My husband, Steve, came home that evening, and I immediately ran to the door to greet him with my homemade Finders Key Purse ® (FKP). As a souvenir consultant, my husband had made mugs, keychains, and magnets by the thousands, so when I saw him smile, I knew HE knew we had something.
What were your initial goals?
That night I told Steve that we were going to make millions selling this key chain. His smile disappeared when he realized that now HE was going to have to get involved in yet another one of those “Sandy” ideas. I insisted that this idea was the answer to my prayer, and nothing and no one would be able to dissuade me from getting it on the market.
What process did you follow to develop a prototype?
My husband had worked with manufacturers in China for the past 25 years, so I asked for his help in getting my rough prototype turned into a full-fledged working prototype. Once I saw the “real deal,” I was even more certain that I could do this.
How long did it take to launch the company?
It took just over six months to get FKPs on the market.
What’s behind your company name?
The company’s name is Alexx, Inc. Alex is the name of my son and my father. Thus Alexx, the company name, has one “x” for the past and one “x” for the future.
Was there anyone who said you couldn’t / shouldn’t do this?
Steve introduced me to one of his mentors—a multi-millionaire—who had owned several gift companies. He told me he liked the FKP, but was certain that it could never do much in the marketplace, because it was just one item—and no one would want to sell one item. He suggested that I sell the idea to another company and forget doing it myself. I got a second opinion from another similar source, who had the same advice. They both said that I could not succeed with a company that sold just one item.
But the more I heard “no,” the more determined I was to make this happen. I set out to create my own sales force among my flight attendant friends and other friends and acquaintances who thought FKP was a great idea. I devised a sales plan that would enable everyone to make a good amount of extra “fun” money—or even create a full source of income, if that’s what they wanted.
