Written by: Isabel Isidro

Carrying around a water bottle is not the most convenient when you are running or doing other forms of exercise. But since you need to stay hydrated, you need to have a water bottle with you, cumbersome it may be, when you go to the gym or jog in your neighborhood.

Julie Austin created a nifty little product that makes carrying water to stay hydrated during exercise so much easier and more manageable. She invented Swiggies, a little gadget that you can wear in your wrist that solves every active individual’s water bottle dilemma. Visit http://swiggies.com to check out Julie’sinvention.

Can you tell us about your product Swiggies?

Swiggies, wrist water bottles are the only hands-free wrist water bottles on the market. They come in an adult and a kid’s size. The adult swiggies hold 11 ounces of water or sports drink and the kids version holds 8. They come in a variety of sizes and can also be frozen to lower body temperature in the heat.

How did you come up with the idea for the product? What need did you see in the marketplace?

I came up with the idea after passing out from dehydration while running in the middle of the summer heat. The only thing on the market at the time was a fanny pack and they had to be washed out with baking soda after each use. I wanted something that was easier to use and more accessible.

What were the challenges you faced in turning the product from an idea to an actual prototype? How long did the process take?

The challenges were huge! I had no money and no knowledge about manufacturing or getting a product on the market. Because of that it took years of working 2 jobs to save the money and a very big learning curve of constantly making mistakes.

How are you financing the business?

I financed the business by working several jobs, maxing out credit cards, selling off whatever I owned and living frugally.

How are you protecting your business from potential copycats?

I spend a good part of every single day fighting off copycats. It happens to every inventor, even the biggest companies out there.

I have a system for knocking them off the Internet before it gets completely out of hand. If you don’t, they’ll multiply like cockroaches. I start out by being nice and letting them know they are infringing. Then, if they don’t respond or refuse to take the product down, I will contact the search engines and have them removed. Repeat offenders risk having their entire site banned by the search engines.

I also started a site called Infringer Blacklist to document the frustrating struggle I was going through with copycats. Counterfeiting is a huge problem that costs the US billions of dollars, jobs, and dangerous products. I’m putting together an ebook on exactly how I have dealt with counterfeiters without spending a dime on attorneys.

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