can feel my early morning breakfast coming back up. What makes it more nerve wrecking is that - ironically, the deciding panel is being lead by Kevin Harrington – one of the sharks on Shark Tank. OMG!

My sister once asked me “how do you do it - so easily approach people and start talking to them or pitch your product?” “I have to, my business will not grow if I live my life in fear and hope people will find us by chance” I said. “I could never do what you do” she said.

If you want to have a successfull company, you have to put yourself out there, you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other - but know that one day your perseverance, the nervous sweat and even making a fool out of yourself will pay off. I believe it - that's why I do it!

Co-Opetition: It's a good thing!

Since the invention of baby wipes in 1970 there's been an immense surge of wet wipes on a global level - GLOBAL.

These days, you can find a wipe for just about every household chore and every body part...

Besides the familiar baby wipes, there's wipes to clean cell phones, clean floor and kitchen counters, antistatic wipes to clean your computer screen, antiseptic wipes to clean your hands, cosmetic wipes to remove your makeup, specialty wipes that prevent goggles from fogging, self tanning wipes, before or after sex wipes, and of course, wipes for when you can't shower.

While big corporations (Kimberly Clark & Clorox) hold the largest share of the market, there are some small, creative companies that are breaking into that share with some very cool ideas. Some are in direct competition with Action Wipes and others are what I consider "Co-Opetition". Co-Opetition is when a brand competes with Action Wipes for the consumer dollar, but actually compliments it at the same time.

I decided to write this post as many of our fans have discovered these unique wipes one way or another (more often than not, via Twitter) and ask... "Hey, have you seen these?" So let me, show you, how you can use these unique wipes together with Action Wipes...

Purpose: Cleaning Cell Phone
Hate the gunk that builds up on your cell phone over time? Or have you ever thought about the germs left behind when someone else "borrows" your phone? Then Celly Smellys are what you need to clean both gunk & germs off without doing damage to the phone. Now, if that call you received got you all hot and sweaty, then use an Action Wipes too! Celly Smellys are sized 4"x7", are LCD safe, come in multi-packs of 15, four (4) fun scents to choose from and cost about .33 cents each.

Purpose: Degreasing Hands
There are times when Action Wipes are just too big for the job -like when you just want to clean your hands after changing a flat tire, or slipping the chain back on your bike, that's where Grease Monkey Wipes come in handy. Like Action Wipes, they are individually wrapped, so they are convenient and easy to carry in your purse, tool kit or store a couple with your spare tire. Now, if you spent a little too much time changing that tire and you find you need a shower too - then by all means followup with an Action Wipe! Grease Monkey Wipes are sized 8"x7", citrus scent and cost about $1.00 each.

Purpose: Refresh

You know how you can get that refreshing spa scent at home? By hanging an Herban Essentials towelette from the shower head while you shower. The steam helps the essential oils drift through the room just like in a spa. They're also great for when you just need a little refreshing. Unlike Action Wipes, they do not contain any cleansing agents. If you need to clean off the stinky sweat scent - use Action Wipes. Herban Essentials are sized 4.75"x7.5", come in five (5) different scents and cost about .75 cents each.

Purpose: Cleaning

Don't like any kind of scents? Then try Wysi Wipe, a dry, compact (3/4") wipe that expands as you add water. Wysi Wipe contain no wetting solution, scent or cleansing agents, so they're good at wiping off sweat, but not the odor. To clean off the odor - use Action Wipes. Wysi Wipe comes as a small tablet that expands to 9"x10" soft wipe after adding water and costs about .21 cents per tablet.

I hope this helped you understand the differences. If you have a favorite wipe that compliments Action Wipes, tell us about it and we'll spread the word.

And remember... Your face is not a baby's butt!

How To...

People are always surprised to hear that you can actually machine wash Action Wipes multiple times. Yes, not just once, twice, three times, but more! We have personally tested them up to six times and they're still usable.

We created the wipes with a durable polyester fabric for a number of reasons 1) to clean out the grime and sweat out of every pore on your body really well, 2) so they don't fall apart while in use, 3) not leave any lint on your stubble (face or legs ;)) and 4) keep them out of the land fill as long as possible.

To that end, here is a short lesson on how to wash Action Wipes... (Now, keep in mind that I am not a professional videographer, scriptwriter, film director or actress! It was difficult trying to do the wash with one hand while holding the camera with the other. Ha!)

(If the video takes to long to buffer, you can go to our YouTube Channel)

What's Up?!

I know it's been a while since my last post (boy, that took me back to my catholic roots... "forgive me father for I have sinned. It's been 2 months since my last..."). And shame on me because a lot of exciting things have been going on...

We started September by sponsoring the 2009 MSA Classic in Malibu, CA. The surf competition brought celebrities, pro and amateur surfers of all ages from California, Hawaii, the East Coast, Japan, and Australia. This annual competition is a green-aware event and promotes the importance of sustainability. Therefore, our sponsorship was a no-brainer. When everyone was done surfing, they cleaned up with Action Wipes. (That's Sal Masekela of E!)

That same weekend, we made our way over to the Nautica Malibu Triathlon. Here too, we got to meet celebrities, pass out Action Wipes at the finish line and cheer for Action Wipes sponsored LA Tri Club and Paramount Tri Team.

End of September found us in Las Vegas, attending Interbike, the nation's largest cycling tradeshow. While we did not have a booth, you couldn't miss us. Action Wipes made their way to Outdoor Demo via Masi Bikes, the VIP tent and shuttles. At the show, we were fortunate to have BlackBottoms Cyclewear pass out samples from their booth and at times, have me share the space. The biggest thrill for me though was helping coordinate The Bike Tweetup. One of the biggest parties of the week that helped raise $1500 for charity. (Yup, that's George Hincapie)

In October, you found us at the inaugural Levi Leipheimer's King Ridge GranFondo. Here, we did have a booth at the bike expo & festival, which was a blast. 3500 cyclists, friends and family made this event a huge success. Next years should be bigger and better with a goal of 5,000 cyclists.

November was somewhat quiet. However, those participating in the Dana Point Turkey Trot found a fun surprise in their registration bag... Turkey Trot branded Action Wipes. Same great wipe, but made specially for them. But here is a very cool thing - the committee sent 2,000 of the wipes to our Marines in Afghanistan. I can't tell you how much this pulled on my heart strings. Aside from wet wipes, our troops can use other items that you may be able to help with - so please, check out the list and see if there is anything you'd like to provide.

December is keeping us busy filling orders and getting ready for the holidays. We are very thankful and appreciative to Triathlete Magazine for including us in their Holiday Gift Guide. As a national publication, this brought us a slew of new fans from all over the nation. Thank you again Triathlete!

We also received a great review from BikeRumor.com. It's so thorough that I think I'll us it as a training guide for our new retail clients! Thank you BikeRumor!

Also this month, our dear friends at Cyclefilm have released the eagerly awaited film - "Liz Hatch, Come Ride With Me", sponsored by... Action Wipes! :) So if you have a cycling fanatic that appreciates beautiful scenery and hot chicks, this is the stocking stuffer for them! Check out all their DVD's, you might just find one for yourself too.

Ok, enough for now. I will be updating the blog before the month ends as we have some exciting news to announce very, very soon...