Keith Kirkland of WearWorks- Evolving Your Wearable Startup

Chief Haptic Officer and CoFounder at Wear Works

Keith Kirkland is a haptics enthusiast, accessories designer, engineer and impact-driven strategist that is deeply excited about reimagining the use of touch in design and digital communications.  His work has been recognized by the Pratt’s Rowena Reed-Kostellow Award, SXSW, The Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, EY, TED, Dropbox, The Yokohama Government, Beyond Bauhaus, and the MET Museum. He is a serial entrepreneur inspired by the intersection of touch, equitable business model development and nuanced customer insights to create sustainable impact-driven technologies that deliver at scale. Keith is also cofounder of WearWorks, an award-winning haptic navigation company that help the first person who is blind run the NYC marathon without sighted assistance. HapticNav™ and Wayband®, is a haptic navigation app (and optional haptic wristband) that gently navigates a person to a destination using vibrations, without the need for any visual or audio feedback.

Download his new song Haptics, We Have a Vision. 
Download the HapticNav App.

Register for the wearables tech ecosystem at www.WearableTechVentures.org

Transcript

00:02.46
wearabletakeover
Hello hello hello folks welcome to another episode not just another episode. This is season 3 yes I said it season 3 of whereable takeover featuring the global or we'll take ecosystem that run by where we take mentors. You know what? um. So excited I'm your host coach l I don't know if I even said that or if I'm going to continue to say that throughout season 3 but if I forget you know who I am just looking you up bo but anyway we are excited because during season 3 not only are we launching. Our global hackathon series this year' is hybrid that means it's in-person and is virtual and just note folks last year we made history with the world's largest wearable, take a hackathon so we're making history again this year but also we are launching our summer intensive for youth middle and high school. We're super excited about that. But then we got. Founders that are just doing things. Okay, so let me give you an example of what's going on in our ecosystem we have some of our advisors and our founders that are literally traveling the world doing things because they're in demand in this particular founder here you may have seen them on Youtube. You know you may have heard him on a ted talk. Ah you know in Europe they're going to be. You know, shaking hands and doing some things with him but he is so prolific so profound I'm so excited that we were able to find some time to get on his schedule before he heads out to Romania ah and folks slipp.

01:31.82
wearabletakeover
Just read his bio for you. Okay, because you know we just do big things over here at at where we'll take over podcast but I am super excited to have Keith Kirkland with us today. He's a haptics enthusiast for those of you that may be saying what is haptics you're going to learn today on this episode. He's also an accessories designer an engineer an impact-d Drivenve strategist that is deeply excited about reimagining the use of touch in design and digital communications. His work has been recognized by Pratt's Rowena Reeve Castelo Award South by southwest. The kuhewit design museum ah Ernst and young or do they just say ey these days Ted Dropbox the Yokohama government. Ah oh wait, get ready folks beyond bahas and guess what the met mu.

02:24.19
wearabletakeover
You know what? Keith the year after my own heart. He's also a serial entrepreneur inspired by the intersection of touch equitable business model development and nuanced customer insights to create sustainable impact-driven technology set deliver at scale Keith is also. Co-founder of whereworks we're going to talk a lot about that Today. It's an award-winning haptic navigation company that helped the first person who was blind run the New York city marathon without cited assistance. Big deal folks. Haptic nab which is trademark and wayband is a haptic navigation app and optional haptic wristband that gently navigates a person to a destination using vibration or feel the vibration without the name for any visual or audio feedback. Folks we're gonna get into this. Okay there's a lot to unpack. You know what? this man has raised over $1000000 in equity funding. He's done some amazing things. So folks, please give our virtual round of applause for Keith Kirkland the cheap haptic officer and co-founder at Wearworks Keith oh my gosh you know what next thing you do is a nobel peace prize or something because you're you're just doing it. How are you man.

03:45.59
Keith Kirkland
And man has it that was like the best intro reading ever I was a man. Wow Who's this person that he's talking about you know? Ah, thank you for all that energy was great.

03:54.25
wearabletakeover
Ah, you know what keep I'm so excited I've been excited about you since one of our advisors chanttera sent me a video of you presenting a ted talk and your ted talk the way you delivered it was so calm. And it was just magnetic and energetic and um, you you made you made magic happen. You know what? I mean so it's like you know for people that are into the bible. Whatever you know they they hear about miracles. You actually created a miracle through technology for people to run without assistance in the New York city marathon so ah let's just start there because I'm gonna take it back because we want to know who you really are but let's let's start there with that phenomenon. Ah, how did that come about with having your product featured at the New York city marathon how did you select a person and. You know what are some things that have come about since then that's slowly we gonna break it down but you just start from there.

04:49.22
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, um, you know like ah it all kind of was like reverse actually so you know like um, we got put into a publication. Um, we had just gotten our first investment from a urban x.

04:54.20
wearabletakeover
So okay, so.

05:05.55
Keith Kirkland
Which is um, a combination of slsv and mini cooper at the time and so you know like they came together and they had got us into a publication. It made its way I believe it was maybe in gadget or tech crunch made its way over to the UK and there was a runner there who? um.

05:08.33
wearabletakeover
Okay.

05:23.64
Keith Kirkland
Marathon Runner who was blind visually impaired turns out that he had done some running with ah Ibm Watson team he had done an ultra marathon in the desert and they were using like a version of technology with audio and you know like after trying the audio running through a desert for you know like you know like.

05:29.93
wearabletakeover
So.

05:36.22
wearabletakeover
Who.

05:43.30
Keith Kirkland
Quite a few dozen miles and fill in the challenges of the audio experience like basically like did did do do you know for it like and he basically is like is trippy and so he's like there has to be a better way and he was thinking of haptics and so he ran into us and was like hey. You can have this technology ready by November it was like March or April and it was I I I'll use it to running New York city marathon with it and we're like wow there's no way that's possible right? You know? and um, but we looked at each other and we're kind of like yeah yeah, sure simon you know. Simon was his name. He's like yeah yeah, sure Simon we could do it. You know like and um, our our thinking at the time really was kind of like well you know, let's give it a shot. You know like it doesn't work out. We'll still get way further than we would by not trying right and so and at the end day. It was kind of like that. Not a big deal. You put them in a race. It doesn't work out. No nothing lost that was that was the other big part of it. Um, and then it became not nothing lost because then like you know like we were talking a bit about it and like 4 was found out and then like discovery found out and then the New York Times found out.

06:55.23
wearabletakeover
Wow.

06:57.53
Keith Kirkland
And then like the verge found out and then all of a sudden like now it's like camera crew is the following us. It's like it's It's a lot of pressure and more importantly, it's kind of like Wow This whole thing was just you know we were just gonna like.

07:05.67
wearabletakeover
Ah, talk about pressure.

07:15.95
Keith Kirkland
Sneak this whole thing in and and and ah you know like ah and became this very public thing not like it wasn't necessarily intentionally built for so all times like Wow if we if we launch on a public failure like that's going to be like hard to come back from.

07:30.16
wearabletakeover
Um.

07:32.35
Keith Kirkland
Ah, so like less flesh is do the best we can and like you know hope for the best and you know we got an amazing outcome out of it which is great.

07:40.14
wearabletakeover
So were you like working 24 hours a day trying to get that done. What was that process like what did what did your days look like.

07:45.59
Keith Kirkland
Yeah I mean well you know what? like I mean unfortunately I have a team you know since I was like um I was not by myself just like rinding out you know, like ah but like um, you know like um, it it was we literally had you know like um about a month. To pull it all together and the reason we had a month was because it's like we didn't have the funding to do the development work necessarily to build out the experience so it works for the marathon and we were trying to raise that money and everyone we were talking to all summer was like wow this is like a great idea. Let me know how it turns out.

08:03.16
wearabletakeover
Wow.

08:13.33
wearabletakeover
Whoohoo.

08:21.55
Keith Kirkland
When a marathon is over and I'm like ah ah we kind of don't need you after the marathon is over right? So I thought right you know and so um, and so anyways, you know like it was It was very like Wow we we need someone right here right now and I remember I was just.

08:32.38
wearabletakeover
Ah.

08:40.39
Keith Kirkland
Talking to like a really close friend of mines that I'd met in Japan and I was sharing with her around the challenges and ultimately she was like you know I've always wanted to invest in your company right? and I was like oh really and you know like.

08:51.41
wearabletakeover
Ah, Wow. Yes.

08:54.91
Keith Kirkland
Two days later we had like an investment and like basically by the ended amount. We used all of that money to like do the marathon run and you know like he didn't like finish complete the marathon like well we got him through fifteen miles without needing a sighted running guide and so and and at that point.

09:10.99
wearabletakeover
It's amazing.

09:12.84
Keith Kirkland
Ah, person who was blind had never run any part of the marathon without a sighted assistant. So you know like we got to make history with that piece of it but it was it was it was sheer like I was like Wow you have no idea how this whole story's gonna unfold you know like.

09:17.57
wearabletakeover
Oh my gosh.

09:32.53
wearabletakeover
That's an amazing story now I believe that yeah there should be some sort of film based on this and so just let me know I Want to be a producer on that if it does Happen. It's going to happen because it's an amazing story right? I'm putting that out there. Um, but there was something important that. Ah. Ah, lesson that you just shared that I think all founders need to pay attention to people say Oh yeah, that's great if they get it. But then people are still Hesitant. Companies are still hesitant and then they want to come in later and it could be incredibly discouraging especially with you. You really were you had your back against the wall because. You know people are like oh yeah, you're gonna do this thing and you had to make sure that it worked so it's really important to foster your own personal network and to not abandon your personal network while you're on this journey. You able to do that in this process because I know so many founders that struggle with that maintaining that connectivity with with the folks that that were there before they were famous if I can cause it that.

10:31.51
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, you know I mean I mean I'm not sure but I do it so well you know like ah but you know like it. It was just it was just authentic I think and I think that you know like ah a lot of a lot of the founders journey like you know like it can be really lonely because like you know at 1 end you have to. That more than the company. He currently is like you have no revenue no customers. You have no product you make but like hey two point five million right you know like you got to you you have to have that confidence right? and so like ah what oftentimes happens is is that like.

10:53.22
wearabletakeover
E 6

11:10.72
Keith Kirkland
You know, like recognizing when ah our safe spaces to kind of turn that face off and be like actually like hey what's really going on with the but like if I wasn't at that moment but like also it so was like I come from a space of like being really poor. So it's like.

11:20.46
wearabletakeover
Yeah.

11:30.30
Keith Kirkland
I Mean you know asking your friends. Ah for money is like no one had money really but asking your friends for money is kind of like you know the easiest way to end all relationships right? You know so it's kind of like the idea of money and like you know, like friendship didn't become a thing I was aware of and so I was like a way.

11:35.11
wearabletakeover
Um, yeah.

11:49.40
Keith Kirkland
Um, I'm at a different stage in life now that's a different conversation and you know like and and I felt like 1 of the things that I that I found that was really really interesting as well was was that like you know, just you know like. A lot of times people come and it's like you know, like the you know there's ah there' a saying that you know a lot of investors told me it. It's kind of like hey you know you ask for? advice you know, ask for money and you get advice and and if you ask for? advice you get money right? And so.

12:16.53
wearabletakeover
And I have.

12:19.55
Keith Kirkland
You know it's like the way you get investment is like you get someone really interested and engaging by hey what do you think? what do you think? what do you think and then like if they see that you're putting their advice to use and like you're getting value and like hey okay we did this. We did as what what do you think we should do next from your point you know like at some point.

12:22.66
wearabletakeover
Yes.

12:38.19
Keith Kirkland
They're just gonna be like and we have people that were just like well you're doing great. Can I give you some money and I'm like you see Yeah sure I mean now now it now don't get me wrong. This is not happen like every other day right? You don't sound like and we've been in much much more of a financial deficit. Like struggling from a point of view of like trying to like pull all the pieces together to to create the vision that we're trying to create with always way less resources than we have right? That's ah, that's the startup journey. But ultimately I feel that you know like being.

13:05.32
wearabletakeover
And.

13:13.66
Keith Kirkland
Finding spaces where you can authentically share like what your journey really is you know like it could because it's like not only is it like good for like authenticity's sake is good for like mental health you know like and having like a space and like but but more importantly, you know and I wasn't expecting.

13:16.90
wearabletakeover
Yes, okay.

13:25.33
wearabletakeover
Hoohoo.

13:31.29
Keith Kirkland
Ah, return I was just expecting I just needed a place to kind of like vent and not like have my venting like you know destroy stuff right? You know.

13:37.98
wearabletakeover
Yes I love it. I love it. Well you know there's you said so many great things there one when you were talking about when you ask for money you get advice when you ask for? advice you get money that is so true and also that that process and just being patient and going through the flow right. And for those of you founders that may be listening or but if you're watching this on Youtube this is your sign is going to be okay, it's going to be okay listen to what Keith is telling you listen to what other founders in this ecosystem are telling you this is why we are here at wearable tech ventures because we realized.

14:03.70
Keith Kirkland
And.

14:16.58
wearabletakeover
That founders in this particular arena if you didn't have anyone to go to and you didn't have anyone to go to that understood your story and you didn't have anyone to go to that was really gonna fight for you like we do right? and so our ecosystem is built on. Everyone given back to one another and I love that the founders that participate in this word will take over podcast when they participate here. They're giving back into those of you that they may never meet. Personally we hope you know they hope you do meet but in the event it takes a little while for that to happen. You know with our retreats or whatever this is your sign. It's going to be okay. And 1 other thing you said is about that journey. It could be incredibly lonely. Regardless, if you go through other programs and we we encourage our founders to go through other programs like you know Google for startups and other types of stuff. But at the end of the day we tell folks where we'll take ventures is always going to be home. We don't care how many programs you do. Go ahead, do that build those connections get that funding. We're not going anywhere. We're always gonna be home. So this is always gonna be that safe place. So one of the ways you can connect this every month we have a founders and leaders book club is virtual book and podcast club. And yes, we're Goingnna assign some of these podcasts here to make sure that you're listening to that. Um, because we understand you need that outlet now Keith you hinted on something and you're talking about your your upbringing your background or whatever. So let's let's really get into it right because on this podcast we keep a real and we know that there are many folks that are like us or that have similar backgrounds that.

15:43.49
wearabletakeover
Sometimes maybe doubting can they do it? Um, because maybe they've never seen anyone that that has done that maybe they've never asked for money. You can ask our advisor David um I literally told him one time I were there were 5 or 10 jobs and asked anybody for money and I had to go through that journey when I first asked what I asked for money to. Ah, show Boeing that I could raise some money from familymy or friends I literally almost died because I was like I can't do this I cannot do this and it took so much for me to just accept $25 right? But it's gonna be like so to get to that point where you could say you know what? forget it. Believe it myself enough I believe in what I'm doing enough I can ask for money so coming from a background where that's not normal. How how did you overcome that right? and then let's take it back even further and tell some where about where you're from and all that.

16:24.89
Keith Kirkland
Yes.

16:37.60
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, you know what? like so one of the things that I used to do honestly you know is like ah it's super funny but like ace is practice saying like $1000000 like because like I feel like you know like I I like I get to the pitch and I'm like okay so now all we need to do is raise $1000000

16:49.20
wearabletakeover
I'll.

16:55.31
Keith Kirkland
You know it's just kind of like it's kind of like all your credibility immediately goes out the window. You know I felt like I felt like you know like ah you know, um, doctor evil one new you and and then you know, but then but then you realize like. Ah, million dollars is like not a lot of money I mean it seems like a lot of money from like where I'm from right? but like ultimately it's kind of like you eat up a million dollars and like you know like a few key people salaries like and some like major development.

17:18.13
wearabletakeover
It's not so.

17:24.60
wearabletakeover
Um.

17:32.60
wearabletakeover
Mm.

17:33.56
Keith Kirkland
Like Tros throughout a course of a year you know like and you know it's not that and and and and that was one of the things where I just like I would I would just I would just say like oh yeah, we just all, we just need a million bucks like we just need a quick mil that said like we just need a million. Yeah I just need one m man is one. That's it you know like I'm just like.

17:47.67
wearabletakeover
Hm.

17:53.26
Keith Kirkland
Like like get casual with like saying it because if if you don't believe that you get you know like if if if in your tone it. It feels like you have no idea with the two hundred a million dollars I'm not going to give you a million dollars lather I'll be like so. That was something it was super stupid right? But like ah I felt like it got me just like comfortable with like hey no, this is all I need I just need a million dollars

18:11.49
wearabletakeover
M.

18:20.16
wearabletakeover
I love it. So a couple of things there folks when you're fundraising know what? you know? what? the plan is for that money right? So one of the ways that you could get comfortable with that is making sure that you're even doing simple things like a monthly budget and assigning assigning money to different categories. That simple process of just handling your own finances will help you so that when you're going and trying to build this company. You can say it with confidence and I love that 1001000000 woman. It's like Jim Cary right not that million dollar check to himself I think that's a good exercise in the mortar one that should be in the fill. Okay. I'm add into that producer over here. Okay, but I've never heard anyone to say that but it is so true you have to practice and say it with confidence is is nothing when have we ever heard oh a million dollars is nothing I love it. Okay, so tell us where are you from Keith like.

19:09.50
Keith Kirkland
Nothing that's like.

19:16.52
wearabletakeover
You know, tell us tell us that story of Keith before you became the tech innovator and founder and Ted Ted speaker and all that who was Keith before on it.

19:25.60
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, so I was born and raised in a little city called Camden New Jersey and so um, you know like ah you know Camden was pretty bad when I was growing up there in particular like you know, like from a point of view of like poverty and you know drugs.

19:39.60
wearabletakeover
N.

19:42.19
Keith Kirkland
And crime. Um and you know and ultimately it was kind of like ah ah you know like you know like while I feel like we had from a family point of view like obviously like from like there was lack but you know like I don't feel like there was.

19:54.65
wearabletakeover
M.

19:59.51
Keith Kirkland
Yeah I felt like I still had like a ah ridiculous amount of like support from like my internal family and I think that you know it was just like 1 of the big things like like you know like you know like my my my mother my grandmother my aunt they were just kind of like always in deep belief that I could do.

20:03.62
wearabletakeover
Who.

20:17.73
Keith Kirkland
Even when I didn't understand what I was telling them that was what I was trying to do you know like they they was just kind of it was kind of like a deep belief that like you could do it. You know like and so I felt like even though and and then also to like I had like really really amazing friends like and and I felt like that part is like man like tribe is is is so critical.

20:18.44
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

20:32.41
wearabletakeover
Whoohoo.

20:37.50
Keith Kirkland
You know, like um and you know like and like all of those guys like I still know all of them now you know like it like it's it's it's and and when I think about it. It's like I have five best friends like all 5 of them went to the military right? become it. You know it's like you had a few ways out right? either like.

20:42.60
wearabletakeover
I Love it.

20:49.68
wearabletakeover
Who who.

20:56.00
Keith Kirkland
You know like play basketball or football really well right? You know you you know that you can like rap or you get some kind of like music deal like you get really really amazing grades or you go to the military right? and you know so it was like ah they all took the military route and you know I was like I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity.

20:56.97
wearabletakeover
Here. M.

21:15.65
Keith Kirkland
Like you know with a bunch of loans of course but like to go to college and so I took that route and you know that landed me um, as ah, initially as ah as a twelve year old I decided you know I wanted to be a mechanical engineer I'd gone through some you know like elimination processes.

21:28.56
wearabletakeover
Wow.

21:34.59
Keith Kirkland
Earlier in life I was always really great with art um learned how to draw when I was like super young, got most artistic in every school I was ever in in the yearbook you know, but then like.

21:43.31
wearabletakeover
Wow.

21:47.66
Keith Kirkland
Realized that artists didn't really get famous and until after they were dead and then I was kind of like wow this kind of like I mean at least as a ten year old that's what it seemed like so I was like well I want to be appreciated why I'm alive I be a architect and then I read something that just talked about how like overwork architects were and I was like wow I don't want to be overworked. And I was like 11 so I was like you know and I was like I'm really good at math and science I'm be an engineer and and that's that's that's what happened and then I became an engineer and then you know like about six months in I'm like wow I don't really want to not that I didn't want to do it but I just like it wasn't exactly what I wanted to do and so.

22:22.73
wearabletakeover
Who.

22:25.69
Keith Kirkland
Stepped away kind of you know after finishing my engineering degree working in engineering at rutckers um stepped away from engineering ended up. You know, really interested in fashion and then ultimately like applied for a second bachelor's degree to study. Handbag making and and shoe design at the fashion. An institute of technology in The York

22:49.98
wearabletakeover
Oh my gosh. That's amazing you. You rarely hear folks that have that ah that vein of artistry transitioning over to mechanical engineering and then coming back into art in a sense you know through design. I love it and I appreciate your thinking and thank you for being for sharing your story because we work with youth that eventually we're going to grow this to a k through 12 program but over the past few years we worked with middle school and high schoolers and I think it's important for them. To hear your story because some of them have competing priorities in their mind right? and they may not know which route to take and I love that with you sharing the thought process and how you made those decisions and how you could still fulfill your personal passion as possible. Another thing you said early on as well is something about belief and on this journey. This founder journey is incredibly easy for a founder to lose belief in themselves and a lot of times we don't like to talk about that right? And so one thing I heard you say is that? um.

23:59.50
Keith Kirkland
Um, and.

24:01.52
wearabletakeover
You relied a little bit on that belief from your family you know and it and how they show that towards you and so I want to encourage someone that's listening or watching this in the near Future. Um, if you're struggling with that belief portion until you build your confidence back up because yeah, you're going to get knocked Down. You're gonna get and it's Inevitable. You're gonna get knocked down but you have to get back up and you have a community such as us to support you but until then borrow the belief that we have in you we have enough belief in you to the point where we're putting this podcast together. Um.

24:26.59
Keith Kirkland
E.

24:33.42
wearabletakeover
You know, borrow belief from your your family or from school administrators whoever has believed in you in the past and if we're the start this So be it. This is enough because you got some powerhouses here. So I appreciate you for sharing that. Okay, so talk about these handbacks and stuff So what were you gonna come out with a line or some but.

24:51.29
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, well you know what? like I actually so you know I I walk into fashion I'm like hey you know art engineering right? fashion it made sense right? Still very much an engineer and um, you know like and I'm like okay cool.

25:02.20
wearabletakeover
Ah, it is yes.

25:08.97
Keith Kirkland
Artist Engineer This is great. You know and so I go into this world and you know I land in this idea of like Wow I Really want to design shoes and I was like at the time I decided I wanted to do something in fashion I wasn't sure what so I was like well let me get a job closer to fashion. So I just went and got a job working got norsrums right? and.

25:25.65
wearabletakeover
So yeah.

25:28.20
Keith Kirkland
I ended up being being randomly I get put into the shoe department right? You know like ah and I had no plan on designing shoes at the time but it just does they like hey this manager is really ah you know like you know, like very very up and coming and like very very like as as a really strong like positive leadership style.

25:44.98
wearabletakeover
M.

25:46.89
Keith Kirkland
Think you'll benefit from being with them. You should go to shoes so I was like okay, cool and then like I was selling shoes for a year when I realized I'm like Wow I like fashion I'm thinking about designing and I want an area of fashion to go into and I was like Wow What if I became a shoot designer.

26:01.20
wearabletakeover
Wow.

26:01.74
Keith Kirkland
And so I started like basically I was like Wow Well now now I'm a shoe designer I'm in the perfect place because like I know all the visual merchandising teams I know the buying teams and so when I when I eventually ended up applying to f I and I had like I had the whole women's like team review my portfolio from norstrom.

26:08.75
wearabletakeover
Yes.

26:21.44
Keith Kirkland
You know and the store and like hey what do you think of these twenty shoes that I'm like I'm going to present to like try to get into you know the FIT and so they thought it went well I presented and ended up like going so I started in with this idea of my dream was like.

26:30.41
wearabletakeover
Oh my gosh.

26:40.80
Keith Kirkland
I wanted to be the greatest shoemakerr in the world that was that's how I went to f I that's literally I was reading my interest letter. It's kind of embarrassing now because 3 years by the end of FIT I never actually worked in shoes right? You know like my work.

26:54.26
wearabletakeover
Ah, wait hold that thought though hold that thought because let me tell you the ah the synergy here when we first started under glam tech before we became wearable tech ventures and we launched our expo in Baltimore Maryland and we brought in Ty Hunter from New York what people few people know that we're not there is that we also brought in designers from New York that were shoe designers and we brought them in to talk to our youth and so we had 3 different events of 3 different locations and so we went hard. Okay, so. Our roots are in fashion tech and so to hear this story is like so amazing and the other thing is one of our other fashion designers who I was mentoring back in the day I had recommended to her I said you should go work at Norsrums I said because customer service like you really need to understand. That dynamic of customer service because that's gonna go far and I highly recommend you know all of our startup founders. Yes, you may be a startup founder but customer service goes into what you're doing every single day it matters and I could tell you from every interaction with Keith. He's just been absolutely phenomenal. Okay, so you were. You said you under work so you created this line but you never actually did it okay help us understand that what was that like but what was going on here. You had you had the world in your hands. The fashion world. So.

28:10.75
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, you know like that. Yeah you know like so I walked in with this like shoot dream and then like you know like you know much like along like how you what happens sometimes when you set along a path like you run into some things and you're like wait shoes have to fit.

28:25.47
wearabletakeover
Yeah.

28:30.59
Keith Kirkland
Wait size eight is like an arbitrary thing. It doesn't actually really mean anything you know like and you're like oh wait people's two feet oftentimes aren't even exactly the same size.

28:42.81
wearabletakeover
Yes.

28:45.47
Keith Kirkland
Right? So now you're looking at like and I worked at norstrom like I saw the I saw the backstock closet I know the inventory issue like you know 5 through like six and a half no one buys like you know 12 through 15 you know, like everyone buys all the size sevens right? You know it's it's kind of like the standard distribution.

29:02.32
wearabletakeover
Yep me.

29:05.38
Keith Kirkland
You like you know like but you have to keep all the shoes in stock because you have to be able to serve any customer at any given moment right? and I was kind of like Wow Handbags don't have that problem I make a handbag I can wear it. You can wear it like you know like you know it? ah and so it felt more.

29:16.39
wearabletakeover
Um, mean yeah.

29:23.26
Keith Kirkland
And and then also two shoes were very much like it cannot work if you don't do it right? It's very art. You know like handbags are like science like hey if your pattern is 3 Ace of an inch off. It does not work and there's nothing you can do about it. It's it's over start over right? You know and.

29:28.78
wearabletakeover
M.

29:36.58
wearabletakeover
Wow.

29:39.87
Keith Kirkland
I hated that precision at first and by it end I loved it and so I ended up like walking out, you know like you know, did a few internships with Calvin Klein you know, ended up doing some technical design work for the sportsac and then ultimately I ended up as a handbag engineering coach.

29:57.11
wearabletakeover
So cool.

29:57.87
Keith Kirkland
Um, which was you know, amazing before I left fashion completely.

30:03.49
wearabletakeover
So what made you leave fashion completely because you had an amazing career I'm loving this story this this whole thing Unfold is amazing.

30:08.87
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, you know like I I did I Love I Love my job at Coach I like I didn't even know this handbag engineering thing existed I apply for a different job and they were like hey I think you'd be great for this handbag engineering thing I was like Wow who else has a degree in handbags and engineering but me, you know like. That's a good job but you know like it turns out there was a lot of people who could do a job Obviously right? you know, um, it was It was the old World Pattern makers that they had elevated to like teach companies that they were now working with manufacturing to like make bags the way that coach had always made them. And so it was like a beautiful team I got to be a part of I Loved it. But like at the same token. This was like 2012 like where you know H and M you know like fast fashion. It just like starting to hit really hard and all of a sudden you're starting to see all this backlash right? You have like you have like the the collapse of the factory and and and.

30:45.66
wearabletakeover
Mm.

30:58.29
wearabletakeover
Yes.

31:04.64
Keith Kirkland
And like bangla dashsh. Ah and I'm not not sure if us if it wasn't actually being maybe was bang I sorry I'm I'm getting facts wrong in India where where where the fashion factory collapsed that was like you know, like major news like you know so many people died right? and it was all of a sudden it was this consciousness that was being put onto the fashion industry.

31:14.81
wearabletakeover
M.

31:23.10
Keith Kirkland
And while I was like making these like you know we literally had people in white lab coats like you know every coachback and hold one hundred and fifty pounds right and the big let bi hole like 300 right you know and so we were lab coats machines like engineering the bags right? you know literally? um.

31:29.59
wearabletakeover
Wow.

31:41.14
wearabletakeover
That's amazing.

31:42.45
Keith Kirkland
Super and but meanwhile like the business model right? You know it's like we need you to buy more stuff more stuff more stuff. So it's like you're not getting the life out of that twenty year thirty year back that we spending all this time and interview building. So it became like a way of like wow it felt like.

31:47.15
wearabletakeover
The.

31:59.68
Keith Kirkland
Seems to be a mismatch here because I'm designing bags that last forever but our business model are super fast turnaround we should need to be building bags that last like so you know six months and we should be building business models that last twenty years and I'm like you know and.

32:09.52
wearabletakeover
Wow.

32:13.55
Keith Kirkland
All of a sudden it became really clear like wow there has to be a better way to use design as much as I like the craftsmanship of fashion. You know, like what we were doing to like the planet from a point of view of like being like 1 of the largest polluters you know like what you know like and I'm not going to say necessarily in a fashion created like negative.

32:23.74
wearabletakeover
M.

32:31.63
Keith Kirkland
Body consciousness but like I propagated it for a few centuries. Maybe right? you know like and so it's like it was kind of like fashion had a tenge. It was starting to shift. It was starting to change. But more importantly I was starting to shift to come like Wow these amazing design skills instead of just making.

32:35.43
wearabletakeover
U.

32:49.80
Keith Kirkland
Really amazing things that people want to buy and hold on to is there a way to use this talent to do something I could like make the world a better place to exist in and that's when I let fashion go and I decided that I wanted to explore this concept more and.

32:57.10
wearabletakeover
Who who.

33:07.27
Keith Kirkland
I went and enrolled at the master's program and at Prat Institute for industrial design.

33:14.38
wearabletakeover
Okay, so then where did ah your knowledge of haptics come into play that ultimately led to where works was that at Pratt and then as you're explaining that tell folks what haptics is what it doesn't.

33:28.48
Keith Kirkland
Yes, yes, yes, um, and so haptics means of a relating to the sense of touch. Um, and you know like optics is for eyes have to kiss for skin. Basically it's a simple way to think about it and um, the way it all came together was is that like while I was at Pratt.

33:38.48
wearabletakeover
Okay, so.

33:45.80
Keith Kirkland
Was going through and it was like now we're all this and like I'm really good at pattern making cut and so like this is my world I'm fantastic in this world right? and all sudden like I walk into like manufacturing processes like extruding and rodomoding and like injection moding and it was very different from like the. Manufacturing world that I understood from a fashion point of view and um, you know like after going through ah about a year of it. You know a year and a half of it I actually got like pretty homesick with like wow I really miss fashion. You know, like and meanwhile while I was there.

34:05.11
wearabletakeover
You hear.

34:16.47
wearabletakeover
Wow.

34:22.20
Keith Kirkland
They had invented this brand new program called Global Innovation design and we got to be in Guinea pigs they they took volunteers and you know that self selected from the Masters program and you know they partnered with Kale University and Tokyo they partnered with.

34:27.58
wearabletakeover
Wow.

34:38.65
Keith Kirkland
Imperial college and the royal college of art in London and you know like due to 3 of them. They built this joint program where each school students will go to the other schools and like ah you know do 2 years do a year abroad a semester at each other place and then make your way back home. Essentially.

34:47.69
wearabletakeover
Nice.

34:58.20
Keith Kirkland
While working on a project together across all 3 you know things you know like so it was kind of like this like global remote work training thing that I we didn't like let trained for this right.

35:01.87
wearabletakeover
Nice.

35:10.71
wearabletakeover
Ah, before before before we know now.

35:15.39
Keith Kirkland
Um, and and then ultimately like ah when I came back after that year I saw a lot of technology stuff in Japan and into London and like I was like wow I miss fashion so much. How can I do this somewhere that doesn't like you know like that doesn't kill my soul basically and exactly.

35:27.35
wearabletakeover
Yes, you won't break me so okay, go ahead.

35:34.70
Keith Kirkland
And that led me essentially to like well okay I've always had this thought that like you know at the intersection of like 3 words, there's something interesting right? And so I came in I was like okay, well fashion was one of my words you know like I was really interested also on technology. So so fashion technology bam bam wearable tech here. We are right now it's obvious but you know ten years ago you know you needed you needed 2 circles. Okay, and yeah and and then my third circle and and here's the thing like and and here's the value of the third circle right? because the say.

35:51.00
wearabletakeover
Um.

36:10.50
Keith Kirkland
Circles. Um I was like hey I could do pacemakers I could do prison Anklet Monitor Bracelets right now I'm thinking of like your work or a starter from a point of view of life. You're gonna spend most of your life doing this I don't like prisons or hospitals a lot. So now.

36:14.44
wearabletakeover
Mm.

36:26.86
Keith Kirkland
Building a product that would force me to be in prisons or in hospitals would be silly right? because this doesn't personally resonate now I'm not saying that like no one should build these products right? I'm just saying that like there's a there's a reason that there's 7000000000 of us right? You know I'm saying like I don't need to do it all.

36:30.22
wearabletakeover
Right? so.

36:41.16
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes, yes.

36:45.92
Keith Kirkland
Someone else cares about that and that piece is important to them right? and so but for me, it was like I was like okay well what is what? what is fashion technology right? and I was like well I've always been really interested in movement right? You know I studied martial art my whole life I picked up skateboarding on my thirty third birthday right? You know broke my hand as I was getting an award.

36:47.71
wearabletakeover
Move.

36:53.30
wearabletakeover
M.

37:01.13
wearabletakeover
Wow Oh gosh.

37:05.40
Keith Kirkland
Right? You know like or right before so you know this whole world was like wow fashion movement technology and so essentially I spent my thesis year after I got back trying to build a suit that would allow a person to download kung fu and the suit would teach them using vibrations and that's how I got into haptics.

37:21.93
wearabletakeover
Wow, that's amazing. Ah I you you gotta talk to phrr their founder out of Brazil but it's funny because I actually sprained my ankle before I won a big award of Maryland. Try to do the walk. It was the it was dumb former athletely I was like okay am I getting old because by my why is this happening to be but I but I love that story because every piece of you came into play right? and I love that you said that you really have to find something that interests you or something that you're passionate about. 1 thing I often tell founders is if you're not going to give 7 years of your life to it. Don't even get started and I love how you said make sure that you're keeping in mind the environments because again if it doesn't go into that passion pot. You're gonna throw it away. You're totally gonna throw it away so where did where did you find support.

38:11.89
wearabletakeover
Um, because I loved your thought process and you're explaining that so clear throughout this episode and I'm sure our founders will be picking up these gems I encourage you to revisit this episode like listen to it at least 3 times make sure you pick up everything but where did your support come from and then how did you grow. Ah, or build a team and and then like whose idea like how how did that whole thing come into play. Yes.

38:33.80
Keith Kirkland
And yeah, and so you know like ah after I graduated you know I was like wow okay, cool I'm gonna be a awareable technology desire. That's why I'm gonna do it my life. You know like I was pretty clear that like I built like a sample part of like I built like a punchin sleeve that like you could like Earl punch it but like.

38:49.75
wearabletakeover
Ah ha.

38:51.78
Keith Kirkland
But Star and halfptics up your arm to tell you like how fast your punch was and how hard you were hitting right? So like I was like Wow This is really amazing. Yeah essentially I thought of interest a thousand times was like hey download Kung Fu Why can't you do that I want to figure out a way to do that right? and so but you know like um.

38:55.90
wearabletakeover
Yes.

39:06.15
wearabletakeover
M.

39:10.89
Keith Kirkland
I was leaving I was like wow you know I'm going to step into this world and I started looking for jobs honestly and um, you know at the time basically the only wearable technology jobs there were was like Apple and fitbit and like none of them hired me and so I was kind of like well I know I want to do this. So.

39:23.10
wearabletakeover
Mm.

39:28.74
Keith Kirkland
Doesn't make sense to go do another job that is not what I want to do Ma as well. You know, ideally create the job that I want since it doesn't exist and so I was like okay I'm going to figure out how to do this and then you know like kind of like on um on my in a bit of serendipity. Um, you know like a.

39:31.30
wearabletakeover
Who who.

39:46.67
Keith Kirkland
My friend who like my classmate was sitting behind me. We were really close and and 1 of his really close friends. You know like that had joined a joint thesis together me and his other close friend had also done a joint project at the met together. They were working on an interest they were interested in working on haptics.

39:58.95
wearabletakeover
M.

40:05.29
Keith Kirkland
And was like hey you've been working on this haptic suit for a whole year. You know you want to do something together and I was like well I was about to just I was about to walk on this journey by myself. So like you know some companies seems like could be great and then we just kind of like formed as a team and that was kind of like you know it was like the 3 of us for the first four years and then you know our.

40:08.81
wearabletakeover
Nice.

40:25.30
Keith Kirkland
Cofounder young stepped away from the company back maybe and flight to 2020 and then essentially Kevin and I continued you know like what young supporting is like advisor in the back end and you know here we are kind of like almost like seven or eight years later um in a start game.

40:42.11
wearabletakeover
Wow. Okay I love it. So I gotta we gotta talk about these awards if you've won. But um, you got to before we do that the met gala. Okay, ah our met museum come on Tuck tell us about that.

40:54.13
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, you know like ah so so that actually is I is actually a story that me and my co-founder Kevin Cheer and so um, you know we were ah selected as participants and a fellowship program at the Metropolitan Museum of art. Um, called the Met Media Lab and basically it was an invitation to bring technologists into the museum experience to be like do something interesting at the intersection of technology and you know the museum experience essentially and so you got to it was. It was such a it was like it was like a magical land because it was like you got to run around and meet all of the departments of the mat and then what they would do is they would try to convince the interns to like work on some cool project with their department and so. Like we were going through like books and conservation like arms and armor. You know like and you're just like in the back room of like the stacks. So it was it was it was such a trippy experience and um, my project there.

41:46.36
wearabletakeover
Wow.

41:59.63
Keith Kirkland
My cofounder Kevin was also there that's actually how we got to kind of know one another before we decided to work together. Um Kevin ended up working on a project where he wanted to bring the sense of taste into the met. He thought it was too vacant and so he three d printed a medieval rosary bead out of sugar.

42:09.00
wearabletakeover
M.

42:18.57
Keith Kirkland
Um, so you could taste it and and then my project was fashion movement technology right when I was at the met I had different resources so that project became um I built ah it was called life becomes her and essentially was.

42:26.32
wearabletakeover
Naha.

42:37.58
Keith Kirkland
Was a 3 d modeled a garment from the capfsstone institute and a 3 d modeling software I'd use motion capture data to get models physics body and to the you know the software as well put the dress on the model.

42:40.79
wearabletakeover
Wow.

42:51.92
wearabletakeover
Me.

42:53.97
Keith Kirkland
So that people can get a sense of like how the dresses move not on a mannequin but like in real life when a person was wearing them. Um, but still you know of course allow for the conservation of the garment so that you know it lasts forever. So the idea was like how to show movement to steal garments and conservation spaces basically um through a fashion lens and so.

42:57.53
wearabletakeover
M.

43:11.72
wearabletakeover
Wow.

43:13.72
Keith Kirkland
Those were our individual projects and that's kind of where we saw each other's kind of like work ethic and decided to kind of you know we can probably do this together.

43:19.94
wearabletakeover
Oh my gosh. That's that's absolutely amazing. Okay, so we want to talk about you know where it works and and what is it today and what how is it going to transform in the future. But before we get there. Can you please tell us a little bit more about the Rowina Reed costello award because this was like a really really big deal. And then also you had ah a debut song title haptics. We have a vision that you performed at south by southwest so those 2 things and then tell us then we'll go to you know where works.

43:51.38
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, um, and so ah, the Rwinnna Reid award is ah um, the reer weed Costello Award is a distinguished alumni award from my Alma Mater Pride Institute um Ronna Reid and her husband Andrew Costello were the creators of the industrial design program at Prat and a big part of her teachings I read a book actually of hers. Um, while I was studying fashion that got me interested in going to Pratt in the first place and so.

44:08.00
wearabletakeover
Okay.

44:19.91
wearabletakeover
Nice.

44:23.14
Keith Kirkland
Um, you know like ah it's it's usually like reserve for a life people who have done very very important things and I was deeply honored to even be like considered in that pot. You know, like ah at at the stage that we're at so it was ah it was. It was super massive and ah. Kind of like the come 3 60 where it's like the thing that inspired me that showed me up then rewarded me for showing up like a decade later is is a beautiful circle. Yes, so okay, the song. Um.

44:49.81
wearabletakeover
I Love it. Okay and then the song.

44:58.43
Keith Kirkland
This came from a concept or like and and and you know like I think that like you know, kind of like a little bit of the message is here is kind of like you know, like the value of bringing like all of yourself to like whatever it is that you're doing you know, like because I know there's that narrative of like. Somehow it supposed to leave parties yourself like off of the table when you go to work and I'm just kind of like not cause like you know as an employer I'm playing for 100% of a person not like 75% of a person you know like in their abilities. So anyways, um.

45:16.33
wearabletakeover
Who who.

45:25.72
wearabletakeover
Mm.

45:29.80
Keith Kirkland
So I decide like hey you know I've been like freestyle rapping to myself since I was sixteen years old and you know never written a song about anything in particular on my hey I want to write it song and record it. So I can say I've read a song wrote a song to say I read a song right? Yeah anyways. Um.

45:41.95
wearabletakeover
I have.

45:48.32
Keith Kirkland
Long story short you know I go through this process and I realize that's writing a song is actually really hard and I needed something that was important enough to write about to be worth the work right? And ultimately I decide like Wow Well no one knows what the word haptic means overlating to the sense of touch again and if you know I could.

45:56.34
wearabletakeover
Okay.

46:07.88
Keith Kirkland
Write a song that would like show people what the word means and they could walk away with that experience then that would be worth the work and so I wrote the first verse to this song acapellalo and I kind of like like center it around to a few people and ultimately like ended up with a producer and with. Like you know, like 1 of my friends who's blind and visually impaired. He's a paralympian Mark Keith price um you know we've done some work together donated way beds to some of his scholarship students. We were chatting and he was like hey I have some blind references in here I just want to make sure.

46:36.43
wearabletakeover
Yes, yes.

46:45.32
wearabletakeover
Who.

46:45.86
Keith Kirkland
<unk>t say anything offensive you know like it was like yo. This is not only ah, not offensive. It's super dope and also by the way did you know I also made music and I was like yeah well want you make a beat for me and then we can like have a song like written by a chief haptic officer about haptics and produced by a two-time blind paralympian like. We can go viral even the song is garbage you know and and he was like cool. Let's do it right? And then so I you know one of our investors south far southwest um as one of our investors. Um, and you know ah I was like hey you guys are music people. But you're here right? I'm working with this first verse tell me what you think and it was like wow that's awesome. Why don't you come and perform that as your company update for south by southwest and I was like ah what and then if you can like holy anyway. So.

47:34.35
wearabletakeover
I Love it.

47:42.42
Keith Kirkland
We got it all together and you know so my first song ever written my first performance ever done it was in front of about like a thousand to two thousand people and I opened up the south by southwest pitch awards with a rap about haptics. Um.

47:55.99
wearabletakeover
I love it what year was this? Oh okay so this passed out of ah 2023 oh my gosh.

47:59.79
Keith Kirkland
This was this was like three weeks ago oh yeah he 23 yeah okay no actually lets to go wow man Thomas playing.

48:10.39
wearabletakeover
Oh my gosh. That's so amazing. Okay I love it. We we could go on and on so Keith we're gonna have to have like a part 2 on this. But um.

48:16.20
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, and you you want I can I can let you hear the first verse of you know acapella as well on the way out to.

48:22.20
wearabletakeover
Okay, yeah, we definitely want to hear that so getting to where works so now the product what is where works today. What what is it going to be in the future and then how can people get it.

48:33.58
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, and so ah, where works as a have to platform company. We built products and experiences that use the skin as a communications channel to deliver information in a more intuitive and less obtrusive way now. White men started out with the haptic nav app that helped the person who was blind. butda new york say marathon without sighted assistance and the wayband which is a wearable haptic band that allows you to gently be guided from a hands. Free experience. We've also built an apple watch integration directly into the app. And now and the app used to cost $99 and talking about transitions. We initially started from a d to c space selling directly to customers who were blind visually impaired and you know after being in market for a few months and also to kind of like just getting feedback. We realized that you know. Solution even you know at a cost that we thought was was was nominal for what it was was just still too expensive given the e economyomies an impact of the community right? and we' looking like 70% unemployment rates for some of you know the blind community in the united states and that's for people who are actively seeking work.

49:38.58
wearabletakeover
Do him.

49:48.80
Keith Kirkland
Right? Not people who are not actively seeking who feel like they can't actively seek so aren't right? and so what we have is is we saw like Wow this is you know at this scale we're not going to be able to impact the number of people that we really feel this technology could support.

49:51.75
wearabletakeover
Evening.

50:02.94
wearabletakeover
Here.

50:05.16
Keith Kirkland
And so then you know we basically had a pivot and shifted because we had companies that were like really interested in the haftic compass technology that we patented that helped you navigate using only vibrations. It's kind of like yeah basically it's kind of like a halftic compass and when you're facing the right way, you feel no vibrations at all. Um, you're going the wrong way you fill 100% of the vibration and it's like a volume scale in tut you know and so it's very intuitive. Most people can figure out the right way to go and they don't even know what the word haptic means right? and you know we've tested with thousands of people over over years to kind of like refine. This haptic corridor experience and so.

50:27.71
wearabletakeover
Yes.

50:44.40
Keith Kirkland
We were looking at companies and they were like wow what if we can embed that experience into our experience and so now our new business model is actually building the haptic experiences that we're creating in our app for b two b customers to enable them to have accessible experiences. Massive scale and meanwhile that money portion of it funds the app now the app is completely available for everyone for free all over the world. Well we have we have we have like ninety nine cents a year if you want to donate to development.

51:12.50
wearabletakeover
Completely available for free for everyone right.

51:20.96
wearabletakeover
I love it folks. You could do that ninety nine cents a year. You could do that you could do that? Okay, so again so if someone wants to obtain. Ah, where works how do they do it step by step. How did they do it.

51:21.62
Keith Kirkland
But you know.

51:36.98
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, still step by step go to the app store right? Now we're only on ios coming to Android soon. You can search for a haptic na hapticnav all 1 word you can download the app for freeing any part of the world. Um. You can. Also if you want a hands free experience. You can find and buy our way band. It's available on Amazon you can search right? there you can get 1 delivered to you in the next twenty four hours you know we'd love that of course but also to you know being we didn't want to like lock in our. Hands free experience to only buying our device so when you download the app if you have an Apple watch. You get a free Apple watch integration of the way Ben experienced as well. It's not as refined of course as our half thick experience as custom that we built but.

52:26.80
wearabletakeover
Right.

52:28.33
Keith Kirkland
It gives you a simplified version of the haptic experience that's hands free and you don't need to buy any additional hardware. So. It's kind of like you pay and no pay you play in whatever level. Um, you want to and if you don't want any devices at all. You don't need any. You can just hold the phone in your hand and we just make the phone vibe Bra. So if you just download the app you need no hardware at all.

52:50.87
wearabletakeover
I love it. Okay, started out with true wearables and now integrating into other platforms and this is just the beginning folks I'm so excited Keith um I know we could go on and on and on and on so we're gonna save that until we get everybody all in person. And have our Hughes Powow because there's just so much to learn and it's gonna be the best geek fest ever. Our promise. Um, but before we have you go out with the rap right? or your song that you debuted at south by southwest 2023 please tell folks where they can find you where they can follow you. Um, and all that good stuff.

53:24.83
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, so you can you know, check out our website at www.wherewear.worksworks you can follow us on Instagram at weardot works um, you can follow me on Twitter at Keith men personally and where works inc to follow the company. Um and did I get everything. Yeah, that's everything you got everything.

53:54.18
wearabletakeover
Okay, we're we're gonna try put all this in the show notes too. So Keith provided us with some information and you have any encouraging words for anybody before you start your song.

54:06.32
Keith Kirkland
Yeah, you know, um I think the the let's see encouraging words I think that you know like it's a really challenging process. You know like going through this journey and you know if you feel. Like like if you don't wake up like once a day and feel like you want to quit like you probably not doing it right? You know I'm saying like it's it's it's it's that kind of journey. But also I feel that like it's it's it's The. It's the way that you have the most freedom and flexibility to design the life that you're seeking and like you know like and I think that people like focus I mean yes, the revenue is Important. You know that top line. Bottom line piece is important but also too. It's kind of like just imagine like you're gonna spend more time doing this.

54:39.80
wearabletakeover
No.

54:54.62
Keith Kirkland
Ah, working then you're gonna spend with your partners with your families with your kids right? You know like with your hobbies you know sleeping you're gonna spend more time doing this than you're gonna spend sleeping right? So it's like whatever this is pick that part and be intentional around like making sure that like it.

54:57.45
wearabletakeover
No.

55:14.50
Keith Kirkland
Falls into a space that like resonates with you and I think that like then what you can monetize out of that. It's a space that your your key to win an advantage in because it's like if you can breathe underwater and I can't guess what right? you know you win Underwater race.

55:32.73
wearabletakeover
I love it I love it folks I'm gonna let Keith take us out I hope you heard those words of wisdom from Keith again I strongly encourage you to revisit this episode share it. Let's blow it up and that just you know because.

55:33.40
Keith Kirkland
A.

55:50.13
wearabletakeover
We want to increase our rankees did you know we were one of named one of the podcasts to watch in 2023 so you know we really didn't have that many people like listening but how did we find out I just had happened to Google one day and that came up and I was sharing it with our advisor so we're onto something we've known it. We we are still early in the game but we're on to something so support the podcast because ultimately when you listen and when you share you are supporting the global ecosystem for wearable technology with founders like us originating from Baltimore Maryland and now covering the world. So Keith I'm gonna let you take it out and yeah. Yeah, this is season 3 of wearable takeover podcasts.

56:30.90
Keith Kirkland
all right? ah right all right also too like fun fat. You know Mark Keith price was actually from Baltimore so I'm actually planning a trip down there so like okay we have a vision of a world that doesn't need vision.

56:34.36
wearabletakeover
Yes, yeah, we get together. We get together.

56:46.14
Keith Kirkland
Elevate and touch to the level of sight and sound and that's our mission research spending two day is access tomorrow for all of our children look at the spending over the last hundred years spread over each of the 5 of our senses seeing is believing most went to vision second went to sound which is. Pretty far distant for 100 years money only spent on 2 senses is in that senseless that shit is senseless here's my two sense and vision is king and touches in prison patriarch of all the senses of sight who really made that decision. Who that have made that decision. No one would limited vision. None of the 285000000 and wasn't hearing the 460000000 folk with limited hearing digital so sight and sound driven that it left like a billion on the wrong side of a digital divide virtually nopothepisin. The future is touched. That's our mission where works is half to touch with the weight and intention dramatically making a difference. You need to listen. We have a vision. Okay, that's the first verse you know.

57:58.24
wearabletakeover
Ah I love it folks. you heard it here first. hopefully you heard it here first thank you for tuning in the season 3 where we'll take over and check those show notes give us a review and we are out.