Kendra Kroll and her PortaPocket leg
I’d been happily tweeting our sweet friend Beth of C’est Beth Trave Management (aka the worldly Traveling Wine Chick) for years before we finally had a chance to meet in person.
I was excited to hear she was going to be visiting my hometown of Chicago around Thanksgiving, so it made a perfect opportunity (at long last!) to put a face with the text. Logistics made it more practical for us to meet at ORD for a little conversation before her flight heading home. And, of course, to make it easier for her to find me, I wore my leg.
So what’s up with that you might ask? Or, you might even be thinking, WTH? I know it seems crazy, but I like to think of it as another way to be true to myself. Just like Beth, with her passions for travel, wine, writing, and more, we all have to find the things that make our hearts sing and bring us joy. Granted, I have to admit it seems rather bizarre to walk around with a giant leg strapped to one’s back, but there really IS a point. (Of COURSE there is!) The point is to make a point, you knew that.
It’s a long and convoluted story, but let’s see, I’ll try to condense: The whole thing started five and a half years ago when I dropped a spare tampon on the gym floor and got mad. So, I designed a product and started a company. I got my patent, trademark, and was featured on The Today Show. And then I tried out for Shark Tank. Twice. And on the second effort, I was leaving my audition with my mannequin leg in my hand, which became a conversation piece, and then became my daily accessory for two and a half months. I decided it just had to be bigger, so it landed on my back as you see. Make sense? Maybe not. But then again, sometimes life makes no sense, so at least we’re consistent.
Seriously, it’s the best brand ambassador and it really makes people smile. Often, it makes people do that neck thing à la The Exorcist. You just can’t help yourself. One guy even fell up the down the escalator while trying to get a picture (Thankfully he was OK! Phew!) But, it sure is an attention getter, which leads to conversation, and then leads to understanding. Beth will even attest to the fact that within the first 10 minutes of my arrival at ORD, I had people asking me about where to get my PortaPocket since they could really use it. One gal had even just been robbed by one of her fellow military comrades in the USO lounge while she was in dress uniform! Seriously, what is wrong with this world?
At the end of the day, whatever you find that your art is, be it writing/blogging, organizing travel, or developing new products, etc., I think the grand mission for those on Earth is to share our art and offer our talents for the betterment of all. We should steer our paths in the direction of things that fulfill us and yet, at the same time, provide resources for others. Beth has a new direction, perhaps uncharted to an extent, but an exciting new opportunity to gift the world with her experience in the areas she finds fascinating. I have no doubt she will succeed and find gratification in her new life. I, too, will strive to be understood, if not for the leg, for the purposes that my PortaPocket is designed to serve and the problems it is here to solve.
May you find purpose in your life and joy in your soul.
CHEERS to you and make it a great year!
Kendra
For more information about Kendra @PortaPocketGal Kroll and PortaPocket hands-free carrying cases, please visit her product website and her Facebook fan page! Use code BETH for 15% of any order at PortaPocket.com through January 15, 2013. Make sure to LIKE her Facebook page, leave a comment, and you will receive a free extra in your order!