Cooler moms

For all of the great benefits of PackIt – eco-friendliness, versatility and fashionable design to name a few – the story behind its serendipitous invention and founders’ success is equally compelling.

Jeannette Dirksen and Melissa Kieling began their journeys in similar circumstances. Both had gotten used to living the good life. They drove nice cars, lived in elegant homes, attended each other’s parties and quickly became acquaintances. That friendship soon became a support system as both women found themselves adjusting to the realities of their new lives as single moms.

See a need, fill a need

One morning in Westlake Village, CA, Melissa was packing her kids’ lunches and couldn’t find the icepacks she normally used. Resorting to filling the sandwich bags full of ice cubes, she thought there must be a more efficient way to preserve perishable food without icepacks or toxic inserts. Melissa had identified a need that was not being fulfilled.

She decided to approach Jeannette, who had achieved past business success. The idea they eventually came up with was a stylish, reusable bag with earth friendly gel in the lining that could be conveniently stored in the freezer and used as needed.

And so, PackIt was born.

Calm, collected and definitely cool

The product’s journey from conception to retail success is inspiring in ways the two founders could have never anticipated. As with most new ventures, theirs was filled with hardship. They feared someone had already thought of the idea. They discussed worst-case scenarios and calculated how long they could go without income. And Jeannette and Melissa were the first to admit they have been known to be wrong before on occasion.

Fortunately, these two single moms possessed the perfect attitude to tackle the challenges. One of their mothers used to say that “inside every problem is an opportunity”. Jeannette and Melissa embraced this concept. They also knew deep down that PackIt was a winning idea so they never had any second thoughts. The phrase “yeah, but” was deleted from their vocabulary. They never second guessed their choices and always trusted their instincts.

“Inside every problem is an opportunity”

Melissa and Jeannette saw the opportunities inside their unique problem. In the early stages of their business, the women received advice from another start-up that was just ahead of PackIt in product development. The PackIt founders paid that guidance forward to another up-and-coming start-up.

The two single moms also took advantage of the opportunities to teach their own children important life lessons. They inspired their kids by demonstrating first-hand that they can accomplish anything to which they set their minds. After all, inside every problem is an opportunity. And of course inside every PackIt is a cool, fresh lunch.