How wrapping Christmas presents turned into a Gold Stevie award

If you had actually informed me a number of years ago that a concept I sketched at my kitchen area table would one day win a worldwide company award, I most likely would not have actually thought you.

I wasn’t an item designer. I didn’t have a background in production or item advancement. I was a stay-at-home mum with 3 hectic kids and a really common disappointment: covering Christmas presents and sticking tape strips to the side of my table.

The real minute the concept of Tape Zoomie was born was a couple of nights before Christmas. My 3rd child had actually been born simply a couple of days previously and I felt truly overwhelmed by the mountain of presents in front of me that still required to be covered.

My spouse and I leapt in and began covering the presents together, and I was doing what I constantly did, cutting pieces of sticky tape ahead of time and lining them up along the edge of the table so we might get them rapidly. Other than he was utilizing them faster than I might cut them, and after that it struck me.

“I am the tape dispenser!”

I began browsing online for something simple to utilize that might prepare numerous pieces of tape simultaneously, however I could not discover anything. I sat down at my kitchen area table and sketched it.

That extremely rough illustration is now Tape Zoomie.

Given that introducing in November 2024, Tape Zoomie has actually grown in methods I never ever anticipated. It is now offered in 13 nations, our material has actually collected more than 160 million views on social networks, and this year we won Gold at the Stevie Awards in the International Business Awards.

The award is an amazing turning point, however when I recall at whatever that has actually taken place in between that cooking area table and now, I believe the larger story is whatever I needed to find out along the method.

And I am absolutely still finding out.

Start before you feel prepared

If I had actually waited up until I understood how to develop an item organization before beginning Tape Zoomie, there would be no Tape Zoomie. I didn’t understand anything about production or how patents worked. I didn’t understand how to offer on Amazon or how to develop a Shopify site. I didn’t learn about freight, customizeds, global fulfilment, barcodes, product packaging requirements or merchant systems.

You can invest permanently persuading yourself you require to discover whatever before you begin, however you do not and you can’t, due to the fact that you will not even understand what you require to understand up until you begin.

There are many tools offered now to assist you figure things out. I viewed videos, looked into continuously, utilized online resources, asked concerns, discovered individuals who understood things I didn’t and followed other small company owners who were currently doing what I wished to do.

I likewise followed social networks accounts I enjoyed and took note of what made me stop scrolling, to comprehend what gotten in touch with individuals and think of how I might use those lessons to my own brand name. It is simple to feel overloaded by all of it, however simply begin with determining something, then carry on to the next. You truly wind up discovering what you require to discover when you require to discover it.

Need informed me where to go

I didn’t initially have some grand strategy to take Tape Zoomie worldwide so rapidly. The choice was in fact driven by the individuals enjoying.

3 of my social networks posts went viral really early on, and all of a sudden I had all this information revealing me where individuals were seeing from, where the remarks were originating from and, most notably, where individuals were asking if they might purchase Tape Zoomie.

That provided me the self-confidence to introduce in 3 nations rather of one. I was merely following the need.

That has actually been another big lesson for me. Listen to your clients, however likewise take a look at the information in front of you. Often your clients will reveal you where your company ought to go next before you’ve even thought about going there.

Acknowledgment matters when you’re still showing yourself

I had actually constantly understood about the Stevie Awards from seeing significant brand names get involved and win over the years, so they was among those awards that brought genuine weight for me.

When I saw the International Business Awards were open, I believed, why not provide Tape Zoomie a possibility?

Business was still under 2 years of ages and I desired independent feedback. I believed even if we didn’t win, having judges feedback at what I had actually developed might just work.

I truly never ever anticipated to win Gold.

When the outcome appeared independently in the finalist website, my very first response was total shock, followed by tears and after that panic that I had actually in some way translated it improperly.

I called my hubby and informed him he required to come home due to the fact that I required another person to take a look at it and verify I wasn’t reading it incorrect.

It wasn’t up until the following day, when the winners were formally released and I saw Tape Zoomie noted as a Gold winner, that I really thought it.

More than 3,400 elections from organisations throughout 82 countries and areas were sent to the 2026 International Business Awards.

I saw Tape Zoomie amongst the honourees together with international organisations consisting of Cisco, IBM, EY and Tata Consultancy Services.

That is simply insane to me.

I’m a mum from Perth who began with a concept, no item advancement experience and really minimal funds.

And now I’m heading to Paris in October to officially get a Gold Stevie prize.

That still hasn’t rather sunk in.

In some cases you need to state yes, then figure it out

Among the most significant lessons I’ve found out is that you do not need to understand the entire course before you begin strolling down it. When I began, there was a lot I didn’t understand. I often believe that is a great thing, due to the fact that you can’t feel overloaded by all the things you do not even understand you require to understand.

Sometimes, that was scary. When Good Morning America wished to include Tape Zoomie, for instance, I might have taken a look at whatever included and believed, I’m not all set for this.

There were systems I had actually never ever utilized, delivering combinations I needed to comprehend and procedures I had actually never ever handled previously, however it was a terrific chance, so I stated yes. I figured it out.

There have actually been a lot of minutes like that.

I do not suggest blindly stating yes to whatever, however I do believe there is a risk, especially when you’re brand-new, of waiting till you feel competent or completely prepared.

Often the chance precedes, and your task is to capture up.

That can be uneasy, however a few of the most significant advances for Tape Zoomie have actually taken place since I stated yes before I understood how I was going to make it work.

Little starts aren’t something to conceal

There is pressure on services to make whatever appear larger and more sleek than it truly is.

This year has actually made me value the opposite.

Tape Zoomie really began at my kitchen area table. My very first clients originated from our regional school neighborhood, and I was offering Tape Zoomie out of the boot of my vehicle. It was all self-funded and I had no background in item advancement and no concept if individuals would actually purchase it.

For a while, those things seemed like drawbacks. Now I see them as durability. This is the story individuals link to.

Small companies can move rapidly. We can listen carefully to clients, modification instructions rapidly and discover as we go. When you’re constructing something yourself, you likewise end up being exceptionally resourceful since you need to be.

Safeguard what you’re developing

Something I am exceptionally pleased I did from the start was take securing the item and the Tape Zoomie brand name.

I began the patent procedure really early, before I understood whether Tape Zoomie would become what it is today. Ever since, I have actually constructed patent and style defense throughout several nations, in addition to hallmark defense for the brand name.

At the start, it can seem like a huge cost, especially when you’re self-funded and every dollar matters, once your item is online, it can be seen throughout the world, and sadly that likewise implies it can be copied.

I’ve needed to handle copies of Tape Zoomie appearing online and discover even more about copyright enforcement than I ever anticipated to.

If you’ve truly developed something brand-new, securing the item and the brand name from the start is something I would definitely advise examining. Do not wait up until your item ends up being effective to choose it deserves safeguarding. My early actions realuted in patents, style IP and Trademarks in 8 nations.

International acknowledgment modifications how you see your own possibilities

Winning Gold hasn’t all of a sudden made running a service simple.

There are still issues to resolve, choices to make and a lot of things I am discovering as I go.

What it has actually altered is my sense of what may be possible. It made me understand that a little brand name does not require approval to get involved on an international phase.

We can develop items that resolve universal issues, and we can get acknowledgment among huge names. We can inform our stories worldwide. Most notably, we do not need to wait up until we feel “big enough” to do those things. I definitely didn’t feel huge enough. I still do not, however I gambled. I simply went into.

Winning Gold has actually provided me a brand-new level of self-confidence to keep going and to dream even larger. It has actually made me wish to do more outreach, put Tape Zoomie forward for larger chances and see simply how far I can take it.

More than anything, it has actually made me recall at that very first frightening action I took towards producing Tape Zoomie and understand it deserved it. The tough times deserved it. All the times I struck a wall and had definitely no concept how I was going to get past it, deserved it.

I still do not understand precisely where Tape Zoomie will go, however I am thrilled to learn.