Pluie had a big moment in the spotlight recently, being featured on Good Morning America with anchor Eva Pilgrim. The national platform with more than 3 million viewers was an incredible opportunity for Founder and CEO Addie Gundry to share her story of the inspiration for Pluie and how it addresses a critical need for parents on the go. Being female founded and operated by moms Addie and Co-Founder and COO Brittany Hizer, Pluie was a perfect fit for their Women’s History Month segment.
As a mom of an infant herself, Eva immediately understood the value of Pluie’s innovative changing tables, saying “If you’ve ever had to change a baby’s diaper when you’re out and about, you know just how bad it can be. So bad, that many parents would rather drive home or change their kid’s diaper in the back of their car than use the changing table in a public restroom.” At Pluie, we want to work with public facilities of all kinds – from stadiums and theme parks to restaurants and retail outlets, to make it possible for parents and caregivers on-the-go to feel comfortable to stay in that business to change that next dirty diaper.
The segment highlights Pluie’s first-to-market features that improve the public diaper changing experience, and ultimately elevate the business’ guest experience, like our patented UV-C light system that sanitizes the table in just 60 seconds when not in use, plush foam cushion, retractable safety strap, and ergonomic diaper bag handle.
The inspiration for the groundbreaking design came to Addie when she was out with her husband and infant son Cooper at a restaurant and he had a diaper blowout. The changing table was nonexistent in the men’s room and dirty in the women’s. Addie returned to the table and declared to her husband, “I think we can make a better one.” And so began the journey of designing, patenting, and founding Pluie.
When Eva asked what advice she would give other entrepreneurs, Addie shared, “If there are any entrepreneurs out there that have an idea, share it with anyone who will listen.“ That’s advice gleaned from her own journey as an entrepreneur. The experience in the restaurant with Cooper happened in 2018, and for the few years following that, she only shared the idea with a small circle of friends. Once Addie felt confident publicly sharing what she was working on, the response and support she received was incredible. People offered to help with introductions, resources, and guidance.
Talking openly about the project also led her to meeting Brittany through a mutual mom friend. Brittany was immediately bought in, sharing, “As a mom myself who has changed dozens of diapers in public restrooms, I thought what an opportunity to bring a much needed product to market.” Together, Addie and Brittany are committed to Changing the Table™ by working to ensure ALL parents and caregivers on the go have access to a clean, safe, and comfortable place to change their baby’s diaper.
The emphasis on all being to include male parents and caregivers too. Too often, as Addie experienced with her family at that fateful restaurant outing, men’s restrooms lack any place to change a diaper. As a dad himself, GMA co-anchor Whit Johnson also shared his love of the product and announced they should be in men’s rooms as well. Pluie works with their clients to install tables in men’s, women’s, family, and gender neutral restrooms alike.
You can also view the Good Morning America segment on YouTube here.
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