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Hobbies: Spending time with my kids, fishing, spending time with my kids, fishing, bowling, and inventing
Favorite quote: HERE GOES SOMETHING
Background
Why did you decide to become an entrepreneur?
Kurt Smolek: I have always loved creating and inventing things. I would love to make a living at inventing things.
Who were your biggest influences?
Kurt Smolek: Both of my grandfather’s created things. I can remember making lamps from bowling pins and the other grandfather made picnic tables and wooden lawn ornaments. Both ad shops where they build things.
Was there a defining moment in your life?
Kurt Smolek: Probably when I had kids. It enforced my already passion of creating. I can bounce ideas off of them and get an honest opinion. I can use their youthful imagination combined with my education to create neat things.
Now
What are you working on?
Kurt Smolek: Connectimals.
How did you come up with this idea?
Kurt Smolek: My daughter cut a leg off of one of her stuffed animals and made it a 3-legged dog. She said it had been an accident (she wants to be a vet). This made me think about stuffed animals. Almost ever single kid grows up having them and adults even collect them. What more could I do to make them even more fun..? Make them interchangeable. Their paws, ears, and heads are all interchangeable. You can make a frog with pig ears and duck feet.
How is your product/service different and unique?
Kurt Smolek: You can make unique creations and animals from our invention. With our accessories you can also put on wings, hats, holiday items, etc on a plush toy.
What’s the vision?
Kurt Smolek: To make them available to anyone who wants them. We have already had a toy manufacturer make a prototype and now we are trying to get the funds to produce and manufacture all 5 (pig, frog, bear, duck and giraffe) in series 1.
Who are your customers?
Kurt Smolek: People who saw us on ABC’s The Toy Box are already contacting us. Kids love them. We are thinking about making a few of them in a limited color so adults can collect the rare limited ones.
How did you find them?
Kurt Smolek: We are going to use social media at the beginning and then hopefully get into a few stores.
Did you experience failure along the way?
Kurt Smolek: Magnets were a concern for the judges on the show along with small parts (ears). We have looked up toy regulations and are making our parts big enough to pass regulations and use magnets that aren’t “high” powered. We are going to keep everything kid safe.
What did you learn from it?
Kurt Smolek: We needed to do a lot of reading about safety and toy regulations.
Value-add questions
Give the readers the best entrepreneurship advice you have.
Kurt Smolek: Follow your dreams with an opened mind. Sometimes you may be onto a good idea but listen to good advice to make it great.
Teach us something about {internet marketing, social media ads, fundraising, sales funnels or another topic} Can you recommend any favorite websites to learn that topic?
Kurt Smolek: I have tried a kick started to get the money to manufacture our Connectimals but failed. Facebook is a good way to spread the word. There are many good articles on the internet of ho to accomplish you goals. We have a Connectimals Facebook page and webpage.
What should an entrepreneur focus on?
Kurt Smolek: That your idea doesn’t already exist. Do research once you come up with an idea. A patent is important but a copyright and trademark are cheaper and just as powerful.
What are some of your favorite books?
Kurt Smolek: Books on old and ancient inventions.
Where do you see yourself and your product in a couple years?
Kurt Smolek: In full production and it being my full time job. To have a series 2 and even a series 3 of Connectimals out and available for purchase. Possibly besides just animals to also move into comic and superhero characters and have them interchangeable as well. You could create weird and unique characters.
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