Transcript
Hi there. I'm Holly McDonald with the OC
Pod where we discuss all things
concerning the lifestyle, businesses,
and activities that make our area such a
great place to live. Today, I have a
real treat. We have the Palm Bells.
Laura, Jessica, and Deanna here with me,
and they are going to tell us a little
bit more about all of their spirit. So,
Laura, why don't you tell us a little
bit about Palm Bells? Okay, I will. Came
to be on the side of our kids football
game. Jessica and I were setting up for
homecoming and Jessica handed me a
pompom and a cowbell. And before I had
kids, I was not a huge sports fan and I
am very much a sports fan of my
children. However, I not really familiar
with fan gear and using both hands was
not working for me.
Foundation, right?
I was like, I need a hand like this
isn't efficient for me. So Jessica said,
why don't we just put them together? And
I said, that works for me. And so she
tied uh the cowbell to the top of the
pompom. And I said, "That's terrific,
but I feel a lawsuit coming on because
what if that flies off and hurts
someone?" So she said, "Well, I think
this is I think we have something here."
Cuz everybody's always trying to think
of their million-dollar idea, right? So
we called Deanna and I knew Deanna from
school and Deanna and Jessica are super
close and she said she's great idea.
Yeah, let's do it. So I said, "All
right, I'm going to go home and I'm
going to come up with an idea." And I
went home and I sketched up an idea,
bought some stuff on Amazon, jeed
something together, and that's how she
was born.
Amazing. So Jessica, it sounds like you
really kind of took the reigns a little
bit in convincing Laura that this was
actually a thing. No convincing because
it's like there's something so
infectious about this product about the
palm bell and she wasn't like super into
the you know two hand thing but there
was something that magical that happened
as soon as she was shaking that bell
palm combo you know she was into it and
and I was like well we should make these
and she immediately said yes and that's
when we called Deanna I mean this whole
concept was birthed I mean like it felt
like 30 seconds. Probably not, right?
But it it it was like something that
immediately caught our attention and
became so energetic. And I don't know if
you remember receiving the phone call,
but
I do. No scene either.
I know. She called me and she's like,
she goes, "Diana, I'm with Laura. We
have something." And she goes, "What do
you think about a pompom and a cowbell
attached together?" And I was like, "Oh
my god, yes, yes, yes, that's it. That's
it." And we, like Laura said, we've been
friends for a while and we're constantly
brainstorming ideas and concepts and,
you know, some things we're like maybe
and others were like probably not, but
this it was instantaneous for sure.
Oh my gosh. Okay. So, um, have any of
you invented anything before? Because
you got a patent and everything for
this. So, it's so impressive.
Thank you.
You know what? I all three of us are
innovators and entrepreneurs in our own
way. And I'll let those two speak to
what they've done. I created a product.
It's a paint can label to help people
organize their paint cans. So, I have my
own website, copyrighted, trademarked.
Hadn't done a patent before, so that was
new for all three of us. Um,
what's that paint? Yes.
Okay, cool. Yes.
It's always so hard to know what paint
is in the
Exactly. Exactly.
Great. I'm going to pass that along to
clients.
Yes. Yes.
And then Jess.
Yeah. Um I run a spiritual center here
in Orange County in Irvine. So I'm, you
know, entrepreneurial myself. And I know
Lara has experience doing her own thing.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm the queen of the
side gig. So um I've been a full-time
stay-at-home mom and a part-time
business owner for years. So I had a
clothing business for a bunch of years.
I made tapestry for a bunch of years. I
do uh travel advising and now I am
mistress of the palm bell.
I love that because obviously well I was
at your I guess you call it a launch
party right which was fant you guys went
all out for that so you know how to
throw a party and I think the kids were
really into it the students. Tell me
what has the response been to the palm
bell.
It's been amazing from parents,
students, everybody across the board.
It's just it's like she was saying, it's
infectious and it's fun. It's colorful
and you can't help but just smile and
have fun shaking it. It's not just for
school sports. We're going to go to the
Ducks game this evening.
I bring it to a 60th birthday party this
weekend.
That's right. Yes.
We're saying that the Palm bell is
really for any celebrate. It's obviously
a easy fit for sporting events, you
know, a sideline of sporting events and
marathons and that kind of thing,
weddings, you know, again, her 60th
birthday party. Anytime you want an
extra special um, you know, celebration,
a palm bell is perfect. And um I would
say that I had the unique experience of
being on the sidelines of a football
game uh recently where our team was down
and we really brought the Palm Bell
spirit out in the third quarter and and
and we came back to win by one point and
the boys even remarked that it was the
Palm Bells that um really ignited, you
know, a fan spirit that they were
missing and that they needed. So it's
it's really neat to get that feedback
from the actual players themselves. And
then we were at the Disney race and we
saw firsthand from the sidelines of the
race, you know, how meaningful it was to
have those palm bells as the runners
were running and see their faces light
up with this new type of, you know,
cheering apparatus because it's, you
know, as we know, LAR is a runner,
you're a runner. When you're running in
those races and you're so tired,
anything that's like fresh is is
something that's really meaningful. So,
we've we've seen the direct impact of
the happiness that the palm bell brings
in so many different avenues. Yeah. It's
something that is clearly so simple. I
think that's why people smile because
they've never seen anything like it
before, but it's kind of obvious. Like
any good invention,
right? I love that. You want to
demonstrate how one works?
Sure.
Here we go. Well, I people like M MSU,
Mississippi State University is a big
cowbell school and they hold them
like this. Wait,
am I am I?
You're good.
And then it can also This is yours,
Holly.
Oh my gosh, he is going to be He was
asking little dolphin on it.
I think there's being a little modest
for me. The way I like to shake up loud
and proud. That would totally get you
running faster,
right?
That is really It is fun.
Can you show it? I mean, it just Yeah,
you pick it up and like you literally
cannot not smile.
That's so fun.
So now, how does it work when people are
ordering? So, it's it's customizable
clearly. Telling me a little bit about
what people can expect.
Do you want to take this, Jess? Okay.
Um, well, as of now, we have Shopify
store and you can go to the website.
We're It's going to be accessible via
Etsy, Tik Tok. It's accessible via Meta
right now. So, there are lots of
different ways to get there.
And then you can pick pre-made bells
that are uh combinations that are
pre-existing that support a lot of
different teams that already exist.
Yeah. Or you can do a custom bell where
you pick one of How many colors do we
have now? Nine.
I think nine colors and we have I think
20 different color palms. So you can
make any kind of combination that you
want. Hopefully we'll have stickers that
go along with that soon as well. And
that actually makes it I think that's a
really fun part too. Yeah,
is designing it with stickers. So, if
you have your team sticker or your
booster club sticker or whatever, you
can then slap it on. We're also really
looking forward to partnering with folks
and doing fundraisers where we could
provide a QR code that links directly to
a page and then it could be a
fundraising opportunity where we could
split profits with whatever organization
is looking to raise money.
Oh, I love that.
Yeah. How have the schools been
responding to it? You're based in the
Newport Mesa School District. How are
they taking to it?
Kind of want to monopolize
process with partnering with schools.
You know, when we're only recently
launched and there's so many different
partnership opportunities. So, we're in
process right now with the local schools
and what that's going to look like. But
as Lara said, the really wonderful and
unique opportunity to partner with A1C3,
which most of the schools have, you
know, and and do a fundraiser with them,
that's going to be a really neat avenue
to to partner with them. And then
definitely we would love to partner with
like micro influencers and influencers
and, you know, get them a QR code. And,
you know, it it's it's just been really
wellreceived in every avenue so far that
we've touched. It's been a really
incredible reception both locally and
nationally.
Yeah, I love that. I did see that you
were at the Disney race recently, so
that's cool. And then also I I mean you
guys are scaling big fast. I mean you
could really partner with any major team
out there and get all of their fans. You
were talking about college teams. I mean
NFL, there's so many watch parties
locally. Like there's a lot of
opportunities to get the fans riled up.
Yeah, we definitely want to um partner
with people who are doing tailgates,
right? because that's a really fun
addition to any tailgate. There's
certain bell teams across the nation
that we're going to be partnering with
and we're going to focus on them. And
that's the Nashville Predators, the San
Francisco Giants, like we said, the
Anaheim Ducks. So, Mississippi State,
we're in conversation with them. So,
there's certain bell schools that we're
going after first and foremost. And
then, like we said, the races, you know,
again, the Olympics are coming.
Oh my gosh, that's true. Yes. And you're
so local, so it's pretty easy. I mean,
obviously lots of connections for you
guys.
Yeah, marathons.
And you mentioned you're all you're all
like involved in other activities and
jobs and everything. So, how are you
finding time and balance to do this?
I think it's a challenge, right? Like
anything else. Our kids are really
excited for us, though. And, you know,
they see us out there working and and
bringing this vision to life. And, you
know, when you first approached them,
they're like, "Okay." But now they're
excited and they're talking with their
friends about it. And so, you know, we
just do what we can when we can.
We work together every
We definitely find at least a pocket of
time every single day, but every day
it it may be earlier one day, later than
that. You know, it's it's staggered. But
we
I think since we've really brought this
together, there's not a day that we
haven't worked on this. So, it's it's a
full-time project, but not with like the
traditional full-time hours, right?
Since
Yeah. Well, and you just had your launch
party, but you've only been really like
working on this idea for about a year.
Is that right? Or maybe even a little
bit less.
So, that's that's fast to get this off
the ground and running. So, that's
really impressive.
Well, it's the beauty of having the
three of us work together.
Yeah.
And we're really complimentary. I think
it's it's special. It's special. And we
I think we all can take criticism pretty
well and feedback pretty well so it
doesn't derail us and we just oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh oh you're right. You know
it's it's keeping your eyes on the prize
and putting your ego aside and I think
that can often be difficult when you're
working with
Yes. So you are a a good team
combination.
Yeah, I think so.
That's amazing. What have been some of
the challenges and highlights for you so
far?
I think a challenge and I would imagine
it's for any startup is a customer
acquisition. I mean, it's a little bit
like uh you have this I was saying to
Jessica this morning like you have this
amazing resource but you have to mine
it. And it's the mining that's so
challenging.
Yeah.
Because we can see we're like yeah we're
so close.
you know, how do we access the right
person and just get them at the right
time and elbow grease, but so much of a
startup launching is about timing.
Yeah,
it's true
about highlights.
I mean, I think so far for me the launch
party was really fun because there was
such great energy there. So many people
turned up for it. So many people had so
much fun just looking at all the options
and and be able to take stickers and
decorate their bells and um yeah, and
the feedback, not one person had
anything negative to say. They they just
it was a whole new of excitement and and
enthusiasm that I haven't seen or felt
in a while.
Yeah, it was a great event. Um you had
quite the turnout. That was amazing. And
I've loved watching how you've been
putting out the information and content
on Instagram, kind of tracing your
story, too, to give it a little bit more
just behind the scenes of what it took
to build it and the purpose and the
mission. I was curious, are your kids
all on the same team or what's the story
there?
Our kids, our boys were on the same
team.
My son has since moved on to a different
sport,
but and I think your two boys were also
same. They um played football together,
freshman, sophomore, and then say my son
decided to move on to a different sport,
but they all have played on the same
football team point
and that is what originally kind of
bonded us and birthed this idea was on
the sideline of a football of a football
game. And
yes,
you know, since we've obvious obviously
just seen that it can be so much bigger
and wider than just football, but yeah,
football was the the unifying the
catalyst.
Okay. Well, I want to ask you, what is
the prize? You said you're going to keep
your eye on the prize. What are you most
like what is your vision for Palm Bell
and the three of you going forward? You
can put your biggest most crazy idea out
there for where you want this to go. Why
not?
Um, I think our LLC is actually a moms
and palms. So, we didn't limit oursel to
just the Palm Bell. I think we're open.
I hope I'm speaking for this,
but I I think we could have a long
career together just coming up with
ideas. And once the idea of the energy
and the joy that is represented with
this item takes off, I I just feel like
the possibilities could be endless, but
it's getting the momentum.
Yeah.
Yeah. No, I I personally love anything
that brings positive energy into the
world. We can't have enough of it,
right? So, this is something that really
will bring a lot of joy to people. And I
love how you said that it literally made
a difference for some of the football
players when they were down and brought
them out ahead.
Definitely. And you know, but to ask
what our goals and aspirations for this
particular product and our company is. I
mean, it's global. It's for sure. It's
massive. It's endless.
There is no nowhere that the Palm Bell
doesn't belong.
I love that. and and of course we start
with the United States and kind of
master that territory, but I think that
simultaneously, you know, we'll be
creating partnerships all around the
world. Definitely the noise maker is not
a new fan product. You know, we've just
made it better. And so really anywhere
that the noise maker has been is where
the palm bell will be. And that's
certainly all around the globe.
I love that. I mean, I think every real
estate office should have one for when
we have a closing. Just ring that palm
bell. I will bring that up to the
manager.
Yeah, you're right. It could be
anywhere. Anywhere that there is
something to celebrate.
Yeah, absolutely.
Great. Do you have anything else you
want to add where people can find you?
Anything?
Palm bells.com.
That's pretty easy to remember.
You no reason not to order.
Order now.
Uh why don't you mention
Well, right now we have discount pricing
going on and that is ending at the end
of the month which is right around the
corner. So, that was our special launch
pricing.
Nice.
And yeah, get your palm bells at our
discounted rate while you can.
Certainly,
they seem like they'd be a great holiday
gift.
Stock up. And you're on Instagram?
Yes. Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, Etsy,
Pinterest, US,
Amazon, Walmart. Um, we're really going
to get this out there everywhere. eBay,
that's in process this week. Those those
shops will be opening any day now. Oh my
gosh, that's even more more widely
available than I thought. So that's
incredible. I'm so excited for you
bringing so much spirit to to not only
Newport and Costa Mesa, but literally
soon the entire world.
Well, thank you.
Thank you for being here.
