When life hands you lemons.. what do YOU make?

I’ve been thrown a curve ball here and there. I’m sure you have too.

I’ve also been down the road where nothing seems to go right and why we have to work so hard to get ahead when others…well, it seems to just fall into their laps and they don’t even appreciate what ever has been awarded them.

I’m really not a complainer. I look at my life and feel very blessed with the cards that have been dealt to me. Im healthy and happy. I have a loving & supportive spouse and family, friends, you name it. I even started and founded a successful company.

You might say, I’ve made lemonade a few too many times but when I’m handed lemons, that’s what I do…I make lemonade. Not to go down the list, but we all have those times that stand out the most.

In my 20’s I had brain surgery (yes all true), made the most out of the experience by completing college and finding myself abroad with a new set of eyes on life.

Now, in my 30’s (eek, hard to say), I find myself with a bowl full of lemons yet again. As you all may know I am the founder, designer and manufacturer of Kt Steppers. Kt Steppers has been a full-on Children’s Consumer Product Manufacturer since 2008. With the current Government regulations (aka CPSIA) we are forced to put a hault on manufacturing of our steppers for consumer purchase. We have not given up and will continue to keep our brand alive and work on avenues and products that will encompass who and what Kt Steppers is all about.

We wanted a custom & unique product, not a mainstream step stool. As we have always complied with the CPSC and regulations especially regarding paint and children’s safety, the costs to add an additional test on finished goods, then labeling, etc… is just not feasible. A design change..aka personalization, is considered a new product = finished good testing.

I contemplated so many options to continue to manufacture a line outside of the children’s market and right now that doesn’t make sense and the money to re-market and re-invent a product isn’t where I want to spend it. While I will not be manufacturing a consumer product right now, Kt Steppers will still be growing and building on its brand name. News from the CPSC is that there is a vote on extended the stay on the CPSIA on 1/31. So we are hopeful that in the next week or so we will be back up and offering our steppers for consumer sale.

So, here is where I set up my lemonade stand! If you didn’t know prior, we always offered the opportunity to promote another company’s product with our steppers that we make for a celebrity or high profile event. We offered this service through our Kt Giftings department but never fully 'promoted' it until now. From all of our celebrity contacts and relationships built through giftings and our blog interviews, I decided that Kt Steppers will and should be in the business to continue to help promote my fellow entrepreneurs and use what I know, who I know and the how to’s to keep small businesses in business and get promoted in a cost effective manner. Yes COST-EFFECTED (being a $25 inclusion fee for celebrity giftings). Did you also hear... Graco Baby is one of our big brands included in our gift baskets too!

As I mentioned, I have been keeping our brand of steppers alive during this hault… while I cannot sell them, I will make our Kt Giftings Signature ‘gift’ still a stepper for that celebrity or high profile event we are setting up. Until I can set up a licensing deal or partnership they will not be available for purchase, so offering them within the giftings will help ensure our brand is alive and hopefully help me/us get back into manufacturing Kt Steppers for the world to purchase.

Thank you again for your continued support. I hope we can continue to help you ‘step’ up your promotional opportunities for your business with our Kt Giftings Baskets and through our blog.

Kt Steppers hasn’t given up at all. We are hitting back hard with the fight against the CPSIA for ourselves and for ALL my fellow small businesses that this Act effects.

Feel free to follow us on twitter: @ktsteppers or on our Facebook pages:
 Kt Steppers  and our Kt Giftings Events/Celeb Promotions

email: ktgiftings@ktsteppers.com


So tell us.... when you are handed lemons, what are YOU turning them into?