”Why are my child’s shoes on the wrong feet?” This is a common question in any daycare toddler or preschool classroom. It often comes at pick up time, when families express concern that their child’s teachers may have incorrectly put on their child’s shoes out of a lack of concern or care. But that doesn’t have to be like that any longer.
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Tell us what how did you come up with PairMe ?
Hello there, we are Alyssa Soto and Lindsey Legg. We are sisters, best friends and mom inventors of the company, PairMe. We have five amazing kids between the two of us who are the inspiration behind everything we’ve built today.
The idea for PairMe all started one morning when Alyssa’s daughter had a meltdown because her shoes were on the wrong feet. Alyssa dropped her off at preschool and asked her if she could quickly correct them before going inside with her teacher. Her daughter refused, and it created a back and forth between them. Finally, Alyssa just let her go into school with her shoes on backwards. Alyssa turned to one of the other moms and said, “I can’t believe a shoe company has never thought to address this issue”. This was the Aha moment! Alyssa left parent drop off feeling awful that she had a rough morning with her daughter. That inspired Alyssa to call her sister, Lindsey, to tell her about her morning and the mom guilt she was feeling. Lindsey expressed how she goes through the same thing at her house. Alyssa got off the phone and didn’t think too much more about it. Lindsey called a couple days later and said, I called an invention company and we are going for it! We’re going to solve this problem with kid’s shoes!”
How did you come with the light idea?
We both knew that all kids love light up shoes and thought it would be amazing to design a shoe or a “patch” that had lights that would blink when shoes were on the correct feet.
We got to work right away and connected with our dad, Earl Wilkins, who is an electrical engineer. We sat together and drew out a design of how our idea could work. Our dad drew everything out on a little napkin and that’s what was used when we spoke to the invention company. From there we worked on getting all of our patents both domestic and foreign. We prototyped with melting plastic in chocolate candy molds in our parent’s kitchen. We also put Christmas lights in puffy stickers and attached it to shoes to get the look we were going for. Once we had a good vision, we began working with engineers and plastic mold specialists until we found a factory that was able to take everything and help us create what we have today.
How can one find it, where can we buy it?
PairMe’s are available for purchase on our website, www.pairmeproducts.com. We also have the following social media channels: Instagram: @pairmeproducts. Facebook:
Tell us what it was like to build from zero?
It is like walking blindly in the dark. We invented a product that’s never been done before. We had to completely design and engineer it from scratch. What made it so difficult is that there wasn’t a boss or manager to seek advice from. We learned quickly that we had to figure everything out on our own. Thankfully we had each other to lean on and to tackle different challenges. We refused to give up!
What are your goals and what problems are you trying to solve?
We’ve always had a genuine passion for helping children. We care about families and making life easier for parents. Our mission is to build out a company with a line of products that help inspire children’s confidence and independence.
Would you say PairMe makes children lazy learners?
PairMe’s encourage children to learn and accomplish small tasks on their own with out asking for help. Kids are excited to get their shoes on by themselves with our technology and love seeing the PairMe’s light up when they have them on the right feet.
Who or what influences you?
Our parents have always been our greatest influencers. At an early age they pushed us to work hard in school and in life. Giving up was never an option. They told us that they would do their best to support us if we had a dream and a good business model. They stood by their promise.
Tell us about a time when someone disliked your product or the idea of starting a business, how did you handle this situation?
There was one toy company that we spoke with early on that saw a very preliminary design. He loved the concept but didn’t like the design we had created. It actually helped us change the look and we appreciated the constructive criticism. It is always wise to listen and learn.
What advice would you want to give women who are starting a new business beside their own business?
We were fortunate that when we started we were stay at home moms. But with that said, our kids were very young and still required a lot of our time and attention throughout the day. We worked while they were napping, at night and on the weekends. We even toted them with us to several meetings in their strollers. We were determined to make every opportunity work. If you are not a stay at home mom and have a current career, that’s OK. We would advise you to continue working on your day job while working on building a business at night and on the weekends. Anybody can make it happen if the desire is there.
What popular entrepreneurial advice do you agree/ disagree with? Why?
We read a lot of books and listen to a lot of podcasts by different entrepreneurs. One of our favorites that has always stuck out is Lori Greiner. We read her book “Invent It, Sell It, Bank It” and actually referred back to it multiple times. There was a lot of pertinent information in there. Her story of the invention process and bringing a product to market really resonated with us. One of our favorite quotes from her is, “Don’t ever let anybody tell you it can’t be done, it just hasn’t been done yet!”
Tell us about your proudest achievement?
One of our proudest achievements was getting our patents granted. There was no greater feeling than holding our first official patent certification in our hands.
To buy yours go to PairMe
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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