We caught up with the brilliant and insightful William Marrs a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

William , appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

March 1, 2007, my life changed as I knew it. I had just invented my first product Marrs Touch Free Toilet Paper Dispenser. I was so excited to share it with the world, but I knew there were steps I had to take before I could do so. I took my big idea and applied for a patent with The United States Patent and Trademark Office. In October 2013, my application was granted. This was easily one of my proudest moments.

Now I had this great idea that I just knew people would love it. My competitors left feeling dumbfounded, “Hey, why didn’t we think about that?” As a solo entrepreneur and working full-time at a grocery store. I didn’t have the capital, team, facility, or experience of starting a company. Because of these circumstances, I reached out to companies I thought this product would be a fit. To my surprise, I was turned away, emails and phone calls going unanswered. After being told “No” more times than I can count. I decided to take a risk and start my own business. I prayed and took a step of faith that I could bring this product to market and make my wildest dreams come true, despite the responses I received from the big corporations. I can proudly say, other than saying “I do” to my wife and the commitment speech I made to my daughter on my wedding day. My faith in God has kept me going and turning this dream into a reality.

So many doors have been opened since I committed to starting and growing my business. I have won pitch competitions, pitched at universities, traveled to product showcases, and so much more. I don’t believe any of this would have happened if I didn’t pray first and trust in God that He will make everything happen in His time.

William , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I wish I could say I knew early in life that my trajectory was leading me to becoming an inventor. But that’s not the case at all. What I believe helped me earn my first patent was being naturally curious about how common everyday products worked, and if I thought I could improve upon it.

Today my company manufactures Marrs Touch Free Toilet Paper Dispensers. This innovative product takes restroom hygiene to the next level. Our dispenser operates with a simple wave of your hand, eliminating the need for direct contact. Our product was designed specifically for the hospitality industry. We’ve surveyed hotel management to determine if there is a real need for a product like ours and the responses have been overwhelmingly receptive to adding clean tech into their cleaning process.

I am most proud of really taking the time to get to know our customers’ pain points and crafting the very best product we can to meet and exceed their expectations. Without customers we don’t exists.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Thankfully hotels are nearly on every corner. The real challenge is contacting the decision makers to conduct customer surveys. Google has been an excellent source for finding out pertinent information about the property that can be used during the interview.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

It was 2:30 AM. I was working my usual 5 hours of overtime at my day job. I often get lost in my thoughts thinking about how much I want my business to succeed and what it will take to make my dreams come true. I started running numbers in my head…15 years since I first invented the product, 12-hours left in my workday, $80 phone bill due. Then my daughter’s picture comes up on my phone. Seeing her smiling face instantly plucked at my heartstrings. I started to imagine having a conversation with her when she became an adult. I could hear her voice asking me “Dad did you try everything you could to provide for me?” Tears began to roll down my face. It was then that I decided to book a flight to one of the biggest companies in the automatic paper towel dispenser space and pitch my product without an invitation. Crazy right?! I tried for years to contact the company with hopes of capturing licensing deal, but never had any success with getting in touch with the right people.

During my flight I met the most incredible flight attendant who asked me was I traveling for business or vacation. After I told them what my plans were, they were taken back by my boldness to take this type of chance with no guarantee that I would even get a foot in the door.

Monday morning, I gathered all the materials I needed to make my pitch. My emotions were running high before I made it to the building. I flew nearly across the country and all that separated me and my dreams of giving back to my family, friends, community, was a crosswalk. The moment was finally here. Once inside, I asked a receptionist for the person who I believed could set things in motion. I was told I needed an appointment and could not simply request a meeting. My heart dropped a little, but I remained positive. I reached out over LinkedIn and messaged the individual to let them know I was there to meet with them if they would just give me 10-minutes of their time that it would be worth it. Shortly after, they messaged me back saying they wouldn’t be in the office that day. I had only planned to be in town for one day. I began to figure out what I could do to extend my stay. Ultimately, I was not able to stay and have the meeting of a lifetime. But because of my faith and persistence, the individual agreed to meet with me on a call once I got back home. A week later, I had the meeting I had been seeking. The meeting went very well. Although I didn’t make a sale, my company and I had the attention of this historic corporation. I’m excited for the future and believe it’s just a matter of time until you see Marrs Touch Free Toilet Paper Dispensers in your favorite hotel.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.marrssolutions.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marrs.solutions/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marrs.Solutions/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marrssolutions/?viewAsMember=true