The Journey of Mitts: An Innovative Side Hustle by Drs. Lee Kojanis and Daniele Orellana
The founders of Mitts, Drs. Lee Kojanis and Daniele Orellana, have transitioned from their demanding careers in healthcare to create a unique product designed to make the task of cleaning delicate glassware easier. Based in New York City, this husband-and-wife duo has combined their professional expertise and personal passions to develop an ergonomic sponge tailored for fragile stemware.
Origins of Mitts: Inspiration Amidst Adversity
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lee found himself with unexpected free time as elective surgeries were postponed. Eager to deepen his knowledge of wine, he began studying for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) examinations, which required extensive at-home tasting sessions. With an expanding collection of delicate, high-end glassware, the couple faced the challenge of properly cleaning these items without risking breakage.
“Frustrated by the lack of a suitable cleaning solution, we brainstormed while enjoying a bottle of wine,” Daniele recalled. “This led to the concept of Mitts—an ergonomic sponge designed specifically for delicate stemware.” The couple aimed for a design that was not only effective but also visually appealing, ensuring it could be displayed on their kitchen counter without being an eyesore.
Bringing Mitts to Life: Initial Steps and Challenges
Immediately after conceptualizing Mitts, the founders engaged in thorough market research. They reached out to several engineering firms, ultimately partnering with Creative Engineering in New York for the prototyping phase. This design process took months of iterative refinement, culminating in a utility patent filing with the USPTO.
Branding was also crucial; they collaborated with Make Super Good, a creative agency, to develop their visual identity and packaging.
Resource Utilization: Navigating the Startup Landscape
Daniele emphasized the importance of modern tools, stating, “One of our most invaluable resources has been ChatGPT. With limited experience in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector, it helped us shape our go-to-market strategy and answered basic business queries.”
The couple also found support within the StartupCPG community, which provided networking opportunities and practical insights essential for their venture’s success.
A Lesson Learned: Navigating Timing and Supply Chain Issues
Reflecting on their initial launch in November 2024, Lee noted, “The timing of our product release coincided with the holiday rush, but we were not fully prepared in terms of inventory.” Manufacturing delays meant that they could not fulfill a significant number of holiday orders, prompting them to offer discounts to affected customers.
This experience highlighted the importance of contingency planning and managing logistics effectively, a lesson they intend to apply in future expansions.
The Reality of Growth: Revenue and Future Plans
Despite these challenges, Mitts has made a promising start with over $15,000 in earnings shortly after launch. The founders are optimistic, projecting $75,000 in sales for the year. They have plans to triple their revenue and expand their retail presence, including a new partnership with Pop-up Grocer.
“We are focused on organic growth without any external investments,” Daniele shared, emphasizing their commitment to a sustainable business model.
Daily Operations and Time Management
Both working as full-time dental and surgical professionals, Lee and Daniele juggle their clinical responsibilities with their entrepreneurial endeavors. Their daily routine incorporates Mitts-related tasks within their working hours, utilizing breaks and evenings for business communications and planning.
Weekends are reserved for larger projects, such as photoshoots or product development, demonstrating their effective division of labor and strong communication skills, which they attribute to their successful partnership in both life and business.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Daniele’s advice to future entrepreneurs is straightforward: “Conduct thorough market research before investing time and resources into product development and branding. Engage your target audience early to gather feedback.”
Lee added that utilizing real-world data to refine concepts is essential, noting the importance of creating prototypes to validate ideas prior to scaling production.
Join the Upcoming Webinar
Lee and Daniele will soon host a webinar where they will share the specific ChatGPT prompts they leveraged while building their business. Stay tuned for details to learn directly from their experiences.