Backpacking with toddlers. For most of us, that sounds as easy as herding cats or juggling fireballs. But not for the O’Maras. Connor and Katie O'Mara do it all the time. The day Connor decided to take their 3-year-old on a multi-day hike marked the beginning of Trail Magik.
The challenge is this: Little kids love hiking! Until they don’t. And once they stop walking, you’ve got two choices. Stop or carry. Carrying a baby is one thing but lugging an extra 30 pounds that wiggles is a whole ‘nuther matter. Sure, there are steel-framed carriers but they go on your back… right where your backpack is already. Plus, they’re not exactly easy to put on and take off and put on and take off and put on and take off - as one does when carrying a toddler.
When You Can't Find a Solution...
Connor went looking for a better solution. Finding none, he made his own kiddo-carrier, and it worked perfectly for bringing a little trail buddy along - one who loved working his little leg muscles until he needed a break (rinse and repeat).
At the same time, the O’Maras lost someone close to them. Katie started thinking about how often parents say, “Oh, we’ll do _____ when the kids are older,” or when they’re potty trained, or when we have more money or more time. Thing is, we’re not guaranteed more time or the health to enjoy it.
A devout Christian, Katie felt like God was nudging her to share their carrier creation with others. And others were already asking where they could get one. So, in January of 2021, the O’Maras decided to put $15K into starting Trail Magik - money from Katie’s inheritance from her dad.
She’ll be the first to tell you that they had no idea what they were doing. Then, they didn’t know this product required testing or insurance. They had no idea at the time that they’d end up investing $85K more - or that they’d end up pursuing a patent (it’s pending). But as they realized all of this, it was clear: This could not be a hobby or side hustle. They’d either go all-in or not go at all.
Kickstarter Win!
All-in was the decision. They reached out to 18 different manufacturing plants in California. Two reached back that were a good fit. They launched on Kickstarter 14 months ago. They more than met their goal and sold through their first batch of 60 carriers. Then they made 1,000. Then 2,000. And now 3,000. They’ve done $220K in 14 months and are on track to reach a quarter million by the end of 2022. Katie says her membership in The One Percent - and in particular, her participation in her mastermind group - is helping her get there faster (while avoiding some significant detours along the way).
Katie and Ryan had a consultation call on The Road to $1 Million Podcast. You can listen in right here.
They’ve done it all by bootstrapping. But they’ve also got a whole army of avid hiker parents promoting Trail Magik through an affiliate arrangement. As Katie says, “I would much rather give off the top to our community of affiliates and their followers than to give 50% off the top to a big box retailer. Our affiliates get 10% back and their followers get 10% off when they buy.” This worked beautifully especially because she didn’t have a following when they launched.
Katie says, “I get so stoked about this because I’m just an everyday mama. With my kids all the time, I can only work certain hours - usually a couple of hours at night. I’ve built this in a couple of hours a day. I always put my family first.” And that, friends is what it’s all about.
Takeaway
We're really proud of what Katie O'Mara is creating and how she's serving her customers at Trail Magik. We'll keep following up with her to report back on her progress on the road to $1 million and hope you find her story as inspiring as we do.
If Katie's story inspires you to build a brand of your own... one that makes the world a better place while also having the potential to create generational wealth... we're right there with you.
Straight up, we're on a mission to make one million millionaires by 2028. We'd love YOU to be one of them.
That's why we made this FREE course that will get you started on your own road to $1 million. Get started now and let's build your wealth together.
