Embracing a DIY Approach to Marketing & PR with Leeanna Gantt of TookTake

Leeanna Gantt is the inventor and CEO of TookTake, a patented medication reminder system that is revolutionizing the way people take their medications. TookTake offers a variety of medication reminder labels designed to help consumers avoid accidental medication overdose and remember which medications they’ve taken, and when.  As a breast cancer survivor, Leeanna knows how difficult it can be to remember if you’ve taken your medication – and have taken it on time. Prior to launching TookTake, Leeanna served in executive and leadership roles at a variety of organizations, including Start With, Rainbow Pack, and Tinker – Community Art Studio.

Leeanna joins us today to share how she turned a personal challenge into a fulfilling and rewarding startup business. She shares the inspiration behind launching TookTake, the first steps she took to transition her company from the ‘business idea stage’ to successfully launching a startup, and how she leaned on friends and family to test her products. We discuss the importance of managing your expectations as a new entrepreneur and why Leeanna chose a DIY approach for her PR strategy. Leeanna shares her experience with researching and applying for a Utility Patent for her products and the costs associated with obtaining a Utility Patent. We also discuss the best ways to pitch your products to journalists and share tips for honing your messaging and sharing your brand story in a concise, yet powerful way.

“What didn’t work was just doing nothing.” – Leeanna Gantt

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This week on Startups in Stilettos:

• What inspired Leeanna to start the TookTake business
• The first steps Leeanna took to transition TookTake from a business idea to a business startup
• Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone
• Managing your expectations and how Leeanna prepared to launch her company
• Using grassroots marketing strategies to promote your new business
• Creating a brand story that is relatable to your customers
• Why Leeanna chose a DIY approach to marketing and PR
• Pivoting from selling wholesale products to direct-to-consumer sales
• The strategy Leeanna used to approach wholesale buyers
• How Leeanna’s products and packaging have evolved since launching her company
• Protecting your intellectual property and applying for a patent
• The best ways to to pitch your story and product ideas to journalists
• Tips for honing your story and message
• What’s next for TookTake

Resources Mentioned:

• Google Alerts

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “Don’t invest a lot in your first packaging because you’ll probably have to change it.” – Leeanna Gantt
• “Be persistent. If you believe in your product, keep trying to find the right people.” – Leeanna Gantt

Connect with Leeanna Gantt:

• TookTake
• TookTake on LinkedIn
• TookTake on Instagram
• TookTake on Facebook
• Leeanna Gantt on LinkedIn

Connect with your Startups in Stilettos hosts!

• Stephanie Cartin on Instagram
• Stephanie Cartin on LinkedIn
• Jessica Abo on Instagram
• Jessica Abo on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Jessica Abo here

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