If you had told me last May that in 12 months I would be an entrepreneur, patenting and getting ready to launch a fitness product, I would have laughed– hard! “Yeah”, I would have said, “that’s exactly what I need to add to my already full plate.” Single parenting two teenagers, running a busy consulting practice, volunteering at two schools, maintaining a house and two dogs… Entrepreneur-ing was definitely NOT on my radar.

But you just never know what will happen in this crazy life. Last June , a product idea came to me. I was rolling out a massive leg cramp with my foam roller. I knew it was good for me, but the roller was so hard and the pain excruciating. My hot pad waited — plugged in and ready to go — a soothing reward awaiting if I could survive the roller torture. All of a sudden — a lightbulb! What if the roller itself could be warmed up? That would be amazing! It would be an incentive to get on the roller — like an incredible, self-administered hot stone massage!

You know how it usually is when you think of cool product ideas. You have the idea, congratulate yourself on being so smart and innovative, and then promptly forget about it. But this time was different. I could FEEL the idea of a thermal roller. It was simple, elegant and I KNEW people would want it. It wasn’t that I chose to be an entrepreneur — it somehow chose ME! And I HAD to get off my butt and make it happen!

So here I am 12 months later. With a patent pending, two amazing business partners, a final prototype, branding, a marketing plan and a SharkTank audition under my belt. It hasn’t been an easy year. The next twelve months won’t be easy either. But it’s not about easy any more. It’s about Thermaroller — a product that I love, believe in and can’t wait to share with the world.