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No need to be a seasoned entrepreneur to launch a successful product
By Kristen Poland
Staff Writer
Some people work best on a full stomach. For Leslie Haywood, the prospect of an empty stomach generated an idea that changed her life.
Haywood is the owner of Grill Charms. Grill Charms are reusable metal pins used to mark pieces of meat on the grill.
Haywood had what she calls her “light bulb moment” in April 2006. Her husband had just served the chicken he’d grilled and when she took a bite into what was supposed to be a mildly seasoned piece, she was unpleasantly surprised by the heat of spicy seasoning. After her initial ire died down, Haywood told her husband that there should be a foolproof way to distinguish one piece of meat from another on the grill. Thus, Grill Charms were born.
“I think the light bulb above my head guided 12 container ships into the port of Charleston that night,” Haywood said.
Haywood began her research that very night and 20 months later launched her product. Grill Charms are now available in eight stores in South Carolina, as well as stores in Colorado, Ohio and Florida, and online at www.grillcharms.com. Haywood is also currently in talks with two grocery stores, one local and one in the Midwest.
Grill Charms have been featured four different times in front of a national audience on CNBC’s “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.” Haywood mailed a video promoting her product to Deutsch’s “Join the American Dream Team” segment and her video was aired in January. She was then invited to appear on Deutsch’s “Minute to Millions” segment later that month, and then in February Grill Charms were featured in a new segment, “Will it Play in Peoria?” where Deutsch tests products previously featured on his show on a live audience in Peoria, Ill. Deutsch recently followed-up with Haywood and Grill Charms on his “The Big Idea Effect” segment.
“A year ago I never could’ve predicted I’d be on CNBC doing a program with Donny Deutsch,” Haywood said.
A native of Charleston, Haywood worked for nine years in the importing/exporting industry with CaroTrans International. She chose to leave the company and become a stay-at-home mom when her first child was born in 2002. Even then, she had no desire to own her own business, much less start one from scratch.
“Growing up, I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur. People think you are just born with it. I’m here to tell you that’s not the case. I’ve got average intelligence and I had an average idea. I just started putting one foot in front of the other,” Haywood said. “When you have an idea and feel the compulsion to follow through, that’s all it takes. As long as you keep your momentum, you can bring a product to market. You just have to have passion and drive to do it.”
Right now, Grill Charms are available in two different sets. The “Spicy Collection” feature charms with peppers on them to indicate the level of spiciness. The “Steak Collection” includes charms used to indicate the temperature of the steak from rare to well done. Haywood says she has new sets coming out soon that can be used to truly personalize a piece of meat.
Each charm in the “Signature Collection” will depict different images including a sail boat, palm tree and other images associated with summertime. The idea is that each person can season their meat to their own preferences without worrying if it will be confused with someone else’s.
“There are a million and one reasons why you’d want to personalize your meat,” Haywood said. “With the ‘Signature Collection,’ you can have season your own parties. Some people like a dash of Worcestershire sauce, extra spice or a lot of pepper. Other people may use the charms because they need low sodium or they have allergies.”
Another upcoming collection is the “Pink Collection,” geared toward ladies, which will benefit breast cancer research. In the midst of starting up her business, Haywood was diagnosed with breast cancer. In August of 2006, she underwent a bilateral mastectomy and since then has been cancer-free.
“I knew we had caught it early. I never thought about mortality. It was a bump in the road. The momentum I felt for the company pushed me through,” she said.
Despite her company’s early success, Haywood insists that running her own company is not—and never has been—simply about making money.
“You can’t put a dollar amount on the work you invest to get to succeed. If money is your only motivator—it’s not enough. Of course I want to make millions,” Haywood laughed. “But that’s not my only motivator.”
One of Haywood’s biggest motivators is the idea of being a positive role model for her daughters.
“I really want my girls to look back at what their mom did and know they are limited only by their imagination,” Haywood said. “Madison (age 5) told me she wanted to invent something. That makes all the sacrifices worthwhile.”
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