Cuddle Me

What I knew before

I had known that the woman who we would be meeting with had been featured on America’s Got Talent, and I knew a bit about her business from the pre-visit reading

Introduction and Expectations

My expectations for this visit were honestly pretty low. I expected this woman to be a complete whack job who had no concrete business model. The founder of the company, Sam Hess, did seem like a nice woman with good intentions, but the premise of her idea seemed too crazy. The company, Cuddle Me, provides people who need it with a person to spend time with; whether they be cuddling, hand holding, or just talking, the certified cuddler would do all they could to make the person being cuddled feel relaxed and at peace. The touching is all platonic, and when issues would arise, the cuddlers were taught how to handle such situations.

Visit Summary

Sam actually turned out to be a very competent, unique, kind-hearted individual who turned herself into a legitimate entrepreneur. Beyond the premise of her business, she discussed the legal protection that she had in place, including extensive insurance and paperwork. She also discussed her plans to develop a certification program which would allow people to become certified cuddlers by taking an online course where they could learn different poses, and learn how to effectively cuddle. She discussed her tough past quite a bit, and she does not allow her negative past to come to light and affect her in her day-to-day life which I admired. The business also had plans for expansion, which Sam being very successful. Many of Sam’s clients have diseases or are handicapped, and as a result, they may not receive as much touch or consensual touching as they many need. Sam even said that after Trump took office, she saw an increase in customers, with people needing additional comfort in such a time. She also claimed that she has no competition because there is “no competition for love.”

Key Takeaways

Any idea, no matter how crazy, could potentially have real value if marketed and approached in the right way. People constantly told Sam that her idea was dumb and shot her down, but she was able to maintain her positive attitude and pursue her dreams. Her positive outlook on life has not only great affects on her personally, but also on her business. As she says in her book, "Touch: The Power of Human Connection," she gives us a glimpse into her positive outlook on life, saying, "Take action. Make something happen for yourself that you didn’t know you could. Life is full of ups and downs. Contrast is what makes life interesting. The difference is that you can do the same thing over and over again with the same results — or you can make a change." Sam changed her life for the better, and her business has subsequently changed many other peoples' lives as well.

Post Visit Actions/ Thoughts

Sam’s business concept and model really encouraged me to embrace any more abstract ideas I may have moving forward. Ideas that may sound “stupid” or “weird” could well be the idea that lands you on America’s Got Talent, so the only way to find out is to try.