![\"Glooeys\"](\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Glooeys.png\")
<\/a>Pilot, Wes Warner, watched in frustration one day as his 4 year old son struggled to tie a latex party balloon. He tried tying it himself and realized that even he was having a hard time getting it tied. Then, in what seems like an obvious \u201cah ha\u201d moment, he wondered if there wasn\u2019t a way to self-seal the balloon so you didn\u2019t have to tie it at all. That\u2019s when he contacted his business partner and fellow pilot, Troy Stark to do a little brainstorming.<\/p>\nThe first thing they wanted to find out was whether the idea already existed or not. They did some research and found out that other people had attempted to solve the same problem, but none of them were ever economically feasible. They wanted a solution that was both inexpensive and simple.<\/p>\n
They found out that by being co-inventors they both came up with different solutions to the problem. After months of testing, they settled on a non-toxic adhesive that allows you to stretch out the balloon and simply squeeze to seal it.<\/p>\n
The glooeys project<\/a> became a family affair for Wes and his two sons, and Troy and his daughter. All of the kids were put to work testing prototypes and making You Tube videos. Their \u201cwork\u201d usually involved a backyard BBQ or party.<\/p>\n “I’m thinking about the future for my daughter,” says Stark, ” Some day she’s going to take over the business\u201d. The Warner family is also looking forward to their new entrepreneurial endeavor. \u201cThe boys have been a huge part of the prototype testing\u201d, says Warner. \u201cWithout their help, we wouldn\u2019t be this far.\u201d<\/p>\n The glooeys patented technology will completely disrupt the balloon industry. Balloons of the future will all be self-sealing and the time, energy and frustration of tying balloon knots will be a thing of the past.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The brothers spent over a year developing an ergonomic design that allows the parent to stand up straight without putting any strain on their back. And the device can hold up to 60 lbs.<\/p>\n Like all inventors who create something totally new and unique, there is a learning curve. The brothers started off by packaging the product in a large, multi-colored box, but eventually found a more cost-effective solution by putting it in a plastic bag with a zipper at the top and a hanger. Inside there is a full color insert with a QR code that takes the customer to a video that explains more about how the product works. This was a better way to interact with their customer and get them more involved with the product.<\/p>\n With any new invention you are introducing something innovative that\u2019s never been done before. Therefore you have to spend time and money educating the customer about your product. According to Bryan, \u201cYou can either do that by spending an enormous amount of money on advertising or you can grow your brand organically by getting it into the hands of the right influencers who love and need your product. They will be the ones who will spread the word.\u201d<\/p>\n The Piggyback Rider started off in brick and mortar stores, but has found more success online, even expanding into other countries.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When Brian Hooks and his daughter Lily were cleaning their porch one spring morning, they probably never imagined they would come up with a new invention that would be on Shark Tank. Lily had the job of cleaning candle wax off of the table and Brian had the job of patching up a hole in the screen. While Lily was having trouble getting the wax off the table, Brian was having trouble getting a patch to stay on the screen because the adhesive wasn\u2019t strong enough to hold it.<\/p>\n So Lily suggested they combine the problems to come up with a solution. \u201cWhy not put some candle wax on the screen?\u201d Lily said. And that\u2019s how Screen Mend was started.<\/p>\n Their inventing method is actually something many inventors have used to come up with innovative, new ideas. Combining ideas to come up with something totally unique that never existed before.<\/p>\n![\"piggybackrider_logo_1421311482_02861_1_1430388341__61979\"](\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/piggybackrider_logo_1421311482_02861_1_1430388341__61979.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/a>\u00a0Dad and inventor Bryan Lifshitz knows that necessity is the father of invention. He and his 2 brother co-inventors have eight kids between them and have given more than their share of piggyback rides. But when those piggyback rides got longer and longer, they decided to come up with an alternative to help them out a little. That\u2019s when the Piggyback Rider was born.<\/p>\n![\"Piggy-Back-Rider](\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Piggy-Back-Rider-copy.jpg\")
<\/a>The Piggyback Rider<\/a> is like a platform step that goes on a parent\u2019s back and has the kid strapped in, so they can see over mom or dad\u2019s shoulder. The parent is able to do this hands-free without having to hold the kid up.<\/p>\n![\"Screen](\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Screen-mend-logo.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"Screen-Mend](\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Screen-Mend-copy.jpg\")
<\/a>The dad and daughter co-inventors sent out numerous samples to newspapers until they were finally picked up by one and were also approached by a catalog company before applying to Shark Tank.<\/p>\n