Feb. 1: How Poom Poom got its start

If, while talking to me, you think I'm not paying attention, it's not on purpose. I'm just somewhere else at the moment. The past five years of my life have been a non-stop, crazy whirlwind. Exciting as it has been exhausting.

I am a single mom with three children who, at the time of my divorce in January 2002, were 7, 5 and 2 years old. I am slightly outnumbered and incredibly busy. I work from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 96X WROX and from 7 p.m. to midnight on 93.7 Bob FM, formerly The Coast. I also freelance as a voice-talent for Studio Center, an International Production Studio, headquartered in Virginia Beach.

As life got busier, it seemed each day became shorter.

Right about the time I was getting a picture of what my wits end would look like, John Mayer's album, "Heavier Things," was released. I found myself listening to it constantly. His romantic, caring, compassionate lyrics spoke to me. Alone and Fairy Godmother-less, I swept and cleaned and washed late into each night. Cinderella had the handsome prince. I had John Mayer. "Now there," I thought, "was a man who knew how to treat a woman." Enter infatuation. I wanted romance. I wasn't getting romance--so I listened to it.

What could a girl do?

Invent a pillow, perhaps.

I'll never forget the moment. It was Thanksgiving Day 2003, at my sister's house in Fairfax, Va. I was irritated that John Mayer wasn't there to spend the holiday with me. As I walked into the shower, I thought, "I should just make a pillow of the man. That way, he'd be with me wherever I went." Just a fleeting thought, of course. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought about how brilliant it was. There wasn't a real-life picture pillow out there in the market, as far as I knew.

Without much effort, idea after idea flowed out like an uncorked bottle of champagne just waiting for a celebration. A pillow shaped like a person. A real picture of John Mayer imprinted on cotton and stuffed with cotton.

I'll make it even more realistic by including not only the front image, but the back as well.

Tastefully done, of course, and we'll have him pose in his pajamas. What should I call this pillow? Poom Poom! It came to me, just like that. Poom Poom was a pet name my dad used to call me and my two sisters, when we were kids. In the days and weeks that followed, I thought about this idea. I talked to my best friends about it. I knew that I was absolutely onto something. I came up with the slogan, "Sleep Famously." Just brilliant! I couldn't let it be a thought that went away. I started taking tiny steps. I Googled just about anything that had to do with pillows, celebrities, musicians and images. The Internet was void of a similar product.

The door was open. I knew that if I walked through that door, things would happen. Poom Poom could no longer be just an idea that I kept in my head. I had to keep walking.

We all think about goals. But, you can't score points with a thought. You have to move. Action is the first step.

I have not taken any business courses in college. So with every day and with each step, I learn. I would love to hear from you. Your input is more than welcome, as well as your questions. This could turn out to be a forum for all aspiring entrepreneurs.

There is much ground to cover, so watch for my next post. I'll show you how Poom Poom got its color and how I became a Poom Poom.