00:18
Thank you so much for being on astronauts do.
00:21
It's such a pleasure to have you.
00:22
I'm really excited to talk to you.
00:25
Can you give a brief introduction about yourself and just
00:28
like an overview about who you are and what you do?
00:31
Thank you so much for having me, Vanessa.
00:33
I'm really happy to be here.
00:34
Um I'm the CEO and founder of my own company as I, which is my
00:39
What is your company?
00:40
What do you guys do?
00:41
So we create children's products right now.
00:43
We have two kids products.
00:45
First is hot seat, which is an alarm system that prevents kids
00:47
from being accidentally left in a hot car.
00:50
And our newest product is easy flow, which is an eco friendly
00:54
And I'm really excited to talk about how your company was even
00:58
founded and what inspired it because it's such a unique story
01:01
It started back when you were what like 14.
01:07
Um and it started as a school science Fair project and a couple
01:10
of years later turned into the start of a small business and
01:14
and now my company with, with two different products.
01:16
What was that process like?
01:18
Because I'm thinking about back when I was doing Science Fairs
01:22
and it was just, you know, a one time project like, what was
01:26
Did you move forward in processes?
01:29
Like how did people really react to your Science fair project
01:33
So Science Fair had been something that I had done since I was
01:36
probably 11 years old.
01:37
And I was always, you know, coming up with different ideas
01:40
for Science Fair rather than like experimental projects
01:43
more like new products and product ideas.
01:46
Um probably since I was 10 or 11 is the earliest I can remember
01:50
Um But hot seat was different.
01:52
It was actually I thought about it over the summer before my
01:55
eighth grade science fair.
01:57
So growing up, my mom owned a day care.
01:58
So I always worked with the kids in her, in her care and the families
02:02
And that year I heard so many stories on the news about kids
02:05
dying from being accidentally left in a hot car.
02:08
And those stories just really hit home for me because of all
02:10
my experience working with kids.
02:12
And, you know, I just couldn't imagine such a tragedy.
02:15
So that year I created hot seat for the science fair and I won
02:18
the school Science Fair and we went on to the state and regional
02:22
and then I was also chosen as a semifinalist for the National
02:26
Um, but from that point I, I just really knew that it was something
02:29
that I wanted to, to keep moving forward with and see where
02:33
And other people saw that too.
02:35
Like you were invited to have lunch with the mayor of your city
02:39
And then from there you met, like, really cool people that
02:42
encouraged you to, like, pursue this forward.
02:45
And I think that um my faith is a big part of who I am.
02:49
And I think that all of that kind of was God's work because I
02:53
never really would have imagined where a science fair could
02:55
So one of the awards that I won at the science fair was a luncheon
02:59
with the mayor where I presented my project.
03:02
And at that luncheon, I also met my patent attorney, um who
03:05
I've now worked with for, for many years.
03:08
And he was the one that was like, this is an idea that, that you
03:12
So we, we started working with him, we patented hot seat and
03:16
I actually came to find out that I'm the youngest Latino patent
03:21
Yes, I was gonna say that I heard that too and that's so crazy
03:25
and such an accomplishment.
03:26
And it's something that I didn't know until um until recently
03:30
So even when you back then at that age and you were getting this
03:36
You were the youngest Latina to get a patent.
03:38
Yeah, I had no idea.
03:40
So, um, because really at that time, it was the next step for
03:43
me, I thought that to take this for more than a science fair
03:47
project, um to an actual product is we need to patent it so that
03:51
we can keep moving forward.
03:52
And I'm thinking about the age that you were at in that whole
03:57
process of, you know, taking the next step to build and actually
04:02
make this product a reality.
04:04
And all of the people who supported you, your patent lawyer
04:09
that you ended up meeting and now have a great relationship
04:12
And I assume your mother was a really big inspiration of yours
04:17
Can you talk more about the people at that time who really inspired
04:20
you and encourage you to really move forward?
04:24
So growing up, I saw my mom, you know, own a business, run a business
04:28
I saw entrepreneurship, I guess just at the forefront of my
04:32
And I don't think that I realized that the influence that it
04:34
had on me until later, um with hot seat.
04:38
And I just never really saw a reason why I couldn't, um you know
04:43
start a business, own a business.
04:45
It just because it's been modeled to me for my mom.
04:48
Did you have any sort of doubts or fears because you were so
04:53
You know, I think initially I didn't, I kind of went into it
04:56
blindly and I think that as, you know, hurdles would come up
05:00
and things would come up and, and new challenges with each
05:04
phase of the business.
05:05
I really did question like, what did I get myself into?
05:09
But at that point it was already something that I just knew
05:12
I wanted to do at that age.
05:14
Did anyone ever tell you that you couldn't, that you're crazy
05:18
that you couldn't do it all the time?
05:20
I didn't phase you at all.
05:21
You're like, no, I don't listen to you.
05:24
You know, I heard it so many times but I also just like, knew
05:27
like, just in my heart that this is like, what I wanna do and
05:31
I think that the reason and the drive behind the idea and the
05:34
product and the company is what kept me moving forward because
05:38
there were so many times when people, they don't, they don't
05:41
take a lot of, I mean, a teenager seriously owning a business
05:45
And then so going into like, your education, what did you end
05:48
up pursuing in college?
05:51
And you know, how has that helped you in your career right now
05:54
After high school hot seat was just, just getting off the ground
05:59
I started a semester at the University of New Mexico and everything
06:03
was pretty wild still with hot seat.
06:04
And so I decided to take the next semester off and it turned
06:08
out to be two semesters off while I was still working on hot
06:12
And then once we, I felt like we were in a more stable position
06:15
I went back to school and I got my bachelor's degree in communications
06:19
and then I went on and finished my master's degree just this
06:23
Well, congrats for finishing your masters.
06:25
It's a really big accomplishment.
06:27
Um, I think it's so cool that you went back to school because
06:33
you could have easily been like, you know what this is really
06:36
Like I'm going to focus all of my energy on this.
06:39
Um What made you want to go back to school?
06:41
Did you ever like, struggle with that, you know, decision
06:44
of like, well, if I commit all of my energy on this business
06:49
maybe I don't have to go back to school.
06:51
And I think in the beginning that's what it was for me.
06:54
But also entrepreneurship and like business ownership can
06:57
be very consuming of, of everything, you know, social life
07:01
your personal life, your, your time.
07:03
And I think that for me going to college, kind of obviously
07:06
it took time to and I, I rarely sleep to get through both.
07:11
Um But I think that it gave me more experiences that I'm really
07:16
I always thought that to make a product to have an idea and turn
07:21
it into reality, you had to go into engineering or something
07:27
that is like computer science or something that is very, like
07:30
technological and techno tech based to physically make the
07:38
But that's not the case, right.
07:39
That wasn't the case for me.
07:41
And I don't, and I think a lot of times founders look at it the
07:43
way to is that if you can't do it yourself, then maybe you're
07:48
not the person for the job.
07:49
But what I've really learned is that you need to be the founder
07:52
that can find your weaknesses and find the people that can
07:54
help fill that got you and sort of, you know, build your team
07:59
And I think that takes a lot of strength and uh you know, stepping
08:02
back from your own ego and saying I can't do it all, I don't have
08:06
all of the skills and I can make it happen.
08:09
So let me recruit people who, who can and I think definitely
08:13
it just goes back to what you want for your company is you need
08:16
to bring in those people that are gonna help you reach those
08:19
goals because I think as a founder, setting those goals and
08:23
finding the way to achieve them, it's, it's your responsibility
08:27
Speaking more on like the challenges you faced, you know,
08:33
you've gone through college, you've gone through all of your
08:35
education and now you're here grinding, building and increasing
08:40
your product line at your company.
08:43
Do you still feel kind of that societal pressure of being a
08:49
woman owned, you know, business owner.
08:53
And I don't think that that's something that, that really
08:56
goes away because I think in every new situation, um, people
09:00
maybe they don't know the background of your company or the
09:03
successes that your company has had thus far and they sort
09:06
of judge based on stereotypes and stereotypically, maybe
09:11
a 20 something year old isn't running her own company.
09:14
Um, so those are things that I think most founders probably
09:18
do, especially if they're not the the typical founder have
09:22
to go up against, right?
09:23
The same criticism that you faced as a as a young adult.
09:26
Do you still face that?
09:28
I do face still some of the same criticism and same doubt because
09:33
there are so many moving parts to, to owning a company and even
09:37
when your company has had some success to keep moving it from
09:40
phase to phase to phase, there's going to be new challenges
09:43
with each phase and those stereotypes don't really go away
09:47
But you've managed to still have that mentality of, you know
09:51
what I am paving my own path and I'm really working towards
09:57
a goal and a mission that I truly believe in.
10:00
So like life is life, that's what, that's what's going to happen
10:04
That's what women are gonna experience.
10:07
And I got to just keep, and I think that there's always going
10:10
to be that, that judgment or that doubt, maybe in anything
10:14
But if you, you sort of believe in the mission of what you're
10:17
trying to accomplish and what you believe that your company
10:21
And I think that you, you can power through that.
10:24
Do you have any like, uh, women business owners that you look
10:30
Well, first I would have to say my mom is the business owner
10:32
that I admire the most.
10:34
I think she, the way that she has, you know, built such a, a strong
10:38
reputation for herself, for her company.
10:40
All of the people that she has served over so many years, I admire
10:45
Um But outside of her also, um women like Sarah Blakely, the
10:49
founder of Spanks and Joy Mangano, the founder of the miracle
10:54
I just really resonate with their stories um of sort of these
10:57
women that are committed to the mission of their company and
11:02
the doubt, you know, it's gonna come, but it's just about finding
11:06
And I understand that you also do a lot of outreach on your own
11:10
to try to inspire, be an ambassador and advocate for women
11:15
who may want to do the same thing or pursue their own dreams
11:19
What, what types of things are you uh involved in?
11:22
Yeah, that's something that I just, I really love as part of
11:25
my job is I love that I'm able to go out to schools and, and talk
11:28
with young kids um judging science fairs um like Microsoft's
11:32
did you girls and did you boys camp?
11:34
I've been able to, to speak at events like that.
11:37
Um and then also just visit local schools and, and schools
11:40
you know, around the US and kind of share my story is you never
11:45
know where a science fair could lead you, but you have to just
11:48
be willing to take that step.
11:50
Yeah, I think that's a cute way of putting it is like everyone
11:53
has their own science fair.
11:54
Yeah, you never know what, what experience, what opportunity
11:57
is gonna lead you on the path that you're supposed to go on.
12:01
So going back to your role models in the, you know, in the business
12:05
space, what were some of the things that you saw in them that
12:09
you wanted to adopt and really implement in your work ethic
12:13
or your personal development, anything like that?
12:16
I think really it's just a determination that all of these
12:21
Um because when I started, I really did not know what I was getting
12:24
myself into or the struggles that we would face or even some
12:29
of the experiences that I would have through business.
12:32
But I think just back to that determination is how I saw them
12:37
achieve their goals and how I hope to continue to achieve mines
12:41
So your company, I'd love for you to tell me a little bit about
12:44
the mission of your company and how that was built to share
12:48
So basically, the mission of our company is just to continue
12:51
to provide new and innovative solutions to problems that
12:55
parents have faced for many years.
12:58
You were so involved with your mom's day care growing up and
13:02
imagining, you know, one of those Children ever being put
13:06
in that situation, you're like, I need to, I need to make, I
13:09
mean, I think with the technology that we have and where we
13:12
are as a society for accidents like this to be happening, it's
13:17
I mean, there's, there's ways around this and I think that
13:20
that's kind of the idea behind my company just solving those
13:25
problems that have been there, but they just have not been
13:28
addressed and I'd love for you to go into the actual product
13:34
Like how does it work?
13:36
What is it, how can people even find it like?
13:39
So right now we're actually getting ready to develop Hot Seat
13:42
2.0 which yeah, which will be, that's right.
13:47
Just the cell phone app that that idea came around because
13:51
we really do want to make it accessible to as many users as possible
13:55
So Hot Seat now will just be an app that parents can, parents
13:58
grandparents, anyone can download.
14:00
Um And it'll be that reminder when you know, we have so many
14:04
other things going on in our minds.
14:06
What does the app actually do?
14:08
Like, how does it work?
14:09
So the initial version of hot seat actually connected to a
14:13
sensor on the baby's car seat.
14:15
So if a baby was in the seat and the cell phone was out of range
14:18
then the alarm would sound.
14:19
Um So now we're gonna move to just the hot seat app which will
14:23
make it more accessible for more users.
14:28
When is, when is that projected to be available to pe Yeah,
14:32
that we expect to be available in the next month or two.
14:35
Tell me about easy flow.
14:36
This is your new product.
14:37
It's not out yet, it's not out yet.
14:39
I'm very excited about easy flow.
14:41
We've been in the development process for the last year and
14:45
Um designing different prototypes and trying all sorts of
14:48
different ways to make this work.
14:50
But basically easy flow is designed to eliminate the hassle
14:54
and the waste of making a bottle on the go.
14:56
So right now, existing products require the use of multiple
15:01
Um single use plastics, single use plastic water bottles
15:04
We're eliminating the need for all of that by offering storage
15:07
for formula and water all within the same bottle.
15:10
So when parents are ready to feed the baby, they just twist
15:12
the lid and then the formula and water is combined and you're
15:16
That is so sustainable.
15:18
Do you have any goals for?
15:21
I think you know where my company has come in the last five years
15:25
is beyond my wildest dreams.
15:27
So I'm, I really am excited to see where we go.
15:30
But the goals that I have is just really to continue to expand
15:34
and to become one of those brands that parents can trust and
15:37
use um you know, wide widespread.
15:42
And I, I do want to touch upon just a little bit because you are
15:46
Latina and I wanted to ask you how your identity really has
15:51
you know, led you through all of your experiences.
15:56
Yeah, I definitely think that being Latina um gives you a different
16:00
experience and that's maybe something that I was kind of blind
16:03
about in the beginning too.
16:05
I never really thought of it as a reason for somebody to say
16:08
not invest in my company or not to, to work on our team, but
16:13
that was definitely there.
16:14
So I think that moving forward, I have learned that being Latina
16:18
and starting a business, it does put me in a unique position
16:22
and I think that there's a lot of good that, that can come from
16:26
Yeah, I think you're being like such a good role model to so
16:30
many people, you're involved with so many organizations
16:33
and you're obviously, you know, making a product that's,
16:39
No, I appreciate that so much.
16:41
But really, I mean, the support that I received starting my
16:45
company from my family and from the people around me, it's
16:48
just something that, that I can never, you know, a debt that
16:52
So I want to do as much as I can to be that support for the next
16:58
Do you have any other words or pieces of advice or just any insight
17:04
of, if someone has an idea, let's say, and has no idea where
17:09
to start, doesn't have any of the tools or resources to make
17:14
it happen or move forward.
17:16
What kind of advice would you have to them to give to them?
17:21
I think that what I've learned is that each state has so many
17:25
different resources to support entrepreneurs.
17:27
And it's really about connecting to that entrepreneurial
17:31
um spirit in your own community and finding those resources
17:35
that are available for small businesses for start ups and
17:39
you know, building that network is really gonna help because
17:44
I mean, in my, my situation, things have come full circle a
17:48
few times and I'm grateful for that.
17:50
So it's just about building that network.
17:52
Yeah, that's definitely really great advice.
17:54
Going back to when you met your patent lawyer and you were starting
18:00
this whole process of creating your patent and starting your
18:05
Please educate me because I have no idea what that whole process
18:09
You know, and, and mention your age again just to put it all
18:13
in context and perspective of the timeline.
18:15
What did those next couple of months of really building it
18:19
from the ground up look like for you.
18:21
So after we finished the science fair and, and all of that,
18:25
and I decided that that this is what I wanted to do.
18:28
I met with my patent attorney, we started filing the provisional
18:31
patent, we did all of the patent search.
18:34
Um We, we started with our initial drawings to submit with
18:39
And that is about a two year process to receive the, oh my gosh
18:43
that long to start from the provisional patent to the the
18:47
actual granted patent.
18:49
And in those two years, we also started working with engineers
18:52
to, to work on the design to work on the development of the,
18:57
And then from there, we moved on from prototype to raising
19:00
money to continue to prototype.
19:02
There were so many different versions that had to be built
19:06
and tested and built and tested over and over to reach the final
19:10
And that's something that we, we go through with every new
19:13
So it's the same with easy flow is it's a continuous development
19:17
process for every one design that works.
19:19
There gonna be, you know, three that don't.
19:22
So to get to that, that design that works is quite the process
19:27
I, I feel like that is kind of frustrating too, is like the amount
19:31
of time it takes to get that pattern and then go through all
19:35
the product testing definitely.
19:37
And I think that, that that's something too that, that you
19:40
kind of just have to go with each day but, but go with your mission
19:44
like, you know, what needs to be accomplished next and you
19:47
need to find like the steps to reach that.
19:50
A lot of it goes with raising money too for startups.
19:53
Funding is super important and making those connections
19:57
with V CS and with angel investors is also part of like the day
20:01
to day startup work.
20:03
So you, you have the product now you have the final version
20:08
So you're reaching out to these investors, investors.
20:12
So right now, we've, we're almost finished with our, with
20:16
our fundraise and we're getting ready to move into manufacturing
20:19
hopefully, hopefully by this fall.
20:21
Uh But also that is another pro process is finding the correct
20:25
manufacturers for what you're building.
20:27
Um Somebody that can, you know, has the capabilities for the
20:30
scale and the scope of what you're, what you're looking to
20:34
So what, what is like the day in the life of you then with being
20:39
like going through all of these and talking to you and, and
20:43
making sure your product is good and communicating with your
20:48
What does that look like for you?
20:49
Yeah, I think that one of the my favorite parts of my job is that
20:53
there is no two days that look the same.
20:55
It's not the typical 9 to 5.
20:57
And I think that, you know, some days it's just development
21:01
days where we're working with engineers, we're, you know
21:04
fine tuning a new design or we're trying to figure out what
21:07
to do with the design that didn't work where we go from there
21:10
The next day could just be about raising funds.
21:13
The next day is about, you know, travel to different competitions
21:16
or things that we're, that we're doing as a company, different
21:19
expos or things like that.
21:21
What was it like building your team, like reaching out to different
21:26
engineers and product developers?
21:29
Were, was there something that you were specifically looking
21:32
for when building your team?
21:35
So I knew the, the expertise that would be needed to build that
21:40
I knew we needed mechanical engineers, we needed electrical
21:44
Um and I was able to connect with the New Mexico Small Business
21:48
And through that, they helped me connect with engineers from
21:52
from huge um corporations and from, you know, some, like
21:56
some, like I can't say like where they, they work from, but
22:01
I was able to connect with those engineers and build those
22:04
relationships and they've just continued to work with us
22:09
I'm like learning so much of what it takes to build something
22:13
from the ground up, which I never had insight to.
22:16
It's a very exciting process.
22:18
Um just to see something, you know, coming to life that you've
22:21
just thought about before.
22:22
It's very exciting but then it's also, it can be frustrating
22:25
at times and there's also times where you, you think, well
22:28
maybe this, you know, can't work but it's just about finding
22:33
Did you ever have a moment where you were like, oh my God, maybe
22:37
I'm way in over my head.
22:38
This is not working out.
22:40
I think that funding and prototyping go hand in hand for every
22:46
You know, there's the funds that, that have to back it.
22:48
And for each version that you're building, you know, the funds
22:52
have to be, you know, more and more and more.
22:54
And I think that just making those two things mesh is what's
22:58
very stressful for most startups.
23:01
And so you push through that all of the trial and error before
23:05
that you're like, you know what, this is just part of the process
23:09
Like I know I'm gonna get to where I need to get to at, at times
23:12
It was kind of, you know, iffy in the beginning is like, well
23:16
can, can we do this because are we gonna be able to make this
23:20
And it was about two years until we, we were able to reach that
23:24
final version of everything meshed.
23:27
We, we finished the prototypes and we were able to launch,
23:30
yeah, that's crazy and amazing.
23:33
And like that, I think that speaks volumes to your determination
23:39
and like the the perseverance that you have because that's
23:43
not like, uh, that's a lengthy process, you know, and, and
23:47
I'm thinking about all of the future entrepreneurs, the future
23:51
business owners, people who want to be you, I can see them being
23:56
overwhelmed with the whole process or, or thinking like,
24:00
oh, this is so much and, and it's gonna take trial and error
24:06
What advice do you have to give to them, you know, to really
24:12
keep them moving forward and on that path?
24:15
Yeah, definitely set your goals, set your time frame and try
24:20
and find the people that are gonna help you reach those goals
24:22
And that time frame, I think that setting those goals and knowing
24:25
what the next step for you is, is so important because in a startup
24:30
things can seem chaotic and they can seem like what is the
24:35
And I think it's about finding what you know, is gonna be the
24:38
next best step or what you believe is gonna take you to that
24:41
next phase is all about.
24:44
I hear that a lot of like giving advice to people who want to
24:48
you know, do something like this is like creating that plan
24:51
and then surrounding yourself with people who are going to
24:55
uplift you and provide you that support versus keeping people
24:59
in your life who may be giving you bad advice or not really in
25:04
So that's definitely super important.
25:06
And I think one of the things that I learned after the first
25:09
year or two is that you really do need to surround yourself
25:13
I think a lot of times founders feel like they need to take it
25:16
on themselves to prove that they, that they can.
25:20
But I don't think that that's what makes the strongest company
25:23
That's really interesting that you say that because I actually
25:26
have a friend who is an entrepreneur and has her own business
25:30
that she's, you know, starting from the ground up as well.
25:33
And I can see a little bit of the pressure that she puts on herself
25:38
to take it on all on her own.
25:41
And I think seeing her growth throughout this process, she's
25:45
like, starting to figure out like, oh my God, I don't have to
25:49
I can reach out and I can add people in my life and get team members
25:55
to help take a little bit of the weight off.
25:58
And that is kind of like what people should be doing because
26:03
then you're gonna run into what burn out have you ever experienced
26:07
you know, running yourself, like, on empty.
26:12
And I think that, you know, going through through college
26:15
while also running my business, I felt like I was, you know
26:19
some days just like running on fumes.
26:21
I, I did not even know how I was getting through it.
26:24
And then looking back sometimes I'm like, I don't know how
26:26
I did it but I think that surrounding yourself with people
26:30
and knowing that because you, you can, you can give some of
26:34
that weight to another person.
26:35
It doesn't take anything away from you as a founder.
26:38
And also it doesn't, you know, it doesn't change your company
26:42
There's so many stereotypes that founders feel like they
26:44
have to live up to, um, they have to be this, this person that
26:48
knows it all, um can do it all, but there's, there's no such
26:53
And I think that admitting that and being able to find the people
26:56
that are going to help you and your company is so important
26:59
Do you have any last words?
27:01
Anything you want to share or say?
27:04
Yeah, I really want to thank you for having me on the podcast
27:07
This is really such a great mission behind, you know, sharing
27:10
stories of entrepreneurs and it really will inspire so many
27:13
more people I think.
27:15
Thank you for coming on to my podcast.
27:18
I really enjoyed speaking with you and hearing your story
27:21
I think it's so unique.
27:22
I think it's so impressive how young you started and how far
27:28
you've come and you're still so like young and have so much
27:33
So I'm really excited to see how your company grows, how you
27:38
continue to, you know, be a positive role model for, for young
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