Some of the best inventions have been simple products that solve big problems. But the process of birthing that product into the world is anything but simple. It requires one person to think, “Hey… I can do better than that,” and then actually make it happen. That is precisely what Kressa Peterson did when she invented Shower Toga.
Shower toga is a waterproof cover-up that allows people to change their clothes and clean up in public. Anyone who has ever been to a public beach for the day knows how uncomfortable it is to ride home in a wet swimsuit full of sand and seawater. Thanks to one woman’s lightbulb moment and unrelenting drive, that ride home has become a whole lot more enjoyable for many people. Shower Toga, being a water-resistant garment, allows people to quickly and easily disrobe, wash off and re-dress in plain view of everyone with someone’s modesty intact. But wait, there’s more, it also doubles as a duffle bag to store your dirty clothes after you shower off. Now that is genius.
But simple and significant products only exist because there is a fearless, creative founder behind them who is willing to take a risk. Kressa Peterson is one of those people. Always having an entrepreneurial spirit, Kressa was a broker for the importing of sport horses. In November of 2012 however, her life as she knew it came to a screeching halt when she found out that she had breast cancer. For Kressa, this was not an opportunity to grow, find strength, or be a superhero for others and it certainly didn’t serve some higher purpose… or so she thought. She felt like she had just been given a death sentence. She made the courageous and radical decision to have a double mastectomy, but her view on life was forever altered.
Post cancer recovery Kressa found the inspiration and strength that she was not even looking for. Needing to throw herself into something, she decided to start running Spartan races, AKA “Mud Runs” to build up her confidence and get healthy. But dirt, sweat, and a lot of discomforts came from this new passion. While there were “clean up stations” with hoses to shower off some of the initial grime, there were rarely places to change and shower. So Kressa set out to find a solution and like most inventors, came up empty-handed and decided to create her own.
The first shower toga was made out of cloth diaper material with Forrest animals on it. “Certainly people are going to think I am nuts when I pull this out” Kressa remembers thinking… but that is not what happened at all. Instead, Kressa had a line of twenty people asking to borrow her new invention, and that is when she knew she was on to something big.
After months of designing, refining, and sourcing manufacturers, Kressa decided to make Shark Tank her ultimate goal. After 16 months of keeping her eyes on that prize, she walked out of the tank a winner with a partner who believed in her, Mark Cuban. Clearly, he saw potential in Kressa and the Shower Toga and many others have too.
Please tell us a little bit about your company – what is Shower Toga all about?
It was a breast cancer diagnosis and double mastectomy that led me to the Spartan races. “In that process, I needed something to kind of bury myself in,” Kressa explained. “Once you get diagnosed with cancer, it changes things. I started doing Spartan races.”
I encountered a rather annoying inconvenience when traveling and competing in these races: Contestants end up muddy and there was no easy way to get clean before leaving. I would go put on a bathing suit, I’d rinse off the best I could, then go back into the changing room, dry off and get dressed, which was just miserable. We were driving home from a race in Asheville, North Carolina, when I started brainstorming.
I made my first shower toga out of diaper cover material — the only waterproof material I could find — and started using it myself. “I took it to a race and everyone thought, Oh Kressa, you’ve lost your mind!”. I sat in the middle of all these people, put on my goofy thing, showered and scrubbed without ever going into the changing tent.
Suddenly, it wasn’t just a crazy thing — everyone was borrowing it, to the point where I would lose track of where it was at races. Although my prototype worked OK, I knew if I wanted to actually sell this as a product there was a lot of work to do to the product itself. We have a very special recipe that took close to a year to formulate. Lots of trial and error and we finally got it just right. Plus now the Shower Toga also doubles as a bag for your dirty gear which was a wonderful bonus in going through the process.
I paid for a patent search and upon finding nothing similar, took the leap of faith and moved forward to patent the product and manufacture it. About a month after the first manufacturing run, I began the process of pitching the product on “Shark Tank,”
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I have always been an entrepreneur and have worked since I was 15. We owned a home construction business, a printing business and a direct mail coupon company. I also was a broker for high end sport horses but I had never invented anything nor been in retail in any way so starting Shower Toga was a leap of faith and I truly believed in it so wholeheartedly that I had to do it-It was a calling!
What are your plans, how do you plan to grow this company?
Shower Toga is a product that you did not even realize you needed until you own it and then you truly wonder how you lived without it for so long. Shower Toga , although invented for the outdoor and sports market, has also found a very important place in the healthcare market to clean up after a shift. It is also a very important product for disaster relief and homelessness. We are growing by educating the public on the many uses of our product.
What was the biggest problem you encountered with your business and how did you overcome it?
Prototypes and getting the recipe for the Shower Toga perfect. This was very hard. Shower Toga looks like a simple product but it truly is not a simple product. Sometimes we have people who will comment that they will just go out and buy material and make one themselves and I have to kind of giggle and think, “Oh boy, it’s not going to work the same way”. We wanted a combination that was going to be super lightweight and super durable as well as have wicking qualities to wick water away as quickly as possible. Oh and the biggest one-It also needed to be machine washable. I finally found a manufacturer who is also a genius, and we worked it out. Lots of trial and error but we did it!
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from it?
Assuming that everyone would love my product as much as I did. I was not ready for the harsh words on social media. I knew Shower Toga was amazing and if you try it you are going to LOVE it but I was not really versed on trolls in the media. People who have never laid hands on your product saying such mean and hateful things. I have a tough skin and I would never have quit but I have to say that was tough for me. What I learned is that you can not listen to others when you have a vision, and you know it is the right thing to do.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
We don’t see anything else as competition as nothing else does what Shower Toga does. We are also protected in our product and we are a Mark Cuban company, so we have the best legal team in the world looking out for us. Changing towels or changing dresses have their place and they are great products, but they are not competition, they are nice additional things to own along with a Shower Toga.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
Meditate. I just started recently and it is very hard. I have a wandering mind, so I tend to be all over the place and I realized as I get busier I need to focus better. I hope I can stick with it.
What are three books or courses you recommend for new entrepreneurs?
Shark Tank on ABC. That is what I would recommend. Also, Mark Cubans book Life is half random and How to live at the sport of business.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
How hard it was going to be. Actually, as I am writing this maybe it’s best that I did not know that. lol
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
My team at Guide Social. We have worked very hard to find the right messaging. Also doing the right thing and giving back. We did a huge healthcare worker Shower Toga donation program when Covid hit and I think it really helped introduce people to the many advantages of the Shower Toga. When you give, you get it back. Kharma.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
Build a website yourself and make a prototype yourself. After that I would do a Kick Starter to raise funds. This will also tell you if there is a clear market for your product.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
That you really can do it. If I can do it, you can do it. Also don’t think for one second that it is going to be easy. It will truly be the toughest job you will ever have. Be ready, it’s not for everyone but if it is for you then you have no one to blame but yourself if you don’t move forward.
What is your favorite quote?
Too many-depends upon the day But I do love this quote by Mark Cuban “It’s not in the dreaming, it’s in the doing”
How can we get in touch with you?
You can visit my company website Shower Toga, You can also email me at Kressa@showertoga.com or my assistant at Katlyn@showertoga.com
Random Interview: Connor Riley & Samantha Meis Co-Founders of Misto Box
