Jean's Blog

Entrepreneur Fridays: Myself Belts

Posted by Jean

WHO: Sister duo Talia Bahr Goldfarb and Danielle Bahr Eason

WHAT: Myself Belts; a line of belts for children and adults featuring a one-handed patented belt closure which allows the wearer to open and close their belt easily with only one hand

WHEN: 2003

WHERE: St. Louis, Missouri

HOW: When Goldfarb’s son ditched his diapers, the idea for Myself Belts was born. “We discovered a void in the marketplace when my son was 3 and became potty trained. Without the bulk of his diaper, his pants didn’t fit him correctly anymore and when we searched for a belt, we discovered that there were not any belts on the market that young children could actually use independently,” says Goldfarb.

From there, Goldfarb and Eason took their idea and ran with it. “We did a patent search and discovered that our idea was actually an invention. We patented the Myself Belts’ belt closure and then began the steps of actually manufacturing our line of belts,” says Goldfarb. Using their own personal savings, the sisters took a risk, put five figures into launching the business and ordered 10,000 belts before receiving any orders from stores. Thankfully, trusting their instincts paid off. “By the time our belts arrived, we already had 100 stores that had placed orders from a marketing mailing that we had sent out while the belts were in production. We were pretty relieved that our instinct was correct!” says Goldfarb. Today, Myself Belts are sold in retail stores across the country and on a variety of websites including Target.com.

When Myself Belts officially launched in September 2004, Goldfarb, a former social worker and therapist dedicated herself fully to the company. Her sister went from working full-time to part-time as a financial planner for a wine company. “We were both very happy in our previous professions and had never planned to become entrepreneurs. It didn’t take long for the business to require our full attention,” says Goldfarb.

Within their first year of business Goldfarb and Eason’s business was profitable. To date, the sisters have sold over one million dollars worth of belts, and despite the state of the economy, they’re actually seeing revenues that are up 20-25% from last year. Their belts are increasingly in the spotlight too—thanks to a following of celebrity fans. “We have heard from celebrities like Courtney Cox, Brooke Shields, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Shaquille O’Neal who all love their Myself Belts. Last week Madonna’s daughter Mercy was photographed wearing a Myself Belt,” says Goldfarb.

THEIR ADVICE: According to these sisters, one of the most important things you can do when starting your own business is asking questions. “Our best tip of advice is to ask questions. Ask, ask, ask!” says Goldfarb. “We have found that people are extremely helpful and generous in sharing knowledge and it never hurts to just reach out to someone and make that phone call,” she adds. For these sisters, customer service is key too—especially when your company is small. “When you have a small business, I think that customer service is the element that can separate a company from the pack,” says Goldfarb. “Having customers understand who you are and what your intention is with your product is of utmost importance. We pride ourselves on keeping our customers happy and building a customer base that is supportive and rooting for us because we’re just like them,” adds Goldfarb.

Would you like to win a Myself Belt? Click here and write “Myself Belt” in the message box.