When Krista Woods set out to solve her son's smelly sports gear problem, she had no idea it would lead to appearances on national television, a Shark Tank deal, and a multimillion-dollar business. The journey of GloveStix from garage invention to viral product sensation is an inspiring entrepreneurial story filled with valuable lessons for aspiring business owners.
The Stinky Problem That Started It All
Like many great inventions, GloveStix was born out of necessity. Krista's son played travel lacrosse, and the smell of his sweaty gear had become unbearable. As Krista recalls:
"It really got bad when my son started playing travel lacrosse in middle school. And I was like, it was so bad. And we were stuck with the gear in the car and then we'd be stuck with the gear in the hotel and all the parents would talk about it. Like, what do you do for this smell, the smell we try everything nothing would work."
Krista tried every odor-eliminating product on the market, but nothing worked effectively or safely. Many products contained harsh chemicals that concerned her. Determined to find a better solution, Krista decided to invent her own product.
From Kitchen Experiment to Working Prototype
With no background in product development or manufacturing, Krista dove headfirst into research mode. She spent months learning everything she could about odor-causing bacteria, moisture-wicking materials, and antimicrobial technologies.
"I started obsessing, literally obsessing," Krista says. "I googled everything that had to do with odor and stink and how it stinks and why it stinks. I asked everybody I knew that played the sport, what they had tried? What they had done? If anything had worked?"
After experimenting with different materials and designs, Krista and her husband created the first GloveStix prototype in their garage. Remarkably, that initial design is still the core product GloveStix sells today, four years later.
The key innovation was combining moisture-absorbing materials with antimicrobial silver ion technology used in hospitals. This dual-action approach both eliminates odor-causing bacteria and prevents new growth.
Taking the Leap from Idea to Business
With a working prototype in hand, Krista faced the daunting prospect of turning her invention into an actual business. She had zero experience in manufacturing, e-commerce, or entrepreneurship. But her passion for the product and desire to help other sports parents pushed her forward.
"Everything I do right now in my job is brand new," Krista explains. "So I totally taught myself everything from how to invent a product, how to go through manufacturing, how to start logistics, how to open up a website, how to do any sort of e-commerce or Facebook marketing or Facebook pages, everything was just trial and error."
A key early decision was determining how much they were willing to invest – and potentially lose – to get the business off the ground. Krista and her husband set a budget based on savings they had set aside for their son's college fund. While a risky move, it gave them a clear limit on their initial investment.
Boots on the Ground Marketing
With their first manufacturing run complete, Krista hit the road to start selling GloveStix directly to customers. She became a vendor at youth sports tournaments, setting up a tent to demonstrate and sell the product to parents and athletes.
This grassroots approach allowed Krista to get immediate feedback and refine her sales pitch. It also helped expand the product's potential market beyond just lacrosse. Customers started using GloveStix for hockey, soccer, and other gear.
"I would start contacting, I started by contacting all the events that my son's lacrosse team was playing in that next summer," Krista recalls. "So I was like, we're going to this event, that event, that lacrosse event. Let me contact the tournament managers and see how much it is to vend? What do I need to do? And so that's how it started."
While exhausting, this direct sales approach gave GloveStix the initial traction and proof-of-concept it needed. Krista's passion and genuine interactions with customers helped spread word-of-mouth buzz about the product.
The Power of "Yes, And…"
A key factor in GloveStix's growth was Krista's openness to customer feedback and willingness to expand the product's use cases. Rather than rigidly defining what GloveStix was for, she embraced new applications customers discovered.
"Pretty quick and that was due to mostly customer feedback," Krista explains. "So as the product was coming out as I started my social media pages and things like that. So I initially had GloveStix. So that's what they were called because they were for Athletic Clubs and real quickly like my daughter was dating a guy used to be soccer goalie and he was like, my god soccer goalie gloves stink too."
This "yes, and…" approach allowed GloveStix to expand into a much larger market than Krista initially imagined. Soon customers were using the product for shoes, boots, helmets and more. This led to the development of StankStix, a more versatile version of the original product.
Leveraging Social Media and Personal Networks
While Krista had no formal marketing training, she intuitively understood the power of social media and personal networks to spread the word about GloveStix. She constantly posted about the business on Facebook, asking friends for advice, connections and support.
"One of the things I think that I did really, really well was I used my friend group that's on Facebook," Krista says. "I mean, what's the point of having 1000 friends if you're not going to use their resources? And I was like, Hey, does anyone know anyone who does this? Does anyone have any connections with anyone who does this? I'm trying to invent a product. Has anyone ever done that before?"
This approach helped Krista find manufacturing partners, get advice on business challenges, and build an enthusiastic base of early customers and supporters. By being open about her journey, she turned her personal network into a powerful asset for the growing business.
The Today Show Breakthrough
After eight months of nonstop weekend events and direct sales, Krista was feeling burnt out. She knew she needed to find a way to reach a much larger audience. That's when a friend texted her about the Today Show's "Next Big Thing" competition for entrepreneurs.
Initially skeptical, Krista decided to apply at the last minute. To her shock, she was selected as one of nine finalists to pitch live on the Today Show. With no TV experience, Krista had to quickly prepare for a national spotlight.
"I pitch live, I made it to the finals on the last day there were three of us and then I got picked the winner," Krista recalls. "So America voted me to the finals. And then the Today Show and QVC reps voted me the winner."
The prize was huge – a chance to sell GloveStix on QVC the very next day. With barely 24 hours to prepare, Krista found herself whisked from the Today Show studios to QVC headquarters for a crash course in TV sales.
QVC Success and the Power of Authenticity
Despite her lack of experience, Krista's QVC appearance was a massive hit. GloveStix sold out in just 7.5 minutes on air. The secret to her success? Simply being herself.
"I think that's my faith that comes through, like my trust in myself to know that if I myself, people are going to like me, if I pretend to be somebody else, the camera is going to see it and the people on the other side of the camera are going to see it," Krista explains.
Rather than trying to memorize a polished sales script, Krista spoke about GloveStix the same way she did at sports tournaments. Her genuine enthusiasm and mom-to-mom relatability resonated with viewers.
This experience taught Krista a valuable lesson about authenticity in marketing and media appearances. By embracing her true personality and story, she was able to connect with audiences in a much more powerful way than a slick, over-rehearsed pitch.
Riding the PR Wave
The Today Show and QVC appearances catapulted GloveStix to a new level of visibility and sales. It also gave Krista a taste for the thrill and impact of national media exposure. She began actively seeking out more PR and media opportunities, including:
- Multiple return appearances on QVC
- Winning a Sam's Club/SCORE American Small Business Championship award
- Features on other TV shows and in print media
With each new PR win, GloveStix saw spikes in sales and website traffic. Perhaps more importantly, it built credibility for the brand and opened doors to retail partnerships and other growth opportunities.
The Shark Tank Leap
Despite her growing comfort with media appearances, there was one show Krista swore she'd never do – Shark Tank. The idea of facing the notoriously tough Sharks terrified her. But after repeatedly telling people she'd never do the show, Krista started to question her own limitations.
"I realized that for the last two and a half years, I literally overcame every fear that I had. Why can't I overcome this?" Krista recalls.
On a whim, she looked up when Shark Tank was holding open casting calls. As fate would have it, there was one in New York the day after she was already scheduled to be in the city for another Today Show appearance. Krista decided to go for it.
After a grueling months-long process, Krista found herself in the Shark Tank, pitching to some of the most famous investors in America. To her amazement, she landed a deal with Lori Greiner and Alex Rodriguez – $150,000 for 17% of the company.
Life After Shark Tank
While Krista's deal with the Sharks ultimately didn't close after due diligence, the Shark Tank exposure was transformative for GloveStix. In the two months after the episode aired, the company did more sales than in the entire previous year – including the QVC and Today Show appearances.
Even more meaningful to Krista were the hundreds of supportive emails and messages she received from viewers inspired by her story.
"It's like winning the World Cup every day for months and months and months. That's that feeling. It's something you can't trade it you just can't," Krista says. "There's no money amount of money that can give you that, for me. It wasn't about the sales it was about the hundreds of people strangers that would email me because they watch my episode. And that who said I touched them or inspired them, or who just wanted to wish me good luck."
Lessons for Entrepreneurs
Krista's journey with GloveStix offers several valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs:
Solve a real problem: GloveStix addressed a common, relatable issue that no existing products solved effectively.
Start with what you know: Krista's experience as a sports mom gave her unique insight into the problem and market.
Embrace the learning curve: Despite no business background, Krista taught herself the skills needed to launch and grow the company.
Leverage your network: Krista wasn't afraid to ask friends and contacts for help and advice.
Get out and sell: Early hands-on sales at events provided crucial feedback and word-of-mouth marketing.
Be open to expansion: Customer feedback led GloveStix to much larger markets than initially planned.
Seize PR opportunities: Media appearances provided massive exposure and credibility boosts.
Stay authentic: Krista's genuine personality and story resonated more than polished marketing.
Face your fears: Overcoming the fear of Shark Tank opened huge new opportunities.
Focus on impact over money: Krista's emphasis on solving problems and inspiring others has driven sustainable growth.
The Road Ahead for GloveStix
Today, GloveStix is a multimillion-dollar business that has helped countless athletes and parents solve the stinky gear problem. But for Krista, financial success was never the primary goal.
"It has nothing to do with how much money I make, although we've done a few million in sales now. That has never been my goal, has never been my mission," Krista explains. "I don't do monthly forecasts, I don't do yearly forecasts. I know I'm against the grain. But what I do is how … What is my passion? Am I getting closer? Am I a good person? Am I doing the right things? Am I afford to give back?"
Looking ahead, Krista aims to continue growing GloveStix's positive impact – both through expanded product lines and increased charitable giving. She donates a portion of sales to military, veteran and first responder organizations.
While the journey hasn't always been easy, Krista has found that each challenge makes her and the business stronger. Her story serves as an inspiration to anyone with an idea they're passionate about bringing to life.
"I realized that it doesn't stop getting harder, you just keep getting stronger," Krista reflects. "Maybe it's not what other people would consider their success but I still drive the same car I drove seven years ago. Even though I've had the financial success that's not what's important. It's more like me challenging myself and I've really challenged myself this year, I really went through some hard things. And I realized I'm so much stronger than I was four years ago when I started this and that's a success."
From stinky lacrosse gear to national TV, Krista Woods and GloveStix demonstrate the incredible places a simple idea and determined entrepreneur can go. By staying focused on solving problems and inspiring others, GloveStix has built more than just a successful product – it's created a platform for positive change.
