Romy Taormina

Most everyone has had the experience of getting frustrated with a product and thinking they could do it one better, but most never follow through. Pacific Grove resident and former advertising professional Romy Taormina is an exception. After suffering through two pregnancies with debilitating morning sickness and using ill-fitting acupressure wrist bands seeking relief, Taormina decided she could do better.

In 2006, she created PsiBands, waterproof and stylish acupressure bands. (PSI, pounds per square inch, is a unit of measure for pressure.) The bracelets are meant to place pressure on the Nei-kuan acupressure point between the wrist tendons.

Since hitting the market in 2008, she’s now approaching the sale of her millionth set of PsiBands and is branching out beyond the Monterey Peninsula and the U.S. Her bands were cleared by the FDA in 2007 for nausea relief, but every country has its own set of rules for regulated medical devices, a daunting task.

Challenges are not new to Taormina. She faced a tough grilling on ABC’s Shark Tank and stared down the acrimonious Kevin O’Leary, facetiously nicknamed “Mr. Wonderful,” to turn down his offer that would have meant giving away a big chunk of her company.

Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban doubted the bands actually work. Nevertheless, Taormina has collected an impressive number of testimonials from not just pregnant moms, but people suffering from motion sickness and nausea related to cancer treatments. Locally they sell at retailers like Pharmaca, Target and REI.

The Monterey High School and Cal Poly SLO graduate sat down with the Weekly in her P.G. office to reflect on her entrepreneurial journey.

Weekly: What did the process of taking your idea to market look like?

Taormina: I do not have a background in medicine, my background is in business, and it was just one of those “aha” moments where I took an existing idea and improved upon it. I worked with engineers and found a manufacturer. It was one step at a time, because I did not have experience with any of this. It was partnering up with other people who had knowledge and could educate me in that process. I’m constantly learning, even 10 years into this.

I equate it to parenting, just when you think you’ve got the kids dialed in, they change it up and you’re constantly learning that you don’t know anything.

Can you give an example of something new you learned recently?

In January I attended a trade show in Dubai. That was a whole new learning experience for me, not only culturally, but being in front of hundreds of international distributors. The process can be very lengthy. Six months into this I’ve seen a couple of orders go through, but this is also a process because it’s a regulated medical device not only in the U.S., but every country has its own regulation and or customs issues to overcome.

Did you sense any difference being a woman alone at the trade show in an Arab country?

Yes and no. For the most part, people were mutually respected and respectful. When I feel that (difference), I tend to just move on because that’s a partner I’m not interested in forming a relationship with.

One has to be willing to take some risks. If we are always stopped in our tracks by fear, we will never progress. These risks should be calculated ones. Prior to leaving for the trip, I did my homework on what to expect and how to be mindful. To me, this trip represented an opportunity to grow both professionally and personally. It did not disappoint. I also went on a camel ride, which was a highlight. It represented trying something new, to lean into the experience and not resist it, and to enjoy the journey.

What was Shark Tank like?

I was really nervous. It’s like your wedding times a hundred. It’s a reality-based TV show – they edit based on how they want to frame their story, that’s what it comes down to.

I would say one of the biggest benefits from being on the show was actually the network of other Shark Tank entrepreneurs. We have a private Facebook group. It’s just immediate access to tips, tools, networking, you name it. We’re a great resource for each other. I have the philosophy of “give, give, get.” The more you give to others they’re much more likely to give to you when you need something. So the more you give, the more you’ll get back. I think it’s really important in business to look for ways to help others.

How do you make them fashionable?

We work with a graphic designer to come up with something on trend. The most commonly sold colors are Racer Black and Crystal Clear, because they’re unisex.