We recently connected with Romy Taormina and have shared our conversation below.

Romy, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I suffered from debilitating nausea during both of my pregnancies. The only thing that provided me with nausea relief were acupressure bands, but I was dissatisfied with the existing products on the market. They were ugly, not waterproof, and they didn’t fit right. So, I set out to create a product that was both superior in both form and function. Psi Bands were born. They are fashionable, waterproof, and fully adjustable for a personalized fit. They are for nausea relief due to morning sickness as well as motion sickness, anesthesia, and chemotherapy — as such they can be sold in a variety of locations from mass and drug to online as well as in various categories (digestive, travel, mom’s wellness).

Romy, 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 have been an entrepreneur since I was a little girl. I just didn’t know what to call it then. From selling lemonade to neighbors to going door-to-door selling candy bars and magazines for school fundraisers, I always shot for the big prizes, and won them. I learned early that you must ask for help if you are going to succeed, whether that is in business or in our personal lives. I embrace the concept of “give, give, get.” I give and give to others. And when and if I need something, I can count on others to help me. My passion to excel is another area that distinguishes me from some. When I commit to something, I put my whole self behind it. If you are in something halfway, others will sense it and your doubt will be contagious. Believe in what you do, and you will find the will, stamina, and strength to carry on. Maintaining a positive attitude even during challenging times is a core competency of mine. We all face obstacles, but a positive mindset can be a key to overcoming them. I have taken my business through Covid when no one was traveling (one of the primary uses of Psi Bands is to relieve motion sickness; when no one is traveling, sales tanked) to overcoming a brain tumor. Believe in yourself and what you do. Psi Bands have helped more than 1M people to relieve their debilitating nausea. I am honored to have helped so many.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I will paraphrase my very long and excruciating journey into several sentences. I am in remission from a disease called Cushing’s. If not diagnosed and treated, it is deadly. It is very difficult to diagnose. After many years of no diagnosis (and it was actually my husband who diagnosed it and he is not a doctor), I had two operations at Stanford to remove a tumor from my pituitary gland. In other words, I recovered from two brain surgeries by an amazing team of medical professionals. I am now in remission. Along my journey, my endocrinologist from Stanford said to me, “first steps first.” The scars are real, physically and emotionally. However, I am grateful for this experience that has allowed me to grow in ways I never considered possible.  Daily challenges don’t feel or seem so significant anymore. And that mantra will forever reside in my tumor-free head, “first steps first.”

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Growing organically. Be careful what you wish for. Psi Bands sell into the retail market, one of the most competitive markets where real estate is precious. Your product on the shelf means that another can’t be there. And you must be ready to take on a large retailer because if your product doesn’t sell, you will have to pay the retailer back for that merchandise, including shipping …on top of the investment to manufacture and ship that product to the retailer in the first place. If you are talking about selling into thousands of stores (i.e. Target, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Costco, etc.). that is a large investment. Perhaps you start with 50 stores and move forward accordingly so that you are not out of business before you have even started if things don’t go as planned. Before you can even sell to these stores, you need to set up EDI, manufacture initial and ongoing orders, ship orders (more resources – people and materials), have product liability insurance, applicable licenses, a marketing plan in place (and money to support its execution), etc. The costs add up quickly so be prepared to grow organically – learn from your mistakes early on so you can lead with confidence as you grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.psibands.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psibands/
• Facebook: facebook.com/psibands
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romytaormina
• Twitter: @psibands.com