We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alexis Bennett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Alexis thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Vacations have always been an important part of our lives. Family vacations bring everyone together and make relaxing and conversation come easy. It’s no surprise that we invented Terry Tethers while on vacation!
We have always loved being around water, whether that is a pool, beach, or boat. Over the years, we grew tired of the beach towel constantly falling down. There were solutions for attaching your towel on a beach or pool chair, but nothing for the boat.
One afternoon while taking a boat ride, we began discussing how to solve the issue. A few weeks later we had a plan and were implementing it. After we made a few in our home to find the best length, options, etc., we began testing them on different boats and found they work in even more situations than we could have imagined. We soon started the manufacturing process and now we are selling them online for everyone to purchase!
Terry Tethers clip onto your towel and then connect to the unused cover snaps on the boat, keeping your towel secure in a snap!
No boat snaps – No problem. They work even when you do not have cover snaps on your boat. They can be wrapped around the rail and attached to the second snap included on the Terry Tether. They work great on pool and beach chairs, as well.
In fact, our amazing customers have found many different ways to use them over the past year and they keep coming up with more. Hikers have used them to keep their bags off the ground by wrapping them around the tree branch. Beach goers have hooked them around their tents to keep their bags out of the sand. They’ve been used to hold hats and dog leashes in the boat. Moms have used them to attach baby toys to the stroller. The opportunities are endless. We love that the product we invented, is solving problems for our customers beyond our initial idea.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Alexis and my mom, Antionette and I are the inventors of the Terry Tether. We are blessed to be a mother and daughter team that work well together. In fact, we’ve been working together for years in different capacities and always enjoyed the creativity that comes, when we put our minds together.
Our home is Kansas City, Missouri, however, Antionette spends half of her year with her husband in Long Boat Key, Florida soaking up the sun, while I brave the snow and ice in Kansas City with my family. We both love being outside, especially soaking up Vitamin D at the beach, pool and on the boat. The sun and water have a special way of making us smile.
Antionette is an interior designer, and I am a graphic designer, so finding creative solutions has always been our passion. Inventing the Terry Tether was a fun conversation that turned into a new adventure.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
We use social media, email blasts and trade shows to gain exposure, but our best source of new customers has been word of mouth! Our customers are our best marketing tools. One person uses them on their boat and their friends want a set, too. It’s been amazing.
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
We use wix.com for our e-commerce platform. As a graphic designer, I have used Wix for many of my design clients, so I was very comfortable with the interface and functionality. We love the flexibility and design options as well as the ease of use. We are just beginning our Amazon and Etsy journey, so we are excited to be branching into new arenas as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.terrytether.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrytethers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrytethers