Supply Chain of Thought

The Hidden Work Behind Creating a Physical Product // SCOT Episode #9

• CPG Sourcing • Season 1 • Episode 9

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0:00 | 36:49

Ghaida Alkhaled, founder of Maybliss, joins CPG’s Supply Chain of Thought podcast to share how she turned a personal travel wellness problem into a patented physical product.

In this episode, Ghaida discusses the creation of the Bliss Pod, the product development process, prototyping, manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and what founders should know before launching a product-based business.

Use discount code CPG on the Maybliss website:
https://www.maybliss.la/

Connect with Ghaida:
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghaida-alkhaled-027814195/

follow Maybliss on Instagram at @maybliss.la

Find us on Faire here: https://www.faire.com/direct/maybliss

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Laura Dow:

So welcome back everyone to CPG's podcast, The Supply Chain of I am CPG's business director, Laura Dow. And today we are doing something a little bit different from our typical discussions sourcing and supply chain management. Today we're focusing on what it takes to build a physical product brand from the And in honor of International Women's Day that was earlier this month, we are joined female founder who has built a business from concept to market. All right, joining us today is Ghaida Alkhaled. My goodness, help me again. Did I say it Alkhaled, founder of Maybliss. Ghaida, welcome to the show.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Alkhaled. Alkhaled, yes. Yes. Laura, thank you so much. I'm honored to be here today. I appreciate it.

Laura Dow:

We are so excited to have you here. And as I discussed with you previously, today we're going to talk about everything to your journey, the original idea that you had, how it came about, and also the development process and really what it takes to bring a physical product from onto the shelves. It's kind of a long process. I understand you've been at it for about four years now, is that correct?

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Yeah, yeah, four years. Yeah.

Laura Dow:

Okay, so let's just start there with the background. What led you to start Maybliss? Usually there's a problem that people are trying to solve and what did you feel the

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Yeah, so I enjoy wellness and I travel a lot. And I realized that every time I came back from my travel, I would feel depleted. And it wasn't just the jet lag. I realized I wasn't on top of my supplement regimen. And at first, I actually blamed myself. I thought that I was not committed. Then I sat with that thought even deeper and I know I'm very committed when I'm and why am I not doing it when I'm traveling? So I looked at my traveling more closely and then realized that the pillboxes in market are flimsy, bulky, they spill. And so I would either like leave my pillbox at the hotel. And promise myself to take my supplements when I come back to the hotel and I And then I also figured out why don't I just take the supplement for the day with And it's either that Ziploc stays in my purse, because I'm so embarrassed of these to be exposed and I forget to take them. Or if I do put them next to me when I dine, I did notice that it does change I usually travel for pleasure or for work and I want to enjoy it. And I did notice that when you see those pills, it kind of changes like the vibe. Having pills next to you when you dine, you know? So there's something about that.

Laura Dow:

Mm-hmm. Great.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

I couldn't really put my finger on it, but there was something Then I realized that the pillboxes we have that are available, not only they're not functional, but they also remind us of being sick, of having to have our pills. It reminds us of our grandma's pillbox and that we need to fix something. And I wanted to create a shift into that.

Laura Dow:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

perception for people and actually to enjoy their wellness and to they're actually proud to take out of their purse, easy to travel with and have positive shift in their mind that they're doing something good for themselves. They look forward to do it. So that's the idea I wanted to create.

Laura Dow:

Mm-hmm. Right. I love hearing that. It's not what I had imagined. It's deeper than what I had imagined. I am also very focused on wellness. And it's interesting that you mention all these things that it makes you feel like you of your grandparents or think about aging. If you think about those pillboxes that you see in CVS or these convenience do, they're flimsy, they're plastic. They do remind you of someone that's maybe ill. And needs to take medication every day. And that I understand, I've never used them. And when I travel, what I do is I tend to take one of the vitamin bottles and I dump everything together into one, if I'm traveling for a couple of weeks, and then to dump it out on the dresser and sort through by the color. Like I need to take two of these each day. I'm actually gonna buy one of your, what do you call them? Pods, this product?

Ghaida Alkhaled:

BlissPods, because what we, yeah. So what we, what I intend to have people feel when they use the product is bliss. So they're called bliss pods. You know, Laura, I, I want to tell you also, I have tried many things and there pillboxes that I have tried and I feel like I struggled with, they're either they're made of all metal. So they're really heavy to carry around.

Laura Dow:

BlissPod. Mm. Mm. Right. Mm-hmm. Right.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

And they did not have that functionality that I can take the day a weekend, like a two day pillbox, but that would require me to purchase another In addition, I feel like I was not able to track my consistency. Like for example, did I take my Sunday supplements? I needed to check my one week pillbox and then my weekend pillbox. I wanted to create something like so easy, less mental stress.

Laura Dow:

And then, you know.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

You know, I just wanted to fit into your lifestyle and you go So that's the idea.

Laura Dow:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, and again, the bliss concept, I think that now people are embracing They see it more as a privilege, know, something they're excited to do. But I agree that we haven't made the full shift. And so I do love this paradigm shift that you're talking about. It's, again, a concept and an idea much deeper than what I had originally thought. And I guess just for listeners, in case people are not familiar with your product, It's a pillbox, but it's special. So will you explain what it is so they can then rush to your site and buy it?

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Yeah, of course. Yes, of course. So I actually have it with me, but yes. So this is the BlissPod. So the BlissPod is, I want to share also great news. Three weeks ago, we received the US patent for it. So it's patented. Yeah. So it's the only patented magnetic modular pill case.

Laura Dow:

Congratulations, that's wonderful.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

The exterior is made of anodized aluminum, just like your MacBook, It opens up and it consists of seven days of the week. They're individual pods, so Laura, when you're out and about, just take this guy It fits in your pocket, in your purse, and they're discreet. They don't scream pills. You know, it gives you that, you know,

Laura Dow:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Right. Yep. Right?

Ghaida Alkhaled:

positive nudge, stay on track, and it's also magnetic. So it's spill-proof, magnetic, just put it, and they're fun. And we actually came up with a new product now. These pods now stick to your fridge.

Laura Dow:

Very cool. Wonderful. That's very cool.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

And also, you buy two, like AM and PM or his and hers, they stick And so you travel very elegantly, organized, you know, you have everything It's completely toxic free. So that's also something that's important to me.

Laura Dow:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I agree. And I think general consumers are also getting on board with this as well. Five years ago, people looked at me like I had two heads. But now it's the standard I think that most people do want. And that is such a nice and beautiful product that when you take it out at the table, I do imagine it sells itself. It sort of elicits questions. Ooh, what is that? What do you have there? You know, that sort of thing. Because it really is nice and sleek. And so I'm curious, when did you, you started the company four years ago. Is that when you initially thought of this design? Is that when you realized that there was a gap in the market or was it something that were thinking about for many years before?

Ghaida Alkhaled:

To be honest, that's a really good question, Laura. To be honest, I feel like I had that issue, as I told you earlier, why am I not when traveling but did not have the time to really think through it? And I was just going out with a Ziploc or things like that, putting the supplements sometimes in my pocket and going out.

Laura Dow:

Mm-hmm, right.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

I think when the pandemic hit, I had that space and time and things And that's how, when I'm like, let me just think about this more deeper. Did not, I did not really think about starting a company and going all through was really thinking through it deeper. And then I researched the market because I really wanted a solution and I was not I... I tried, I could not find anything. And I just was just sketching on my dining table and thinking through and I'm like, I did start with many, many sketches and then I had product designers from Europe and engineers and to design the product I had in mind. Yeah, it went through a lot of iterations, but yes, that's how it started.

Laura Dow:

It's exciting because whenever I think I have a good idea that's new and Someone already thought of it. So it is exciting. When you search, the internet now covers the entire globe. So, you know, eventually this product could become quite popular worldwide, I

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Yeah, I think maybe if I found a product, there would be an issue For example, it wouldn't be toxic, toxin free, or maybe it doesn't look beautiful. I wanted something to look beautiful. Wanted something, you know, it's a beautiful piece that I display at home. And because it's displayed, it reminds me to take my supplements. Whereas we usually hide our, you know, bottles in the cabinet and we forget, but It's part of like decorations in your home. You get to remember without like screening supplements. So I wanted something like that, but I was not able to find one. And yeah, that's why I created this one.

Laura Dow:

Right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Wonderful. So let's talk about the development process. You mentioned engineers that you hired. I imagine this was before we even met. How long did it take you? Did you have this idea to include magnets and removable pods, or was that something How did that process work?

Ghaida Alkhaled:

my gosh. It's really good questions. Yeah. So I did have the idea of, wanted something that, I could take out something And then, we collaborated with the product designers and engineers and, and, you they would just tell me this would work. And, you know, if it's, if it clicks or if it's, and I, I didn't, that was not. Enough for me, and there, and people would tell me, like, when I ask my friends and That's way better than what's available. But that wasn't good enough for me. I geeked into it, to be honest. I really geeked into it. I want it to be perfect in every millimeter. I, if you, if you have this product, it's also a sensory experience, the way you the way it sounds, the way it feels, the way it pops in and pops out.

Laura Dow:

I love it. I love it.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

It's the whole thing. It's an experience that you get to enjoy. It's something like, you know, when you buy your new Apple phone, it's the whole experience, the way you touch it, the color, the feel. Like I wanted that as well in my product. So yeah, we did like take our time and go into that design. I think the design period took a year or even more than that. Yeah. And we even experimented with a 3D printer. And yeah.

Laura Dow:

Mmm, cool.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

to see like how many pills it would fit, how would it feel when It's too big. It doesn't feel right. Like we went through all of that until like all of us are happy with the design wanted to look for a manufacturer.

Laura Dow:

I mean. That's so fascinating. You are a visionary. And it does remind me of when I read about Steve Jobs and all the intricate details he discussed with his team to create, for example, the MacBook that you mentioned things as small as the logo, how the logo faces when the computers open. And then I also read the book by, let's see, Elon Musk and designing the Tesla. They, you said, geeked out saying, you know, they realized the importance of beautiful, perfect, you know, best, best MVP possible on the market. And I think in both instances, it worked, you know, had the products come out and were just subpar, no one would have the enthusiasm that they had, you know, when first came out or even, you know, Apple, Apple products. So that's That's very interesting because I think had you not spent that time, you run the risk of really just launching something that just doesn't have this Maybe it wouldn't even be noticed.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

I think so. Think the advice I got is that that's not going to be feasible. You're wasting a lot of time. You're wasting a lot of money. And if you want to be feasible, just launch, just do the product. So yeah, I like that you said that and you gave these examples. Because I want people to really, like if they're passionate about the product and want to do something and they feel like they can do even better, then geek into And enjoy that, you know?

Laura Dow:

And you hear that all the time also when people say, you know, that's not And it's actually, that's not feasible. That's actually wonderful feedback because it does show you, tell you I'm on the I'm doing something new. I'm doing something different that hasn't been done before. And if you know it's feasible and clearly it is, so that's also fascinating. I would be motivated by that. And I imagine the process was long though. So what were, I guess, what were the biggest challenges. I mean, I guess there was probably challenges related to design, but then also needed to evolve these various iterations into product development. So did you work with those same designers to develop a prototype or did you work Well, how did that time

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Yeah, yeah, so I yeah, that's a good question. So I initially was looking for local manufacturers, I have contacted a couple, wouldn't work like the mold, the size, it was like not possible for the have contacted. And the designers gave me

Laura Dow:

Okay. Thank you.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

gave me a manufacturer in China that they worked with and it's like And then I came across CPG sourcing and that's when I'm like, yeah, this is where Yeah, it's, you know, China is a country I haven't visited yet. I don't speak Mandarin.

Laura Dow:

Mm-hmm, right.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

let alone it was the tail end of COVID. It's not like the best time to travel. Then CPG provided a really good solution for me because they're US based. And then you have your local team in China. Not just only local, but they're like, they have the expertise, they have the with sourcing, manufacturers and

Laura Dow:

Of course, yeah.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

They're great communicators, so that was a really good together and find the manufacturer.

Laura Dow:

Wonderful. You mentioned a lot of interesting points and I guess before we dig into them China, you know, it would be, we'd love to meet you in China. The team would love to meet you. Will actually. Yeah, I'll be there. It's kind of last minute, but I will be there from April 15th through early May. Cause we.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

I want to do that trip one day, Laura.

Laura Dow:

We do have quite a few clients coming through, another time our clients. Yeah. Yeah. And it's what's what I love about what I'm doing now and working at CPG is that for who don't want to go to China, you don't have to. Many people have gone to China many times or have lived there like myself. And frankly, with us there, you don't have to go.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Okay, I'll plan my next one with you, yes.

Laura Dow:

But going is such a valuable experience. And even if your manufacturing is set up and even if you're working with a supplier team that you trust, it's these personal relationships that are so wonderful to person. And I think you can improve your relationship and encourage a longer term It's a great experience. Could help you with the translation and things like that. So perhaps. You know, later this year or next year, let us know.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Absolutely. And you touched on a point I just want to emphasize is that I really feel like I do great team I can depend on in case I don't travel to China. Like I can totally depend on CPG. Like I have my own team and you know, if I have a question or if I want to produce an extra quantity or like I do have them and I do ask them and they're available and a very important point you brought up.

Laura Dow:

Thank you. And I think that you also mentioned sort of the difficulties of sourcing in China. Let's be really transparent. Your journey has not been without, you there have been bumps along the way. And I think it's important for listeners to understand that we exist as a company for almost 50 years because China offers so much opportunity. But then there's also risks. So it's not going to be perfect. And we are there because things do happen. Samples or prototypes are developed that aren't perfect, and you have to go back And frankly, that is part of the process of creating a product from taking it out brain and putting it on the shelf. It's a long drawn out process. And especially something that you've done, creating a very sleek, beautiful, frankly, Product that sounds like you said, the clicking in the sounds and feels nice in And so what about that process of even working with us? I understand. I think there's been multiple iterations of samples. Were there any surprises that really you thought why I didn't expect this or?

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Yeah, think we went through many. I'm glad you're asking this. I'm just thinking as we're speaking, for example, like the magnets are not strong or they would fall if it's filled with supplements. And we needed it to be really strong, stronger, even if you put heavier stuff Like it was very, very specific. And you know, we didn't want the magnet to be too thick and it wouldn't look like too elegant, but still not too thin and it's not strong enough. And yeah, we did experiment a lot with the manufacturer and going back to the and, you know, back and forth until like we perfect things. The way the pods close, I wanted to lock really well. So if you drop it, they won't, you know, open up, but still easy for you to open So we needed to like try them in the prototypes, make sure it works. And you know, prototypes are expensive, especially when you do samples, they're I reached a point that I'm like, my God, do I afford this? Should I just mass produce? And it's really hard. It's really hard. And, I sometimes like push myself. I'm like, let me just invest even more and do more prototypes just to make sure it's

Laura Dow:

Yeah. Right.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

But yes, we did go through a lot, even like, yeah, the It used to close just directly and with a loud noise. And now it has this cloud feel. It just slows down and then it closed. The silicon, we worked on the silicon seal in detail and how to have it not exposed just do the work and things like that.

Laura Dow:

Thank And these are very important points. Sound like details, but it's important because we work in all industries. And so a product that's already on the market, but perhaps tweaked or changed a bit, there's already guidelines and standards and inspection standards, and already specification sheets. What you've created is so new that it does require testing. The strength of the magnet with pills and without. Now, for example, if you were to do another version or a different size or different shape, you would have that knowledge to build upon. And so that is a really important distinction when doing prototypes and physical product, that those guidelines, we can't go to the suppliers and say, or manufacturers and say, what are the standards in your industry? We're going to follow those standards and then tweak a little bit. Everything is from scratch. And I'm reflecting on a time about eight years ago when we were helping a client And now paper straws are popular, I think, many places. I think you rarely see plastic. But at that time, this is a similar example. There were no inspections, like standardized inspections for this type of And so we would actually have to take the straw, stick it in water. How long does it stand in water before it gets soggy and mouth feel and all these that you don't think about that, you know, when no standards exist, you have to them. And so that's, that's exciting, but also just, you know, something that designers It's, it'll be worth it. Yeah. Yeah.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

I wasn't aware of this until you said it, know, until you just I'm like, yeah, that's so true.

Laura Dow:

Right, right. Okay, so let's, I guess, talk about where you are today. Any exciting news you want to share or what is your current trajectory and any that you want to share with listeners.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Yeah. So we launched the BlissPod at the end of 2022 and it is sold, almost sold out. Like we have only few in stock and yeah. And so I think we have the market validation and only selling D2C through only, not even through other websites or Amazon, only through our website.

Laura Dow:

Okay, well.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

And I think the exciting news is that I just said that earlier, but And we also have our new hero product, which is the BlissPod Pro, which has extra People are loving it. It looks beautiful. You can stick it on your fridge and you know, your fridge looks elegant, but still me before you make your meal to take care of something.

Laura Dow:

on your phone. Right, yes,

Ghaida Alkhaled:

And so this, this, this product is exciting for us. And also I have participated in my first trade show two weeks ago. Yeah. I wanted to, to start to do B2B. There was more demand than I thought, to be honest. Yeah, it was more demand, but I think with the brand, We want to be aligned with the retailers and buyers who have the similar values because we look at long term, we want to just know. And this is what we're working on. Partnering with B2B, we just launched our product on wholesale on the website, wholesale and working on launching this product.

Laura Dow:

Really exciting and I also love that you stuck with your own site, not I think you've done a great job building a brand and a, what is the word I'm looking, And it's not going to be easy for anyone else to do what you're doing and that's What was the show you participated in if you don't mind me or if you feel like are you going to be participating in any other shows that you might want to share?

Ghaida Alkhaled:

So I participated in the natural product expo West. It was based in Anaheim. It's one of the largest trade shows. I haven't like planned yet for another show. It was overwhelming. You know, so let's see how this sits, how things progress after the trade show and Yeah, but I think for now we are available on the website for, who is interested in We're also available on Faire, F-A-I-R-E dot com for wholesale. Yeah. And I'm always available. Like if people want to contact or collaborate, I'm happy, you know, to do

Laura Dow:

Okay, okay, great. So I will circle back at the end because I just have one more important question and can circle back and go through all your links, website and socials and include the episode. But before we get there, as a woman founder, entrepreneur, product designer, any major lessons learned or things that you want to share with other

Ghaida Alkhaled:

to get in come back? I'm fine. I'm okay. You want to go get it?

Laura Dow:

No, it's okay. So, yes, again, let's just circle back. What advice would you give to other founders starting a product-based

Ghaida Alkhaled:

I think I want to share something I went through after like going product and perfecting the product. I realized it's not just about that. Also being an entrepreneur and an e-commerce owner is even a different thing which I did not expect to be as hard as, I wouldn't say as hard, but as a learning for me, because my previous experiences as an executive, so I'm used to like and leadership. And that was extremely the opposite, extremely the opposite. So I had to wear a lot of hats. Had to be there, like customer service, building my website, sending the emails, I'm the strategist, the everything, financials. To the details and that was a shift for me. Think if people want to create a product, they need to think of everything else, I I would also say, if you want to create a product, look for a gap in the market and But also, don't let people doubt your product or sometimes you also doubt your

Laura Dow:

All Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

It's a long, lonely journey for entrepreneur. So I would say if you really believe in your product and you're passionate about Just give it, but I would say give it your all. If you go over your doubts and people doubts that I think those founders who

Laura Dow:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay, so I want to summarize what you've said because I think the advice is really The first is if I want to paraphrase because I think it's a bit nuanced comment is that really be prepared to go all in. If you were an executive before you need to be ready to do do it all. Is that correct? Every aspect of the business. And I can understand that particularly in the early days because you own it. It is your vision. It is your baby. And I think at that stage of business development or creating the brand, it's hard to find someone else that can match your passion. That a good way of summarizing?

Ghaida Alkhaled:

I think you can find someone and it's healthy to fill in the Just like for me, I brought in CPG, but I think at the beginning, beginning when doing it for your own, like there's no one except you, you're a solopreneur. So you need to like stand on your feet before you bring in someone.

Laura Dow:

Mm-hmm. Right. Right, right. Right. Solopreneur, I like this. Solopreneur, okay. And then number two was find a gap in the market, which you absolutely did. A respond to a gap in the market. And number three was don't let other people's comments about saying something feasible get you off track or even your own internal negative thoughts. If you believe in it, you gotta go for it.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

it gets lonely, Laura. I think for entrepreneurs, you you're on your computer by yourself at home or you're working, it does get lonely. And then you do get to doubt yourself and people get to doubt you. I think also another thing I would say, surround yourself with other

Laura Dow:

Hmm. I love that final one, surround yourself. It's true, because you are sort of the sum, what is that phrase, of the five And so if you are spending your time with other solopreneurs and their passion and enthusiasm, well rub off and you can also learn from each other. Right. We are always learning and improving and I think that

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Yes, yes, which is beautiful. Yes.

Laura Dow:

If you're not, you're not maybe trying hard enough or something is not Okay, so let's, unless there's something else you want to share with the audience, we could probably close and go through how people find you. Any other final thoughts or comments?

Ghaida Alkhaled:

no, I don't have any final thoughts on comments yet. Thank you for having me. I think I want to, I want to, have a discount code for, for your followers, if So, yeah. So, you can find us at, Maybliss.la that's M-A-Y-B-L-I-S-S, dot L-A and then,

Laura Dow:

Okay, okay. Of course. Wonderful idea. Okay.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Product is the BlissPod Pro. And I would like to extend the discount for CPG sourcing followers. And you can use discount CPG to get your discount. If you're interested in wholesale, if you're a buyer, distributor, retail store That's F-A-I-R-E dot com. And you can find us as Maybliss. And yeah, honestly, honestly, the brand is called Maybliss. You may be blessed. The bliss is what I hope for people when they use the BlissPod or any of our We want you to be at that high vibration and we want you to be at your peak energy, joy, but still grounded and peaceful. So this is what I aspire for people. And if you're using the product, please, please write reviews or contact me. Tell me your critiques. Tell me what you like about it because that's how we improve.

Laura Dow:

Thank you so much for sharing that, Ghaida. You May Be Blissed is beautiful. And now I better understand the name. And it's such a wonderful wish for everyone. And I guess also in addition to what you said, the socials, we can find you on We will put all of this in the show notes along with that discount code.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Yes.

Laura Dow:

It was such a pleasure learning about this journey. It is a beautiful product, a beautiful story, and I really enjoyed speaking with Thank you.

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Thank you, Laura. I appreciate it. Really nice talking to you too.

Laura Dow:

You as well and we will follow your journey and we'll also do some So stay tuned everyone Okay. Bye. Bye

Ghaida Alkhaled:

Bye.

Guest contact: Maybliss website:

https://www.maybliss.la/ | Instagram:

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Laura Dow

Host
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Ghaida Alkhaled

Guest