Interview with Rupal Asodaria, founder of NursElet ®
(This interview was originally shared by Women of Wearables-Inspiring, connecting and supporting women in Wearable Tech, Fashion Tech, IoT, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality)
Rupal Asodaria is a mom, inventor and founder of NursElet ®. She lives with her family in Fremont, California.
What is the idea behind your product and how did you come up with it?
They say necessity is the mother of invention and it truly was in my case. The NursElet Nursing Bracelet idea was born from my real life challenges. I’m a huge advocate of breastfeeding and when I was feeding my second child a little over 3 years ago, I noticed that I started developing back pain and neck strain because of improper posture while trying to keep my shirt from falling onto the baby.
When did it all start and do you have other members on your team?
I got an idea about 3.5 years ago and started working on it right away after getting positive feedback on my initial prototype from several new moms, lactation consultants and pediatricians. I created NursElet Nursing Bracelet in hopes of solving the genuine struggle of breastfeeding or pumping mothers. NursElet holds a nursing mother’s shirt up during breastfeeding and provides a hands free solution to hold her baby to make a clear latch; when nursing is done, NursElet can become her bracelet and help remind her which breast she needs to feed her baby with next. One less thing to remember! NursElet has an ability to transform an entire wardrobe instantly to be breastfeeding friendly and save her thousands of dollars on buying breastfeeding friendly clothes. She can enjoy her pre-pregnancy clothes and feel dignity not having embarrassing leaks on shirts especially in the workplace
As of now, I’m one woman show, however, I have amazing support from my husband, friends and family whenever I need.
How long did it take you to be where you are now?
It took lot of sleepless nights, tons of amounts of hard work, patience, trial and error, failure, achievement, and frustration. In the end, determination got me to where I am now. I come from an entrepreneurial family, and I believe that the real experience of watching my family hustling and making it happen helped me to stay positive and move forward with my mission.
What was the biggest obstacle?
To run a small business itself is challenging. It’s very hard to define just one big obstacle as whenever an obstacle (small or big) comes, it feels like it’s the biggest but once you get used to it, it’s easy to understand and react to it. There’s a solution for everything if you look hard enough!
What are your biggest achievements to date?
I would say owning the utility patent from USPTO is my biggest achievement as of now.
What are the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the niche you are in? How about being a female founder?
Sometimes it’s hard to prove what we’re capable of being as a female entrepreneur however our work can speak for itself. I believe surrounding yourself with liked minded and positive people to keep you motivated to get going is very important.
Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?
Yes, because there should be no gender gap difference in this era.
What is the most important piece of advice you can give to all female founders and female entrepreneurs out there?
I would say no success is overnight success. It takes a great amount of persistence and passion to follow your own dreams. Take one step at a time and keep your eyes on your prize. Find your tribe and make a connection with those who can understand your ideas and your vision. No dream is too small but the power is yours.
What will be the key trends in the women’s health space in the next 5 years and where do you see it heading?
I believe generally, women have an extra ability to manage tasks efficiently. I foresee lots of women entrepreneurs will be born in next 5 years and will be reaching the horizon. The internet is a great tool to make this happen!
Who are your 3 inspirational women in tech?
Sheryl Sandberg, Marissa Mayer, Sara Blakely (though she is not from IT) but I admire her a lot.
See the latest product from NursElet, the NursElet Convertible Diaper Bag launching on Kickstarter!
Website: www.NursElet.com
Instagram: @NursEletGlobal
Twitter: @NursEletGlobal
Facebook: @NursElet
Pinterest: @NursElet