No Limits Entrepreneur of the Week: Frances Prado

Congratulations to our No Limits Entrepreneur of the Week, Frances Prado!

Name: Frances Prado, CEO of Ageless Beautiful Clever Creations, LLC and Inventor of Hanging Secrets

Home: San Diego, California

Bio: I was born in Bakersfield, CA and am a first generation Mexican American. I graduated with a GED certificate and hold a managerial position at Costco where I have dedicated 23 years. I am also the CEO of my own company Ageless Beautiful Clever Creations and the inventor of Hanging Secrets. I currently live in San Diego, CA with my husband of 35 years and am the mother of two.

As a child, I committed my time to the fields in Bakersfiled where my family of Mexican migrant workers harvested onions. At five years old, under the hot summer sun and after school, I along with my six brothers and sisters, worked from dawn until dusk. My experience as a field worker equipped me with determination, courage and the desire to provide a better life for our family. My father always made sure we were the first ones in the fields and the last ones to leave -- this developed a sense of work ethic and goal setting. As I worked cutting roots, the strong smell of onions would fill the air and burn my eyes, but regardless of the extreme heat and harsh working conditions, we had to get the job done. No matter what, we were taught to persevere because giving up was never an option. At one point we were homeless and slept in the trunk of our family car. Despite the odds stacked against us, we never ever gave up. It is that determination that drove me through the years and enabled me to begin my Costco career as a supervisor. I’ve been fortunate enough to earn multiple positions throughout my 23 years at Costco. One that I am particularly proud of is the title of Assistant General Manager of the West Coast Packaging Plant, the first Mexican American woman to hold that position.

Why did you start your own business? In 2009, I was trying to work my way out of empty-nest syndrome productively. The first thing I could think of to do was clean and organize our home so I started with my bedroom. Once when I opened my dresser drawer and found a cramped, crushed, haphazard mess that were my bras and panties --that was it. My 'Aha Moment'. This was a problem, surely I wasn’t the only woman who thought so; nor, was I the only woman who owned lingerie. I knew there had to be a better way to organize and protect my bras. And with that I took to the drawing board in order to create a easy solution to hang, organize, protect, and display lingerie.After a few hand-made prototypes I was able to come up with Hanging Secrets. My daughter, Ashley, (who was only 22 years old) created the Hanging Secrets logo. My next step was to file for a patent. I started researching all about patents, reading dozens of books on inventors and learned everything about Intellectual Property protection and how critical it was to my success. I was constantly on the USPTO website and called for any clarifications. In fact, I printed out a full binder of information it was like learning a whole new language. I filed on my own, a provisional patent, in 2011 for Hanging Secrets, and was granted my utility patent in March of 2015. I’m very honored to be among the 7% of sole female inventors in the USA and among the 30% of Hispanic descent.

In December of 2014 I brought Hanging Secrets to my Doctor who specializes in anti-aging, and she loved it. We partnered up and established our company Ageless Beautiful Clever Creations in January 2015. In September of 2015 we launched Hanging Secrets. Hanging Secrets has won many local and national pitch competitions and most recently won the HSN project American Dreams. Our mission is to support breast cancer survivors in our community by donating a percentage of our sales to support the cause.

What did you have in place when you made the leap and quit your job? I haven’t quit my job at Costco. With the skills I have attained working at Costco and learning the business aspects of a successful company, I understand that timing is key. I believe the determination, work ethic, and courageousness that was engraved into me as a child has prepared me to have the ability to manage both my managerial and CEO titles.“The Costco Culture” has allowed me to use the transferable skills to guide me as an entrepreneur.

How are you financing your business? I was given the opportunity at the right place and the right time when I presented my product to my angel investor who believed in my product and my dreams. She assisted in the initial investment and I continued to reinvest in my business by dedicating my time and effort.

Name one business obstacle and how you’ve overcome it: Learning how to use social media and marketing. I didn't have a Facebook account before starting our business. Boy I was in for a big surprise! I had to learn fast. This was a big obstacle for me. As we all know if you are not on social media, you and your business does not exist! I’m still learning the ins and outs and do my best to keep up with the social media technologies. As an inventor you think all you have to do is create a great product but it takes a lot of hard work and marketing to get your product and brand recognized.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself? Not to lose sight of keeping your health as your number one priority. I would get so caught up in my passion and business and other responsibilities that at one point I stopped exercising and eating right. I took notice on the toll it had on my body, and realized the importance of being mentally and physically healthy. Without my health, there is no Hanging Secrets.