What It's About
A kid-designed solution to an uncomfortable situation.
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
After weeks of protesting every cup she brought her son, Brandi finally told Kyler, “If you don’t like something, quit complaining about it and come up with a solution!” This is how Comfy Cup came to fruition, and many successful side hustles are born out of the dissatisfaction people experience from using products and services on a daily basis.
Is there something that you know could be improved? Stop complaining, and take action!
Fun Fact
Encouraged by their early success, the Russells show no signs of slowing down. In addition to expanding their sizes to accommodate tweens, teens, and adults, they’re looking to develop a new product using similar materials for more comfortable shinguards. And that’s not all—this year they hired a liaison to help them get their Comfy Cups on supermarket shelves, and they’ve even applied to be featured on the popular show, Shark Tank (fingers crossed)!
Notes from Chris
Episode 146
Three years ago, Kyler Russell was an eight-year-old baseball player in Lenexa, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. Kyler loved baseball but didn’t love the bulky equipment that boys are required to wear when playing sports. Brandi bought him every different athletic cup available on the market—from the shelves of their local sporting goods stores to the depths of Amazon.com, but they were all, well… a pain in the crotch. After weeks of protest, Brandi finally told Kyler, “If you don’t like something, quit complaining about it and come up with a solution!” Cue the Comfy Cup™. Kyler came to his mom the very next day with the idea to invent an athletic cup that’s “soft, lightweight, and moves with your body” as he says. The mother-son duo crafted a one-of-a-kind, hand-sewn cup right in their living room, using foam, fabric, and Brandi’s trusty sewing machine. This self-described “battle-tested, kid-approved” arts-and-crafts project has come a long way since then—the Comfy Cup™ is now available from various online retailers including Amazon.com, as well as their own e-commerce website that launched this past April. One retailer, a Massachusetts-based site called The Grommet, specializes in “products with a purpose, invented by people with stories.” The Comfy Cup™ fits this bill: purpose-driven, check; unique people with a unique story, check and check. They reached another milestone this past April when the business broke even. Sales are now consistently over $5,000 per month! Brandi says that the best part of this Side Hustle, in particular, is seeing her son’s idea become a reality. She remembers when they produced their first 1,000 cups and she thought to herself, “how in the world are we going to sell all these?” They were sold in just a few months. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Comfy Cup™: Learn more about the Russells and Kyler's ingenious cup design on their website!
- Amazon | Comfy Cup™: The Comfy Cup™ store page on Amazon
- The Grommet: The company that helped Brandi and Kyler get their product out to a larger audience
- How To Find a Manufacturer or Supplier for Your Product Idea: Learn more about how you can find a manufacturer for your product
- Clothing Store Salesman Invents Baby Harness, Earns $100k Per Year: An innovative salesman creates a baby harness that benefits both parent and child, all the while creating a six-figure side income for himself.
- Hair Salon Owner Designs Mittens for Cold Runners: An avid runner has a difficult time finding gloves or mittens that feel comfortable enough for running while also keep her fingers warm in the winter. She decides to make her own and pursues a patent for her idea.
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To infinity and beyond,
