Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Valencia.
Hi Maria, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I founded Fresh Comfort, Inc. after a personal experience with my mother. My mom had medical issues and I could not find comfortable undergarments for her. She had extreme skin sensitivity and the bulky seams and sometimes rigid fabrics found in bras were uncomfortable for her. I shopped mass, mid-tier, and high-end retailers and could not find a product with flat, clean seams, soft fabrics with easy front closures. It was frustrating for me as a designer of intimate apparel I could not believe the difficulty I was having finding the right undergarments for my mom.
After much thought and a strong interest in venturing out on my own, I developed a focused line of adaptive intimates for women with mobility challenges such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, recovering from a stroke, and those with skin sensitivity. The product line was tested through Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth to ensure the garments did no harm, performed well, and the fit was correct. Working with real women who had mobility issues was a great learning experience as it allowed me to revise the garments before launching the product line.
My business associate, Beatriz Cacheux came on board after I established the company to help support daily operations, coordinate projects for the website and onboarding the 3PL center while I focused on the product development, production, and launch of the product line. We are exclusively direct to consumers and are an e-commerce company. Our website is www.freshcomfortinc.com.
Our focus is to make a difference in women’s lives by making the daily task of putting on a bra easier. Arthritis is the #1 chronic illness in the U.S. and it affects women who are still in the workforce. Many days it’s difficult for them to dress due to the pain in their hands and inability to use the small hook/eye closures found in conventional bras. The hooks/eyes closures bras are difficult to close, even in the center front closure style bras which are offered by various manufacturers.
In 2020 our bestselling bra, Easy-Open style was ranked #1 Arthritis Design by VeryWellHealth.com and this validated our bra by women who have the need for a bra that is easy to put on and take off. Our customers love the Easy-Open bra for its ease of use and our seamless underwear because they feel like they are not wearing anything!
After experiencing some health issues, a couple of years ago, I learned firsthand that we can continue to evolve the product line by offering more styles. Our customers are not shy in sharing their feedback and based on the key learnings I’m working on new products. We hope to launch new styles this coming Fall.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?Like any start-up, it’s never truly smooth and at times it’s been trying as we are pioneering adaptive bras. Although, front closure bras are available, they do not have easy to use closures and women with arthritis have difficulty using the small hook/eye conventional closure. I’ve learned that you must be a strong person to be a business owner because there are a lot of ups and downs. When it’s challenging it can affect your attitude and as a business owner, I recommend having a circle of supportive people. This is extremely important to continue through uncharted territory. On the positive side, it’s never boring and extremely satisfying, especially when your customers call to tell you how your product made their life better.
Like many small businesses, financial challenges are constant. For example, marketing can be costly yet important to promote the product to continually drive traffic and conversions to the website. And it’s important for a small company to keep up with technology, as it’s ever-changing. Just recently, we had to update our website to keep up with new technology. The funding that goes into making these revisions and upgrades can take a toll on the marketing and operations budget.
Lastly, as mentioned above, Fresh Comfort is pioneering the area of adaptive bras, it is most important for healthcare professionals to recognize the need and help support this category. Women with post-surgical procedures or those recovering from a stroke will require assistance to dress for follow-up appointments and physical rehabilitation. Our product will give them their independence back and may also lessen the burden on the caretaker. Women will feel empowered about their ability to gain their independence and Fresh Comfort bras are made with this in mind. Fresh Comfort Bras give women the ability to dress themselves and have all-day comfort and a well-fitting bra that is easy to use.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Fresh Comfort Inc.?
Fresh Comfort specializes in adaptive intimate apparel geared towards women with hand mobility health issues. We are a minority women-owned business interested in making life better for women with mobility health issues. The product line is designed by women, for women and manufactured by specialty companies with a long history in intimate apparel production.
Our users have voted and given us their approval by ranking our best seller as the #1 Arthritis Design Bra. Our customers recognize that we make product for their special needs. It’s of no surprise as the founder I sourced all the components to ensure we used high-quality materials and manufacturing techniques. In fact, three of our four products are made with an innovative yarn, Sorbtek® made in the U.S. The yarn wicks moisture and maintains the wearer’s skin dry.
Our website is full of educational videos to empower women how to measure themselves, how to put on each style of bra to help them understand how the Fresh Comfort product line will enhance their daily lives. Our product gives them back their independence by being able to put on a bra by themselves, depending on the severity of their mobility health issues. Also, we learned that caregivers are sometimes suffering from arthritis and our product makes it easier for the caregiver to help dress their loved ones. Overall, our product makes it easier for both wearer and caregiver.
We offer size consultation over the phone and help guide the selection of style and size depending on the needs of the client. We have assisted the end-users, mothers, sisters, daughters, husbands, and sons. Helping to guide our customers also allows us to learn about their needs and wants. We use these key learning to continue to improve our product and develop new styles.
As a business owner, I take the opportunity to talk directly with a customer. The information I gain is priceless. Especially during the beginning of the conceptual design process. And as a company we take pride in listening to our clients because the product is made to meet their special needs.
We are a small company and have grown by relying on word of mouth from our customers and a few healthcare facilities carry our brochure and help us by recommending our website with the interest of helping their patients.
Any big plans?
We are planning to launch new styles this coming Fall based on the key learnings from our customers. As I mentioned before, they are not shy about giving us feedback. We are adding more feminine styles with easier to use closures to make it comfortable, easy to use, and fashionable. We are focused on wellness, and this will always be the priority as we develop new products for our customers.
We are also working towards forming a social media partnership with a well-known bra fit expert with a large social media following. This will help to market the Fresh Comfort Adaptive product line so that more women know about our bras and bottoms.
Contact Info:
- Email: maria.valencia@freshcomfortinc.com
- Website: www.freshcomfortinc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshcomfortbras/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freshcomfortinc/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/freshcomfortinc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvRUZjAXa15GRpFBfwODy4w
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/freshcomfort/_created/
