WHO ARE YOU?
I am Julie Austin an award-winning author, inventor, futurist, and innovation keynote speaker. I've been featured in the books “Patently Female” and “Girls Think of Everything”.
My patented product, swiggies, wrist water bottles, have been a NASDAQ product of the year semi finalist and are currently sold in 24 countries. I've appeared on The Today Show, The Queen Latifa Show, HGTV, Lifetime, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX News, Inc. magazine, Fast Company, and the Wall Street Journal, along with dozens of TV shows, magazines and radio shows around the world.
WHAT did you do ?
I invented the first wrist water bottle.
HOW did you do it?
I applied for a patent while I got started on a prototype, which I made out of clay. Then I took it to a mold maker and had the first working product made. This was all before Shark Tank and I had no one to help me. I just figured it out on my own. I got the packaging made, ordered about 50,000 from the factory and started looking for distributors. I now have distributors in 25 countries.
WHEN did you start your company?
That's a tricky question because I didn't really roll the product out all at once. It took years before I built up any traction in the market. But by about 2005 I was flying back and forth to the factory and it was really taking off.
WHY are you innovating with this product or service?
I came up with the idea because I passed out from dehydration while running in the heat. I invented the product for myself first.
WHERE are you from? or where do you live now?
Los Angeles,CA, USA
INDUSTRY:
Health/sports
SOCIAL MEDIA :
@createforcash - Twitter
https://www.linkedin.com/in/innovationkeynotespeakerjulieaustin/
