Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristi Ison.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kristi. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After 18 years as a medical device rep for a start up technologies, I was anxious to create something of my own. I came across the concept of infant floatation and massage being done in other countries. When I realized that no one in the United States had ever introduced the concept, I knew that creating Float Baby was something I needed to do.
We opened our doors in February of 2014 and have been growing since. After an appearance on Shark Tank in 2016, awareness increased and our sales soared. Although I didn’t get a deal from the Sharks, I did get some helpful advice that I implemented successfully. We were fortunate to have global media coverage that allowed me to start a second company, Hoverfish Baby.
One of the Sharks suggested that I sell the floats for people to use at home. I was using an inflatable product at the time that was manufactured in China and not of the highest quality or reliability. I created three prototypes for a new, non-inflatable floatation device and on the final version, the Hoverfish infant floatation device was born. The Hoverfish is a non-inflatable product that is proudly made in the USA. I hold the patent and trademark on this product. We began selling the Hoverfish to international baby spas in 2017 as a solution to the same problem I had: unreliable inflatable products. In March of 2018, we introduced the Hoverfish to people in the USA for home use and are happy to say that many more babies outside of Houston can enjoy this experience.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Introducing an entirely new concept that involved putting something on a baby and allowing them to float in the water on their own was definitely a bumpy road and uphill climb. In the beginning, I had people email me with really hateful messages and on some days, it was tempting to give up. The media would write stories about us with inaccurate details, which prompted even more discouraging emails or comments on social platforms. It was hard to gain new clients quickly and I worked full time for the first two years to fund the business expenses. I knew that this concept was going to catch on. I just wasn’t sure how long it would take.
Float Baby – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Float Baby specializes in infant hydrotherapy or floating, and infant massage instruction. The babies love the freedom that the Hoverfish float provides and the sensation of warm water feels familiar to them. Floating helps aid them in better digestion, increased appetite, and decreased gas, among many other benefits. The biggest bonus is that they usually go home and sleep for 3-5 hours. Yay!
Float Baby is known for providing a really unique outing and social experience for parents and their infants. We are also known to be local experts in everything from burping, gas, sleeping, formula and common baby skin care issues. We are proud to be not just a “baby spa”, but more of a haven where parents can leave feeling more confident in their skills and understanding of their baby’s needs.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I am proud that not only have we been able to make it to the six year mark, but that I have been able to expand Float Baby into two more companies. My underlying goal for everything we have done and will continue to do is be a resource for parents and support them through the first 6-8 months.
Pricing:
- Floating & Massage, Minnows 2weeks-8weeks $50
- Floating & Massage, Whales 9weeks-6mo $60
- Soak & Swing, 7mo-1year $30
Contact Info:
- Address: Float Baby
6516 Del Monte
Houston, Texas 77057 - Website: www.floatbaby.com
- Phone: 832-819-8380
- Email: info@floatbaby.com
- Instagram: @float-baby
- Facebook: floatbaby
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