Flower power: how one former guitarist gave a much-needed woman's touch to the rock 'N' roll music scene

Entrepreneur, May, 2003 by Nichole L. Torres

WHAT: Manufacturer of guitars for girls

WHO: Tish Ciravolo of Daisy Rock Girl Guitars LLC

WHERE: Van Nuys, California

WHEN: Started in 2000

ROCK 'N' ROLL HAS LONG BEEN A MAN's paradise, but Tish Ciravolo is hoping to change that with her Daisy Rock line of guitars made especially for girls. After all, Ciravolo, a thirtysomething musician and mother of two young girls, knows from experience what it's like for a woman to struggle to play a large and heavy standard guitar--she did that years ago as a guitarist in the Los Angeles music scene.

Ciravolo's idea for a girl-friendly guitar came to her one day while drawing a picture of a daisy with her then-2-year-old daughter, Nicole. After she added a neck and strings, the idea was born. She knew these had to be real electric guitars-not plastic toys. And she envisioned a guitar ergonomically designed for girls that would inspire them to consider a future in music.

Ciravolo's husband, Michael, happened to be the president of Schecter Guitars, so she pitched the idea to him, describing them as "guitars that fit little girls' fingers with fun, flowery and heart designs." He backed the idea, and Daisy Rock began as a division of Schecter.

But before long, the girl guitars ended up gaining so much attention that Tish spun Daisy Rock off into a separate entity. Today, the guitars are sold through authorized music and guitar stores nationwide.

Still, the road hasn't been paved with flowers, says Tish. Initially, she-faced skepticism from some guitar industry mavens, but the buzz from consumers kept her going. With sales of $500,000 last year, Daisy Rock is on its way toward inspiring a whole new generation of musicians.

Flight of Fancy

WHAT: Gourmet meals to take aboard airline flights

WHO: Richard Katz and Alan Levin of SkyMeals LLC

WHERE: Santa Monica, California

WHEN: Started in 2002

ON A RECENT FLIGHT FROM PARIS TO Los Angeles, Richard Katz, 51, and Alan Levin, 59, feasted on a smorgasbord of delicacies they'd brought aboard with them. While satisfying their hunger, the pair noticed jealous looks from other passengers--and saw a business opportunity.

But don't think of SkyMeals' ready-to-eat fare as typical airline food. Rather, SkyMeals cooks up tasty, gourmet dishes such as Seared Ahi Tuna or Chicken Breast Mediterranean and delivers them directly to customers' Los Angeles-area homes or offices prior to their flights. Because the entrees hover between $25 and $30, the company targets businesspeople who are dissatisfied with airline food and are willing to pay extra for restaurant-quality fare. And now that 2003 sales are expected to exceed six figures, the parmers hope to expand their business to other major airport hubs such as those in Atlanta, Chicago and New York City.

Katz says their service hearkens back to the travel heyday of the '50s and '60s, when taking a plane was considered luxurious. Though white tablecloths and silver cutlery are out of the picture, Katz hopes their gourmet meals will renew a sense of in-flight indulgence: "[We thought] we could do a little to bring that back."

Canine Cool

WHAT: Sunglasses for dogs

WHO: Ken and Roni Di Lullo of Mid-Knight Creations LLC

WHERE: Los Gatos, California

WHEN: Started in 1997

KEN AND RONI DI LULLO CAME UP WITH the idea for Doggles--sunglasses designed especially for dogs after noticing, their dog, MidKnight, was always squinting in the sunlight. "We'd be wearing sunglasses to the park, and four dog] didn't have anything on his eyes," says Roni. "We decided he needed something."

The couple tried putting some regular sunglasses on their dog, but nothing would stay on MidKnight's face. After they experimented with some sports goggles, the innovative husband-and-wife team developed a special pair that fit their dog's face perfectly.

Soon, MidKnight was sporting Doggles in public, and other dog owners. began to approach the Di Lullos, dying to know where the dog-friendly sunglasses came from.

That's when Roni, who worked in computer science at the time, began making Doggles on a part-time basis. After their first son was born, she decided to pursue the venture full time. Meanwhile, Ken continued to work as a network engineer. But all that changed last year, after an e-zine called Daily Candy ran a story on Doggles, opening the door to a CNN story--and quadrupling sales overnight. Says Roni, "It's growing extremely fast at this point."

These days, both Roni, 32, and Ken, 35, work full time running their $1 million business, selling their innovative product through the Petsmart and Solutions catalogs, on the Doggles Web site (www.doggles.com), and in small boutiques. Says Roni, "People tell us they've been looking for this product for years, and they're happy we can help their dogs."

Keeping Watch

WHAT: A watch equipped with a GPS to track children

WHO: Timothy Neher of Wherify Wireless Inc.

WHERE: Redwood Shores, California

WHEN: Started in 1998

WHEN TIMOTHY NEHER LOSTTRACK OF his niece and nephew at an amusement park a few years ago, he felt "that panic feeling that every parent feels." Thankfully, he found them-- but Neher, 37, wondered what parents would do if they didn't know where their child was.