Chelsea Hirschhorn can recall the moment she came up with each of the gadgets she has developed for her company, Fridababy. There was the time she was cleaning her dog’s teeth with a canine wraparound toothbrush and wished she had one for her 3-year-old; a few months later, she launched a three-sided child toothbrush that is now available in 18,000 Targets. Or there was that night when her 16-month-old was sick, and Hirschhorn woke him every hour to check his temperature; that inspired a patch that sticks under a child’s arm and sends temperature data every few seconds to a smartphone app.
These tools might not be revolutionary, but Hirschhorn’s focus-group-of-one strategy is clearly connecting. In the three years since she became the CEO of a small business with a single cult product, the NoseFrida, Hirschhorn has tripled sales—with 2.5 million units sold last year—and turned it into Amazon’s top baby-care brand. Its wares are also available in stores such as Walgreens and Whole Foods.
Fridababy now offers 15 gadgets that tackle all kinds of sticky situations. The company is best known for the NoseFrida, a tube that enables you to suck mucus out of your baby’s nostrils. (Sound disgusting? You probably don’t have young kids.) Other offerings include the SnipperClipper, which makes it easier to cut and file a newborn’s nails, and the aptly named ButtWasher, which helps keep toddlers’ bums clean while they are toilet training. This summer, Hirschhorn is introducing the MediFrida, which helps parents accurately administer medicine using a combination pacifier and syringe. Also in the works is a line of infant skin-care products and gadgets that will help avoid excess sun exposure.
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