We were lucky to catch up with Ruth Young-Loaeza recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ruth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?

The manufacturing has been one of those problems that we have to continue dealing with up to not long ago.

As NEET SHEETS started getting to be talked among the boutique hotels in the San Diego Area, we couldn’t be happier!
But then reality hit, when they started to place orders I started to wonder:
-Who are going to make them? – How Am I going to pay for them? – Where are they going to be stored? I just started bombarding my brain with all of these questions and started having headaches and stress about it! Not for long though
because then I remembered that IF these doors were opening it was because I was capable of moving onto the next step.

We had found a manufacturer that took interest in NEET SHEETS not long before the orders became a reality, but they are too big (too big to actually make NEET SHEETS, I thought). But I have no option that to reach. out and asked them if they will be willing to make NEET SHEETS tiny orders, since they were producing in the tens of thousands.

Nevertheless, they actually produced the first few orders. Then we decided that it was to expensive to have them manufactured the sheets so we started looking for another manufacturer closer to San Diego, and we went through a few, some where not capable to fulfill in time, or another one not capable to fulfill the size of the orders, or not complaint with the paperwork, gezzz the things that we had gone through because although we are selling we still bootstrapping.

Just recently we found a manufacturer that so far meets all the criteria (at least we hope), but we found it after looking and talking all over California and the Border area. We did not give up, giving up has never been an option!

And yet miraculously we had been able to fulfill most of the orders (I know it has been by the grace of God).

One of the unexpected problems we had due to all of this ordeal, was that the biggest hotel in our clientele list, had ordered NEET SHEETS after they saw them in another hotel., super cool, right?
Well, let me tell you, we went onto fulfill that order, with the surprise when they were delivered that the fabric wasn’t the white color they expected. I knew the hotel wasn’t 100% satisfied and I proposed to take all of the product back. Hundreds of NEET SHEETS ended up in my garage store in piles of boxes, a few days after I got really, really sick and remain in bed for almost one week; I couldn’t even answer my phone, I completed disconnected for that period of time. When I sort of healed, I checked my email… I had two emails, from two hotel clients that wanted to re-order NEET SHEETS, YES!!! Every single bed sheet that I took from the hotel the prior week was sold in less than two weeks.

Takeaways from these experiences so far:
1) Make sure your customer is 100% satisfied. The hotel from whom I pick up the order for the wrong color fabric is about to receive their order pretty soon. They are happy and anxiously waiting for NEET SHEETS,
2) EVERYTHING happens for a reason, I continue reminding my self that Romans 8:28 IS REAL!
3) I sold every sheet in my garage AND had two hotel clients receiving the product they love in only four days!!!

Ruth, 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’m Ruth Young-Loaeza CEO | Founder | Inventor of NEET SHEETS

Over two and a half decades of working as a housekeeper, I’ve made more than 20,000 beds in my working career in the housekeeping and hospitality industries.

I noticed a common thread among bedsheets of every style and all type of fabrics despite my best efforts, finding a fitted sheet that made bed-making easy was impossible.

Not only that, but years of lifting up mattress after mattress to readjust sheets was taken a physical toll on my body, and I assume the same is for the members of the hospitality and health care industries.

After a car accident that left me unable to work, I ended up being homeless after exausting my savings and was forced to live in an old RV on the streets.
During that time, I channeled all of my energy into creating drawings and prototypes of the many ideas I had come up with while cleaning houses and Airbnb’s.

After creating a prototype on a set of bed sheets that kept coming of the mattress and finding the solution to that problem; I realized that this idea could be a game-changer for housekeepers, hotels, health care workers, and everyone who makes beds, so I created: Neet Sheets.

Neet Sheets is ergonomic and patented bed linen that addresses the stressful and difficult ask of making the beds. Among the designs we include a fitted bedsheet with stretchable corners and edges, and a flat sheet with flaps.
With the use of these designs, bed-making time is decreased by 47% and mattress-lifting decreased by 75%, both huge hurdles for those who work in hospitality and health care industries.
According to a study conducted by California State San Marcos University these benefits can potentially reduced and possibly decrease workers compensation claims in these industries where the repetitive task is an unavoidable.

With this idea in mind, I quit my housekeeping job to set out as a full-time solopreneur.

As of today NEET SHEETS has been granted two Patents, a Trademark, and currently we have filed for four non-provisional patent applications for other innovative aspects of NEET SHEETS.

NEET SHEETS has successfully penetrated the hospitality industry by placing our innovative bed linen in several boutique hotels in the San Diego Area and dozens of Airbnb’s in the Silicon Valley and Palo Alto Area and continues it is continuing it’s growth.
NEET SHEETS has been granted two patents and a Trademark in the USA, and IP protection as well in other countries.
We also, have four non-provisional patent applications for other innovative aspects of the NEET SHEETS.

I applaud the basketball coaches that created bed sheets, but I seen those bed sheets get donated because they come off the mattress, the engineer that created the bed sheet and put Velcro so they can stay on the mattress, but I’m sorry that’s not practical at all, the designer that makes a little trick on the sheet, but bed sheet still obsolete… I am just recognizing the efforts made by these and many more like them, but my experience makes the difference, period.

I promised, I said all of that humbly!

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?

One of the unexpected problems we had due to the ordeal of changing manufacturers, was that the biggest hotel in our clientele list to date had ordered NEET SHEETS after they saw them in another hotel., super cool, right?

Well, let me tell you, everything seemed to be going great, the timing couldn’t be more perfect (you would think!)

We went onto fulfill that order, with the surprise that when NEET SHEETS were delivered the fabric wasn’t the right white color they expected.
As I walked with the decision maker towards his office; I knew he wasn’t happy… I had a choice to make.

I knew the hotel wasn’t 100% satisfied with the delivered product, there was no question what the next step supposed to be… yes, a million question crossed my mind but from the very beginning of this endeavor I made it clear that my customer has to be 100% satisfied, so I proposed to take all of the product back

Hundreds of NEET SHEETS ended up in my garage stored in piles of boxes. the day after this took place I got really, really sick (I got something like food poisoning, honestly I’m not sure).

I remained in bed for almost one week; I couldn’t even answer my phone, I completely disconnected from everything and everyone for that period of time.
When I sort of healed, I checked my email… I had two emails, from two hotel clients that wanted to re-order NEET SHEETS, YES!!!

I just couldn’t believe what I was reading! “coincidentally” both of the orders amounted to the amount of returned bed sheets… coincidence? I think not! Every single bed sheet that I took from the hotel the prior week for not being the right white color, was sold in less than two weeks.

Takeaways from these experiences so far:
1) Make sure my customer is 100% satisfied. The hotel from whom I pick up the order for the wrong color fabric is about to receive their order pretty soon. They are happy and anxiously waiting for NEET SHEETS,

2) EVERYTHING happens for a reason, I continue reminding my self that Romans 8:28 IS 100% REAL!

3) I sold every NEET SHEET that was seating in my garage AND had two hotel clients receiving the product they love in just four days after placing their orders, and on top of everything to them the bed sheets are 100% the right white color!!! Both hotels were satisfied and happy, actually the three of them!!!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

This is 100% true for me to this day, and for the last few years it has been my guidance in decision making, The Bible is what I lean on every day, I have a long way to go to reach the place where I can say I understand everything, but I won’t go without it; Because as it’s said in Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Yes, I am a women full of defects, and I will continue making mistakes till the day I , but not as often as when I was just following my impulsive ideas and desires.

Now I am aware that I will never be perfect or find perfection, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t improve.

My goal is to become a better person, and what better example than Jesus… yes! I always aim high. How the saying goes: “Shoot for the Moon. Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars”.

I do not waste my time watching TV, unless are documentaries or something that is going to teach me or edify my spirit or if I’m having family time..
Listening to music has to be edifying as well and for me classic or old christian hims are what puts my soul in creative mode!!!

My thinking always gets creative when I go to sleep, many times I wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, solution, or the answer of prayers!

These are some of my favorite books, and I read or listen to these on daily bases:
– The Bible #1 for sure
– Everything from Billy Graham
– As a Man Thinketh (one of my favorites books)
– The books from Dr. John C. Maxwell
– And gosh I can named so many more

My goodness, I truly love all of those and in my opinion entrepreneurs, business owner’s, inventors, leaders and everyone should read these books.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.makeitneet.com
• Instagram: neet_sheets
• Facebook: Neet Sheets
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ruth-young-loaeza
• Youtube: Ruth Young-Loaeza
• Other: linktr.ee/RuthYoungLoaeza Sthepanie, I’m about to launch a Kickstarter campaign! COULD WE PLEASE talk so the link gets attach? :D A billion thanks, (619) 366-0177

Image Credits
Ruth Young-Loaeza