We had the good fortune of connecting with Ingrid Mourey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ingrid, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always been the creative type, exploring career options and embarking on various business ventures. I prefer to be self-employed and to work independently. This gave me the necessary flexibility when my kids were young and now as a grandmother, I treasure my flexible schedule as it give me time to spend with my grandkids.

Developing and licensing Finger Shields was may latest career endeavor.

I had been educating myself on how to develop and license a product for several years before I came up with the concept for Finger Shields. I was inspired to develop Finger Shields after changing my grandson’s diaper and getting diaper ointment under my nails one to many times. When researching online, I was surprised to find out that no similar product existed. The primary diaper ointment applicator on the market is a spatula which is wonderful in specific settings, however Finger Shields are very versatile and great when on the go and when dealing with a squirmy baby, as your fingers stay completely clean with no ointment under your nails and there is no mess. Finger Shields are super soft and easy to use. Simply slip your finger in the single finger glove portion, close remaining finger to hold “tail” in the palm of your hand for a secure fit, apply ointment to desired location and grasp “tail” portion when removing so no ointment gets on your hands or fingers. Finger Shields are quick, easy and efficient – the no mess, less waste ointment applications.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Product development has always been something that has interested me. When my kids were growing up and had to come up with new inventions for the “Invention Convention” in elementary school, my mind always went to “What next?”, “How do you bring a product to market?”. This led me to reading a variety books, listening to podcasts and of course in the last few years, I started watching Shark Tank. Once I enrolled in Invent Right’s coaching program, I truly learned the process of how to bring a product to market. During this time, I came up with various product ideas but nothing that “wowed me/excited me”. I went through the steps involved in bringing a product to market so I could educate myself of what all is involved, This includes prototype development, creating sell sheets, filing for a provisional patent and understanding the market and the competition, but I never actually pursued the licensing aspect until I came up with the idea for Finger Shields. At that point, I felt strongly that I had a viable product that was definitely filling a void in the market and there was mass market appeal. Upon researching the market and competition, I was convinced that there was both a need for an easy to use ointment applicator and that the market was also huge. After creating my sell sheet and filing my provisional patent, I started reaching out to various companies in the baby industry. This is generally a slow, time consuming process as one needs to wait for the companies to evaluate your product and then get back to you. Often, this requires touching base with a company multiple times until one connects with the “right” person, In my case patience and persistence paid off. 9 months after initially contacting Baby Brezza, we had a licensing agreement in place. We encountered multiple delays over the course of the next year, as Covid was in full force, causing supply chain issues as well as other challenges. Fortunately, everything ultimately fell into place and Finger Shields by Baby Brezza hit the market in the Spring of 2022. Our first year we did nearly 500K in sales – primarily through Amazon and at CVS.

Now that Finger Shields have proven to be successful in the Baby Industry, I’m looking to license them in the Personal Care, Health Care and Pet Industries.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It’s always fun having family and friends visit. Our favorite places to visit include the Torrey Pines Glider Port, Sea Port Village, Coronado Island and La Jolla Cove. If they tend to be animal lovers like me, a trip to the Zoo and or Safari Park is always fun. Closer to home, we may visit the ranch where I keep my horse, enjoy playtime with the grandkids, and hike around Lake Poway.

When eating out, we tend to stay closer to home but also enjoy a delicious meal at the Poseidon or Jake’s in Del Mar, lunch at the Maderas Golf Resort in Poway or fish tacos at the Brigantine.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There isn’t one person that I can single out.

I appreciate and thank my husband of 35 years for his ongoing support as I follow my dreams.

I thank Stephen Key and the entire team at Invent Right for teaching me how to develop and license a product.

I thank my first grandson by being my inspiration and my other grandkids for being my motivation to presevere and to actually bring Finger Shields to market. Changing their diapers reminded me that I wasn’t the only person who didn’t enjoy getting diaper ointment on fingers, under my nails or anywhere else (except the intended destination).

Thank you goes to David Contract and Baby Brezza for sharing my vision, believing in my product and making Finger Shields a reality.

Website: https://babybrezza.com/products/finger-shields-diaper-rash-cream-finger-glove

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CdO1KPVleI8/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Linkedin: Ingrid Mourey

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkl-2sgf0ZM

Other: Finger Shields on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Brezza-Finger-Shields-Applicator/dp/B09YG6HWTV/ref=sr_1_2_pp?crid=29FJT77APC7NU&keywords=baby+brezza+finger+shield&qid=1700519269&s=baby-products&sprefix=finger+shields+bab%2Cbaby-products%2C139&sr=1-2 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@babybrezza/video/7204934534629018923?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7303676075497915935

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