Meet
Crystal Lugo
Wife. Mother. Inventor.
From Bank Teller to stay-at-home mom.
I am a "mompreneur" who attended Virginia Wesleyan University and earned a B.A. in Business Management, and Economics. As the Founder and CEO of B & C'S GLOVES, LLC, I created a uniquely-designed, protective fishing glove that will make a user's scaling experience a breeze. In 2007,I married Brandon, my best friend from childhood. After being married for three years, we desired to start a family and this is my story...
As a stay-at-home mother of four (and one on the way!), I’ve always desired to make an impact on the corporate world from home.
This journey began ten years ago with the birth of our beautiful baby girl. As a Bank Teller Supervisor, I only had 12 weeks of maternity leave and afterward would return to corporate America. The countdown began and week after week we not only searched for a qualified person to care for our precious newborn, but were also concerned about how we could afford the cost of childcare on my income as a Bank Teller Supervisor and my husband’s income as a Special Education Teacher!
The decision was already made for us: there was no way we could afford childcare in addition to our existing financial obligations. I happily gave my two weeks’ notice and was so overjoyed to be a stay-at-home mother.
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During the first few weeks of being at home, I rested as much as our daughter’s demanding schedule would allow. However, I soon began to feel empty like something was missing. I started asking myself, “Isn’t this what you wanted, to stay at home, to raise the gift you were blessed with?” Of course, my answer was an undeniable yes, but why did I feel so conflicted? Then the reality of staying home for the next 9 to 12 years hit me! Thoughts raced through my mind about what I’d be able to do and accomplish from home. Was college a waste of time and/or money? How would I utilize the business skills I’d acquired over the years? As the pressure of uncertainty mounted, I became overwhelmed.
Research, Shark Tank, and some patience.
After a year passed, I researched ways to work from home and was hired as a part-time Customer Service Representative online resolving bank-related issues. Although I was not thrilled about the position, I was grateful for the additional income. One night, I was on my break and joined my husband and one-year-old daughter in the living room. I became interested in the show my husband was watching: “Shark Tank”. In those few moments, I was captivated as I listened to entrepreneurs and inventors pitching their million-dollar ideas to the investors and striking deals all in a matter of minutes!
Then, it hit me; I shouted, “That’s it, I know what I want to do!” I had an entrepreneurial heart from childhood and always desired to own a business. Originally, I wanted to own a bank, but after working in the banking industry that dream quickly faded. However, the strong yearning to own a business remained. I knew at that moment my ambition of owning a business was awakening within me, but the idea of inventing something was even more thrilling!
Why the
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Is Needed:
GloveScaler
®
âž” There is a need for durable gloves that are cost effective and reusable
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âž” The continual use of industrial fish-scaling processors tend to break down the fish
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âž” The machinery has a short lifespan resulting from constant use
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âž” Workers who handle fish go through multiple pairs of rubber gloves daily, which leaves their hands exposed to the risk of contracting fish-handler’s disease
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âž” The fully patented GloveScaler® eliminates the need to hold a fish scaler while wearing non-durable gloves
The dream that birthed this great idea.
I told myself that night I wasn’t going to sleep until the Lord blessed me with that one idea that would make millions for my family!
I tossed and turned with numerous ideas bouncing around in my head of ways to recreate or create a product that would be practical yet innovative and revolutionary. That’s when it happened: I saw my invention in a vision; the idea was birthed through continual prayer and persistence!
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The GloveScaler® was Revealed
âž” 2-in-1 product, a waterproof, puncture resistant glove and a scaler
âž” Users can easily grip and scale fish with their hands
âž” Reusable, lightweight, waterproof and puncture-resistant glove is perfect to protect hands from fish-handler’s disease while scaling fish
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The Prototype Journey
After the idea was conceived it became time to transform my idea into a physical proof of concept. I contacted numerous companies to inquire about them manufacturing a prototype and my efforts were to no avail; disappointing to say the least. Every company said it would cost thousands of dollars to make a prototype and they had no idea how to even try to make what I was describing.
I was left with no physical product to show, besides a drawing I configured, but I was determined to find a way to make the prototype myself! I ventured out to Walmart to find some fishing gloves and then to Home Depot. I was searching for metal-looking pieces to glue or sew onto the glove to scale the fish. Once I returned home, I said a quick prayer and then went to work, trying to create a prototype. After numerous failures, redesigning the pattern of the glove, and researching the proper adhesive, I finally engineered a working prototype that lasted after one use of scaling a fish! I now had a working prototype to conduct a field test at a fish market in Virginia Beach. Watch this video to see how it went: The Revolutionary Way To Scale Fish! The manager at the fish market loved the GloveScaler® and even thought it was the finished product! He gave detailed feedback on ways to further improve the gloves once they went to manufacturing. I performed many field tests and I had the exciting opportunity to display my glove at INPEX, the largest invention trade show in America. I received numerous requests to purchase the prototype as if it were the finished product.
