Health Tech: Micheal Londo Of Body Balance System On How Their Technology Can Make An Important Impact On Our Overall Wellness
An Interview With David Leichner
Believe in yourself. Embrace challenges but never doubt your abilities. Reflect on the technological marvels around us — all designed and developed by people who believed in their ideas. I’m willing to explore and support your project, whether through advice or potentially taking it through the manufacturing process. Trust yourself; you can overcome challenges and see your project through.
In recent years, Big Tech has gotten a bad rep. But of course many tech companies are doing important work making monumental positive changes to society, health, and the environment. To highlight these, we started a new interview series about “Technology Making An Important Positive Social Impact”. We are interviewing leaders of tech companies who are creating or have created a tech product that is helping to make a positive change in people’s lives or the environment. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Micheal Londo, Founder and CEO of Body Balance System.
Micheal Londo, founder and CEO, started Body Balance System to help his daughter who was born with a rare disorder and he found a need in the health industry. Today the company is proud to present the OvationULT bed as the most effective red-light bed in the industry and the ONLY bed designed for red-light therapy. To learn more, please visit https://bodybalancesystemonline.com
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?
I grew up in a family that designed and built many incredible things. They built homes, apartments, airplanes, cars, and my grandfather even built a full-scale replica of Napoleon’s Carriage. I wanted to be an architect from a very young age and started drawing plans for people in about 8th grade earning good money for that age. I was always encouraged to build things myself, was not given many toys as a kid, but was always given what I needed to build something.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
That is a tough one, there are many interesting stories surrounded by all the people we have helped over the 19 years we have been around. Probably the biggest thing is just seeing the company go from its first year doing $40,000, not really taking it seriously, to realizing there might be a business here and building a website. The second year we made $1.2 million in sales.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I have been blessed to have many people along the way that have helped the company. I guess I would have to say my favorite was Dr. Ronald Cussan, a physicist that helped with some of our product development in the early years. Ron was always a breath of fresh air when he came into the office to help, it certainly was one of the highlights of the day when he was there.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My mom for many, many years when I would get discouraged about something, especially developing something, would say, “Remember Dyson [vacuums] built over 5000 prototypes before he got it right.” That really makes you sit back and think. I never go into building or developing something questioning if I can do it. To me, my attitude is: If I thought of it, it can be done. I have not always been successful developing things, but I always take away the knowledge of what I learned by trying. Many times in my life I have fallen back on something that I tried and did not achieve, but it always seems to help me in the future.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Ha, the first would be my dad’s influence on work. As a kid when summer break was getting close, all my friends would be getting excited. Not me; it meant 12-hour days, 6 days a week on the construction site. My dad built apartment buildings for himself and always had a project for us when we got out of school. Hated it as a kid, but it taught me an intense ability to work. I am probably a workaholic.
- I mentioned earlier, but my attitude of never looking at something and deciding I cannot do it has been key. I will be the first to say I don’t always do it, or it does not turn out great, but to me it is the experience of doing and trying — without deciding I can’t. I feel many people get into things or even just look at them and say they can’t do it. I have never understood that, how would you know you can’t if you don’t try? I own an electronic business basically; I had ZERO electronic background when I started the company. I just knew I had a mission and an idea to build a product that there was a huge need for in the wellness industry. So, it took me a few months to figure it out and those first units were crude, but they worked great.
- Lastly, I would say my ability to ask for help when I need it, I just have never been afraid of asking. I know I don’t know everything, not even close, but I know someone else out there knows the answer. I would say this happens in both my personal and business life. I have been through some very tough things in my personal life and have never been afraid, more excited to see a life coach or counselor to help with the issues. I feel I have always been a better person since then. Business wise if I venture into something unknown again, I will find someone that knows the area I am trying to learn about and ask for help. I just don’t have that ego that I know everything, learning new things is a pleasant part of life.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about the technology or medical devices that you are helping to create that can make a positive impact on our wellness. To begin, which particular problems are you aiming to solve?
Industry regulation, end user customer education, and quality of light intensity.
How do you think your technology can address this?
The red-light industry is very unregulated. Yes, it’s a Class II Medical device and requires a company to be FDA Registered, yet most companies are not actually registered at all. Most of the consumers out there are not aware of this and don’t know how important it really is. By being FDA registered, it means you adhere to important regulations that protect the consumer buying the equipment and the end consumers using it.
I take it very personally that we have the best product on the market. It’s extremely important to me. When I design a new product, it’s not just to ‘jump on the bandwagon’ of something new to make a quick buck. Sure, it’s nice paying the bills and enjoying life but, for me, I need to know we have the best.
We spend hours and hours researching and developing and always making our product better; most companies selling this equipment don’t even build it, they buy the product from someone else without knowing anything about the build process. They have no idea if an issue comes up how to deal with it, so it can sometimes get swept under the rug.
Red-light therapy is a very tricky thing. First, the light source needs to be as close to the body as possible for best results. Our bed is the ONLY bed on the market that was designed to be a red-light therapy bed and achieve the closeness required. ALL other companies use the tanning bed design, which was great for tanning beds but horrible for red-light beds. Either these companies don’t do the research into their product, they tell the consumer it works a certain way, or they just don’t care, and their only focus is selling.
In red-light therapy, there is a measurement called mW/cm2, or milliwatts per square centimeter. This is like saying my car has 500 HP: When I say HP, you understand that and know what it means. Well mW/cm2 is that measurement of power for red-light or light intensity.
We have tested competitors’ beds to verify what they report to their buyers, and we have found that they are not nearly as capable as our bed. Through our research, we have discovered all the things that affect this measurement and how it can be manipulated to make a product look much better than it really is in terms of light intensity.
The first thing that affects this intensity number is the thickness of the clear polycarbonate over the LED diodes. If you take a special meter that measures this light intensity and place it directly on the LED diode, on our bed you get 128 mW/cm2. On our beds we use a 1/32” thick polycarbonate, whereas most competitors must use a 1/8” thick polycarbonate because of their poor designs. With our 1/32” thick polycarbonate over the LED diode, the intensity number drops to 75 mW/cm2. With a standard 1/8” polycarbonate, it drops to 31 mW/cm2.
Now, the big killer in red light therapy is distance, distance kills. With even just a 1” gap from the LED diode to the body you can lose 60% to 70% of the light intensity.
Consumers don’t know this stuff, and it’s what we want to educate the consumers on.
We have gone out and measured all the big competitors and gotten readings as low as 2.8 mW/cm2 with an average high of 13.4 mW/cm2 on top of the polycarbonate, where it would be in contact with the body. Research suggests this metric should be between 30 mW/cm2 and 100 mW/cm2. Ours is an average of 68 mW/cm2.
Remember the HP point I made? Well, do you want a bed that only has 10 HP or a bed that has 68HP? More isn’t always better, but in this case, it is.
We have potential clients call us up while doing their shopping, asking what bed to buy. Many have been told some of the craziest things in order to persuade them to buy a company’s product.
I can’t make it more plain: We have the strongest bed on the market, and we can prove it! I stand by that.
Yes, every company out there that builds anything will tell you they have the best. If you are considering purchasing a red-light therapy bed in your area, call us up. We will ship you a meter for FREE. Go buy a session on the bed you are considering, measure it, and you will be very surprised.
Send the meter back to us, and on video, we will take the box you shipped it in, open it on video, and then measure our bed to show transparently that our bed is better. The proof is on the meter! It does not manipulate results, and it is not even adjustable. What you will see on the meter is proof that we do have the strongest bed on the market.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
Everyone has a hero in life; mine just happens to be my daughter. She was born with a very rare condition called Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), causing her to be born without the instinct to breathe.
At birth, she never took a breath. I hear the nurse in the delivery room whisper to the doctor, “Doctor, she is not breathing.” Hearing that will send the most nauseating chill through your body.
Fortunately, there was a neonatologist that was just walking out of the hospital; he heard the code and came back in to see if he could help, and he did.
My daughter spent the first six months of her life in the hospital and finally came home to our own makeshift mini-ICU, with 24-hour nursing. Watching all the things my daughter went through in her life, from surgeries, doctors, hospital visits, being teased… She taught me that we are capable of anything. If she did it, so can I.
Throughout her life, I saw and still see so many things that obviously were not designed or used by the person that designed them. That is what took me out of the new home construction business and into the medical world.
I just wanted to help people’s lives be better. Ours was very rough at times, so helping others in their rough times makes me feel successful. All this, because I was blessed with two very amazing kids who both went through more than most kids will ever experience.
How do you think this might change the world?
It already is, and for that I am very proud. I am rarely proud of the things I have done; and I have been told I have done some amazing things.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
The technology is truly amazing, the drawbacks are companies that are too focused on profits and not actually selling a top product.
Based on your experience and success, can you please share “Five things you need to know to successfully create technology that can make a positive social impact”?
1. Start with an idea. Pay close attention to your daily experiences, noticing things you do, see, or use. Sometimes, groundbreaking innovations come from reimagining even the most common items. In my case, while raising my daughter and addressing her medical needs, I observed poorly designed products that lacked user-centric features. Socially impactful ideas can range from simple and basic to highly technological.
2. Remember, any idea can make it to market. I ventured into electronics without any prior training. Break down your idea into manageable components, and you can collaborate with others or companies for design and development without revealing the entire concept. For electronic projects, protect your idea with a signed non-disclosure agreement. There’s always someone who can help you materialize your idea.
3. Prioritize marketing. While not my forte, there are experts available. Before engaging with a company, conduct a Google search for any complaints and invest some time in researching them. Learn from my experiences; a cautious approach can save you from potential setbacks. Consider partnerships that are performance-based rather than requiring substantial upfront payments.
4. Don’t fear manufacturing. If you lack the expertise, research and the internet can guide you. Utilize tools like 3D printers or explore manufacturing options in your industry. You can even assemble components from different vendors or assemble the final product yourself.
5. Believe in yourself. Embrace challenges but never doubt your abilities. Reflect on the technological marvels around us — all designed and developed by people who believed in their ideas. I’m willing to explore and support your project, whether through advice or potentially taking it through the manufacturing process. Trust yourself; you can overcome challenges and see your project through.
Can you share a few best practices that you recommend to safeguard your technology or medical devices from hackers?
I have never focused on patents; however, we are considering it. You ask how to safeguard our products, which is simple: Build them from your heart and your desire to truly help others, make that your focus, and the financial success will follow. I design and build from my heart; it just makes our products the best. That is how I safeguard our product, because they are so hard to develop. Because of the design, others do not follow.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Follow your dream. No idea is stupid or unachievable. If that were true, we would still be living in caves. Call me and I will help you achieve your dream.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
That person is Mark Cuban! Watching him on Shark Tank (I tried out for the show once) I was just very impressed with him; he seemed to respect everyone that presented. He may not have liked or been interested in their product, but to me he just had heart in it all; he cared. I also am very impressed with his life story, he truly can be proud of his accomplishments. He reminds me of Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. Being a racing fan, Lewis, Michael, and Mark, they all have that same attitude in life — they earned what they have the hard way.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Our website is bodybalancesystem.com or you can email me at mlondo@bodybalancesystem.com
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.
About The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At Cybellum, a leading provider of Product Security Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York.
