Columbus woman in national show for new product to help you ‘look great and feel great’
Thirteen years after she turned her frustration into inspiration, then solution, Rashmi Hudson of Columbus is among 54 entrepreneurs selected for the Inventor’s Spotlight to present their products to golf industry deal makers this week at the 2023 PGA Show in Orlando, Florida.
“I shriek like a little girl every time I make something like this happen,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer. “This is a big deal. This is my kickoff into the golf world. We’ve been beta testing, but this is the big stage, so I’m very excited.”
Her product is the ALLTIMATE 3-in-1 Carry-On Luggage System. It promises wrinkle-free packing in three pieces of soft luggage weighing a total of 5 pounds. She says it is big enough for at least 10 days worth of clothes but small enough for onboard storage, eliminating the risk of losing checked suitcases.
Hudson, the 1980 Columbus High School valedictorian and a two-time graduate of Columbus State University, retired in 2006 from her 22-year marketing career with Aflac. Whether she traveled for business or pleasure, too often her trips were burdened by suitcases that were awkward to tote and left her clothes a wrinkled mess when she arrived at her destination.
Her search for a solution started in 2010, when her family traveled to a University of Georgia football game and a parents weekend full of activities during her son’s freshman year. Not finding suitable garment bags, and not wanting to iron their clothes when they reached their hotel, they carried their clothes on hangers instead.
When she again lamented the situation, her husband suggested she should invent a solution.
So she did — and sew she did.
From no to yes
Hudson used her sewing skills to make samples of her idea. It initially was going to be just a garment bag. Her research told her she needed to differentiate her product more, so she added the ability for the garment bag to wrap around a duffel bag to better ensure clothes stay wrinkle-free. Then she added a day pack to the luggage system.
She is friends with Monte Galbraith, CEO of DNA Textile Group in Columbus, through their children attending school together at Brookstone. He helped her contact factory owners.
“I really wanted to have this made in the USA,” she said.
In 2017-18, eight months after getting rejected by a factory owner in Valdosta, Hudson tried again. She called and asked for an in-person meeting there. The owner agreed to meet with her.
“I told my husband, it’s going to be a four-hour drive, a 15-minute rejection, and I’ll be back in time to cook dinner,” she said.
But she ended up convincing the factory owner to make her product.
“Cost-wise, it didn’t work out for them to be able to do this,” she said. “But they were able to make some initial samples and at least start the path with me.”
Now, the luggage is made in China.
“For the material that I’m using and for the durability I wanted and the quality I wanted, I did find somebody here in Columbus, Georgia, who went from sourcing the factory and does all my fulfillment,” she said.
That was Muscogee Mills Ridgeway Outdoors, which has an office in China to oversee the work, Hudson said, “because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t going to be a factory with children. … We know it’s a reliable source.”
Hudson credits Aflac CEO Dan Amos for giving her this advice: It never hurts to ask; the worst anybody can do is say no.
“I’ve used that philosophy all throughout,” she said. “… Those words resonate with me. … Anybody who has something different, go out and do it.”
And she gives the following advice to anybody who seeks turning rejection into reception: “First thing to do is don’t take it personal. Sometimes it’s just not the right time. That’s all it is. It’s just not the right time or the right situation, or maybe you’re asking the wrong way.”
Her experience in sales at Aflac taught her rejection is “just an objection to be overcome. They have a reason why not; you have a reason to explain why it’s still yes. … Just explore a little further. Figure out why they’re saying no, and see if you have a solution to that.”
From prototype to product
In 2016, Hudson saw the ALLTIMATE’s first prototype.
“Have you ever had that feeling like your heart’s going to jump out of your body? It’s that kind of joy,” she said. “It’s amazing. … Seeing it come to life is like birthing a baby.”
After a period of testing and tweaking the product, the ALLTIMATE went on sale at her company’s website in November 2020. She notched her first sale the following morning.
“It felt wonderful,” she said. “I really do shriek every time I go to the computer and see it happen. … It’s that exciting.”
Since then, Hudson has totaled approximately 500 sales.
“I think it’s a great number because I was in beta test mode, just to see how we would progress,” she said. “… But it’s never enough.”
The luggage system retails for $349.
“The price would make it seem like a luxury product,” she said. “It’s not a luxury product. … I feel like every traveler should have one of these. … It just makes life that much easier.”
Hudson recommends two local organizations that helped her with her entrepreneurial journey: the Small Business Development Center and StartUp Columbus.
“They’ve got amazing folks that help you in every step of the process,” she said.
Among 40 applicants, she beat three other presenters in the final round to win the StartUp Columbus 2022 BizPitch contest, which came with a $15,000 prize, and the competition’s People’s Choice Award.
“There’s a whole lot of validation that goes with that,” she said.
The ALLTIMATE luggage system has been awarded three patents: the original idea, the luggage itself and its connectivity, and an international patent in the UK to expand into that market. The patents are further affirmation for Hudson.
“It feels like I’m there,” she said. “… I feel like that’s a defining moment for me.”
Hudson hopes her product helps other folks enjoy their traveling more.
“It’s 40 years of travel problems solved,” she said. “I mean, that’s what this comes down to. … There’s so much tied up in our self-worth when we look great and feel great … I want people to have a way to feel that.”
ALLTIMATE LUGGAGE DETAILS
Without the ALLTIMATE Luggage System, Hudson said, the prevailing way folks try to keep their clothes wrinkle-free is by rolling them as they pack their suitcase. But instead of rolling each item individually and risking them being smushed, the ALLTIMATE has a garment bag that rolls around a duffel bag, giving the clothes a “larger circle” to keep them wrinkle-free. The luggage also includes a day pack.
SecureStay zippers keep the ALLTIMATE secure atop wheeled luggage.
Most garment bags have one zipper, increasing the chances of smushing, Hudson said. But the ALLTIMATE has two zippers — one on both sides — to allow easier packing to keep clothes stay flat.
Instead of a metal clip, the garment bag has a Velcro strap to hold as many as seven wire hangers in place, depending on the bulk of the clothes.
The material on the exterior of the luggage is Cordura, a water-repellant nylon with 1,000 denier stitching for durability. All three pieces are lined with Diamond Ripstop stitching, meaning every quarter inch is reinforced.
The hardware is stainless steel. The trim is leather.
Hudson thinks her product is the only luggage with padded, non-slip straps made out of the same material for seat belts.
“I wanted something durable that wouldn’t fray,” she said. “People want to look good. Even when they’re carrying their luggage, they want their luggage to look good.”
ALLTIMATE enables the garment bag and duffel to be collapsed and folded into the day pack for storage.
WHERE TO BUY THE ALLTIMATE LUGGAGE SYSTEM
In addition to the product’s website, the ALLTIMATE 3-in-1 Carry-On Luggage System is on sale at the following Columbus locations:
Regionally, it’s for sale at shops in South Carolina and North Carolina. She is aiming for it to be available on Amazon in time for this year’s Christmas shopping season.
This story was originally published January 25, 2023 at 10:25 AM.
