Meet Innovative Woman Meghan Khaitan inventor and founder of MyBuckleMate.
1. How/why did you begin your business?
MyBuckleMate came to be because our three kids (10, 7 and 4 at the time) always struggled to buckle up in the back and they wanted desperately to do it themselves. I’d taken it for granted for years until my husband complained about it one day and we started looking for a solution (if there’s anything I like to encourage, it’s getting Dad to take the kids out for a day)! When we found nothing on the market that made floppy buckles easier to use, we thought, “Why don’t we make something? We could do that!” We aren’t design engineers, but with CAD freeware and a lot of ingenuity, we came up with a great starting point to take to a plastics manufacturer and spent a couple of years building, testing and refining the product from there.
2. What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
By the time we were ready to launch MyBuckleMate and produce it on a large scale, I felt exactly like the Tank Gang at the end of Finding Nemo when they plop into the Sydney Harbor and realize, “Now what?”
Coming up with the idea for MyBuckleMate and bringing it to life was one thing, but building a brand in an entirely new product category with limited resources and knowledge opened up a wilderness. One of the best business decisions I ever made was joining Her Corner, a networking organization of women entrepreneurs based in DC (now national). This is how I found our marketing firm, business attorney, warehouse/fulfillment provider – virtually all of the advisors and consultants who have helped us make MyBuckleMate a nationally recognized brand. I have learned so much from other entrepreneurs and it’s amazing how open people are to sharing their insights and experience.
3. How do you define SUCCESS?
Success for me has been a personal journey. Before founding MyBuckleMate, I had left my career to raise my 3 children for 8 years. Being out of the workforce gave me a lot of flexibility and time to devote to my family, which I’m grateful for. But once I started MyBuckleMate, I realized how important having something to pursue for myself is. It’s given me newfound confidence, a wider world-view and challenged me to do more than I expected of myself before. Now that my two oldest daughters are at an age where they are starting to think about their future aspirations more seriously, I want them to know that they have a hand in how their lives unfold and that they can achieve great things if they set their mind to it.
4. If there was one thing you wish you knew before you began your business, what would that be?
I wish I knew how exhilarating it is . . . maybe I would have started a new business earlier in my life. Fear of failure and the unknown is much worse than actual failure.
5. What makes you an innovative woman?
I believe I have the power and ability to make positive changes in my life and the lives of others each day. I also believe there’s always opportunity to change course and start anew – as long as I stay true to myself. A friend of mine is a Montessori teacher and when she asked her class of 3 year olds what they want to be when they grow up, one little girl said, “I want to be myself.” How beautiful and insightful! I also have a magnet on my refrigerator with a photo of Sarah Bernhardt and Oscar Wilde’s quote: “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” It’s one of the first things I see every morning and gives me a quick dose of humor, humility and inspiration to start my day.
To find out more about Meghan or MyBuckleMate, visit www.MyBuckleMate.com or connect on Facebook or Twitter. Her product makes it easier for children, those with special needs, and seniors to fasten their seat belts and buckle up!