We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jennifer Weisman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jennifer, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?
When I first invented my patented adjustable waist boardshorts, I had in mind frustrated mothers like myself who were unable to find swimwear that fit their quickly growing boys. When I solved that problem by having the easily adjustable waist of the boardshorts in the back and tucked discreetly beneath a flap, I never imagined it would serve another purpose, such as helping mothers with special needs children.
We received a phone call one day from one of our online consumers. She was overjoyed to tell us how the adjustable waist on the boardshorts I developed was a game-changer for her family’s beach day. She told us that previously, going to the beach was quite difficult. Her life was made so much easier by the adjustable waist. A day at the beach had become infinitely more fun and relaxing for the entire family. Her story, and other customer stories, are what make me grateful that I launched the brand and continue to do what I do.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
When I went shopping, I was often frustrated by how poorly most swim shorts fit my twin sons. I did not understand why retailers only sold volley shorts or fixed-waist boardshorts. At the Fashion Institute of Technology, I studied textile design. I believed I could create better swim trunks, so I decided to design adjustable waist swimwear to accommodate growing boys. That’s how Just Bones Boardwear was born.
I invented a design for an adjustable waist boardshort and began selling them at trade shows in 2011. The originality of my design, combined with the void in the marketplace, attracted significant interest among retailers. This gave Just Bones Boardwear a competitive advantage over well-known companies. My first utility patent was granted in 2013, and my second in 2014.
The brand now includes swimwear for men, women, girls, and toddlers. I was fortunate that out of thousands of entrants, my design earned TasteTV’s Best Swimwear of 2016 Award for special functionality. Just Bones Boardwear was also worn throughout the SyFy original film, Ghost Shark. That was a very exciting summer for us.
Even after being hit by a car in 2012, I refused to give up. Sink or Swimwear is a nonfiction book about my experiences running my business while recovering from the tragic event. I’ve appeared as a guest on several podcasts to discuss my inspiration, my book, and breaking into a male-dominated industry. I am thrilled that my book is available for purchase on Amazon Books.
I hope to serve as an inspiration to those who have survived life-altering events, PTSD, and traumatic brain injuries. Just Bones Boardwear donates boardshorts to groups that help veterans, inner-city youth, and the underprivileged. It is important to give something back.
Website: www.justbonesboardwear.com
LinkedIn: Jennifer Berk Weisman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justbonesboardwear
Instagram: @justbonesbw
Book: Sink or Swimwear: My Crazy Days as an Entrepreneur Surviving Life, PTSD, and a Cutthroat Industry
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
A little over a year after I launched my business, I was struck by a car while crossing the street. A woman hung a quick left turn at the light and hit me throwing me out of the crosswalk. I landed on my head and shoulder suffering a severe head trauma, shoulder injuries, traumatic brain injury, road rash, and multiple other wounds. PTSD plagued me daily. At this juncture, I had to decide if I could continue with my new company.
We were on a great trajectory shortly after I started Just Bones Boardwear, but soon we were sinking money into legal fees for my trademark and patents. Then the accident was a huge blow and knocked us off track.
While recovering, I couldn’t work full-time or pay close attention to the business. It was so hard to catch up and get back on track. Today, I still wonder where we’d be had the accident never happened. Willpower, resilience, and the desire to obtain a patent for my adjustable waist design kept me going. With so many retail buyers saying I had a brilliant product, how could I walk away?
Have you ever had to pivot?
After my first job in New York City, where I was sexually harassed and nothing was done except to transfer me to another area inside the company, I had to pivot, find new employment in a new industry, and hope I could make ends meet. Because I was a quick study, I was able to quickly adapt to arranging and advertising marketing conferences. This required brainstorming conference ideas, cold calling speakers, writing lots of copy, and then supervising the out-of-town conferences.
When I realized that financial conferences attracted more participants and consequently more money, I devised a way to transition to arranging conferences in that field. Eventually, I found a new job that allowed me to organize finance conferences, sell sponsorships, and manage others, earning me a significantly higher salary. At the last company I worked for, I became highly proficient at pivoting in my job role as needed to move up the corporate ladder.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.justbonesboardwear.com
- Instagram: @justbonesbw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justbonesboardwear/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-berk-weisman-85aa1455/
- Twitter: @JustBonesBW
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpSt-8yEUIs
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Berk-Weisman-Author-103311038513950 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjLmvWZc0zI info@justbonesboardwear.com
Image Credits
Emily Supiot (First Photo)