“We choose to go to the Moon,” Kennedy said. “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”
Ever wear one of those heat sheets at the end of a race? Today I’m going to share the story of Hema Nambiar who has started a really innovative company called 13-one based on NASA technology.
I had the privilege of wear testing her jacket a few months ago and we quickly brought them into our store. Having worn a lot of jackets in my life I found hers to be the warmest and most weather resilient for the weight and packability of any jacket I have worn. Moreover the value of it was exceptional. We were the first small running store to bring the jacket in.
I gave a lot of these to friends and family for the holidays. Thank you Hema for sharing your story and making my shopping easier 🙂
Hema tell us a little about your education and business background?
I have a degree in Economics. I worked in Finance for several years. I also completed the Goldman Sachs and Tory Burch 10,000 Small Businesses Program which was geared for women owned businesses. I also come from a family of entrepreneurs and grew up working in a family owned business.
You mentioned in one of your emails about having a significant injury and this influencing you in many ways. can you tell us a little more about that?
A diaphragm is a dome shape muscle that is located below the lungs. It helps with breathing and it also acts as a barrier to keep all the organs below the lung cavity. I had to go through two massive surgeries to fix a ruptured diaphragm, and a collapsed left lung. After several months of not feeling well and having difficulty breathing, I finally decided to go to the doctor and get it checked out. I ignored the symptoms for a long time because I really thought it was the stress of moving into a new home and having three children under the age of seven. The first surgery was done laparoscopically and it was not successful. Two years later, I had to have another surgery. The second surgery entailed the surgeon to go through my back, brake my ribs, separate all the organs that were stuck together, put the all the organs back in their proper place and replace my ruptured diaphragm with a synthetic one. I spent a total of five years unable to do any type of physical activity .When the doctor gave me the green light to exercise, I decided to run a half marathon to get my lungs stronger. That is where the name of the company comes from-13-One.
How did you come up for the idea for the jacket?
When I got in to the the Goldman Sachs Tory Burch program I was making women’s scarves hats and ponchos. The program had us thinking outside the box to take our existing business to a higher level. One day I came across my half marathon box that had my medals and Heatsheet blankets. The silver blankets are what runners get after they finish the race to stay warm. I didn’t throw mine away because I loved the NASA technology they were made from. The blankets are silver in color, paper thin and retains 90% of body heat. I imagined a jacket made from the same technology so I called the company that makes the Heatsheets for marathons and asked if they had a fabric with the silver lining (NASA technology). They did have it but it took me almost a month to convince them to give me the rights to do something with the fabric. Since I didn’t like being outdoors in cold weather, light weight jackets that were warm, water/windproof was a perfect start.
What is the “why” behind your business?
There is a huge market for light weight athleisure wear because there is a growing participation in outdoor sports activities and also due to global warming, the weather has become unpredictable. Also, I love creating things and I wanted to make a one of a kind product using NASA technology for everyday use.
As a independent mother owned business were there any barriers that were difficult to work through ?
I was a stay at home mom for over 20 years and to get a business loan was impossible. I had no credit history and I got declined by banks and credit institutions. I had to get a personal loan to pay for my initial production. Without capital it is difficult to start a business. Rejections hurt.
What are some of the challenges of starting a small business making apparel and having to compete against all the big companies?
The outerwear space is very competitive and big retailers do not have space in stores unless it is well known brand. Selling to small businesses or individual customers from website is much easier even though the orders are a lot smaller. Another big challenge is, the jackets are made overseas and the minimum quantity for manufacturing each style is very high so I needed a lot of capital to create inventory. Finally, I am bootstrapping my company, that means I do not have the capital to hire a PR firm that can do the marketing required to build a brand. Digital marketing plays a big role in todays world and social media platforms are constantly changing so it is difficult to keep up with the latest App. There is not enough hours in the day to do all aspect of the business.
What adaptations did you make from the first prototype? Were your children the original wear testers ? From talking to you there are very outdoors and athletic- how did they fit into and support your new endeavor?
The seamstress I used was a perfectionist and it took us several months to get all the details right. To have a big hood and make it stylish for people with lots of hair was very important. Having magnets makes it easy for closing the pocket and this feature makes the jacket even more unique. I did not want my logo to overpower the jacket so the size and placement on the jacket was very important. The self packing pocket sewn inside the jackets was difficult because the fabric is very thin and it took us several time to think outside the box to get it right. My children and husband tested the features and gave me great feedback along the way. The final product is very well made, and most importantly the jackets do what they are suppose to and that is to keep customers dry, warm and comfortable.
Since your launch what channels have you found most effective in sharing your company?
Word of mouth, national television or big publication write ups brings lot of customers to my site. I was fortunate to be invited twice to be on MSNBC and CNBC to pitch my jackets to investors and that drove in lot of people to my website and sales. Big magazines like Forbes, Readers Digest, Travel and Leisure have huge following and that also brings new customers to my site. Finally, there is nothing like a customer wearing my jacket and talking about it to their friends. The silver lining inside the jacket always makes people ask “what are you wearing?”
Any future goals or different products you were working on?
The fabric is durable, lightweight and the silver lining is made from NASA technology, I have not made any products using the silver side on the outside of a product.. Two organizations that I would love to partner with are the military and the United Nations. The troops carry heavy pack backs and train through harsh conditions and I believe this fabric can help them through tough weather conditions. I would also like to work with the UN and make tents, sleeping bags and cooling covering for refugee camps. Our company mission is keep customers outdoor longer and happier. The troops and refugees can be a lot more comfortable with 13-One.
Anything else you wish to share?
