Krista Teare and Lisa Caruso are two best friends and mothers who came up with a brilliant idea, raised thousands through crowd funding and now have one of the top family must-have products on the market, The Toddler Monitor – a device that helps parents track when their kids leave a room in the house!
It’s A Glam Thing sat down with the two to find out how they balance motherhood and entrepreneurship, while still keeping their stylish fashion ways intact!
NICK NORTHSTAR: How would you describe both your own personal fashion styles – both while at home and while working?
KRISTA TEARE & LISA CARUSO: If Lisa and Krista had to be compared to one of the “Sex and the City Gals”, in terms of their personal style, Lisa would fall into the Carrie category (high fashion and at times risque) and Krista would fall into the Charlotte category (classy and traditional).
NN: The word “Glamorous” can mean many different things… what is its definition to you both?
K&L: Being glamorous is about feeling great in what you are wearing whether it is a glitzy party dress (stereotypically glamorous) or a really great pair of jeans and boots. It is about embracing your personal style, wearing clothing that fits your body, and rocking it!
NN: People think of inventors all dressed up in lab coats and such… what was your attire while creating the Toddler Monitor device during those long hours and while in the factories overseas?
K&L: Lisa’s “uniform” typically includes ripped jeans, a blazer, and 5 inch heels. On a more casual day, substitute the blazer for a vintage T and badass jacket. Krista’s “uniform” typically includes a great little dress, a blazer, and ankle booties. On a more casual day, substitute the blazer for a cute cardigan.
NN: What is your advice to anyone, such as other mothers out there, wanting to pursue their dreams and create their own products?
K&L: Take the leap and then take it one step at a time. Be iterative in your approach and test your concept along the way. Don’t be married to your product. You need to know when to walk away if you are the only one that thinks that it is a good idea. Be resourceful and use your network. People want to help and talk about what they know so just ask them. Do it yourself. There are so many tools including Kickstarter, website tools, social media, etc. that enable you to start a company with very little financial investment. Leverage government funding. The applications are a crazy amount of work but the support can be invaluable. Negotiate. Negotiate. Negotiate. Seriously. Most of the time there is some wiggle room, and if you ask and the answer is “no” then nothing lost. Be relentless. There will be times when you want to quit – DON’T! Ideas are a dime a dozen…executing on your idea day in and day out is the real challenge. Go into business with your “ride or die partner”. We like to compare our relationship to that of a sibling…you may not agree and will probably disagree but at the end of the day, you are a team . You need to be able to have tough conversations and move on. And most importantly, you need to have fun with this person as you are going to spend a lot (like, a lot) of time with them.
NN: How has the Toddler Monitor product/company changed your lives since creating it?
K&L: We are certainly busier than we have ever been! We have learned so much, met so many great people, and it has given us the confidence to start thinking about what is next.
NN: What does the future hold for you both from here?
K&L: Continue to do cool, challenging stuff with cool people that challenge us everyday. We are so thankful for the support we have been given by so many people who shared their time, experience and resources with us. We hope that we will be able to do the same for others in the future and contribute to other entrepreneurs’ journeys. We do have some plans for future products within the Toddler Monitor family as well as other products, for the aging population. Stay tuned as we have lots more to come…
