Although entrepreneurship is often associated with men, there are many women who have been successful in this field. In fact, women entrepreneurs are on the rise, with more and more women starting their own businesses. There are many reasons why women are choosing to become entrepreneurs. For some, it is a way to achieve financial independence. For others, it is a way to turn their passion into a business. Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that women entrepreneurs are making a big impact. This Exclusive Cover Story portrays the success story of Lexis Noel Serot, Founder & CEO of Littlewins who turned herself from modeling to e-commerce entrepreneur and helping to connect and support disabled people who are trying to improve their lives. LittleWins provides a community in which people across the nation now have each other for support, help, resources and experiences. In February 2021, LittleWins was named a Top 100 Healthcare Visionary by the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare, previously known as the Smart Health Conference.
Personal insights
Lexis Serot is a highschool graduate from Columbine High School and studied photography at Flagler CollegeShe was financially unstable to afford education, and became a model for Ford Models for fourteen years. Working for Ford Models helped her get experience in project managing and networking. She became a mother in 2013, and after the C-section delivery of her daughter Ava, Ava suffered a skull fracture. As a result Ava has triplegia Cerebral Palsy. As a mother of a child with cerebral palsy, Serot was stunned by how unprepared she was at the time. She attempted to become acquainted with the several forms of treatment, equipment, and therapy. She rapidly recognised how flawed the system was and became obsessed with finding a solution.
An inspiration to create a better world
It is truly her daughter that inspired her to become the leader she is today. Lexis did not just want to create a better world only for her daughter but others that also have a disability, and to create a community in which they could come together and help each other so she decided to start a company. Someone asked Serot in an interview last year why she started LittleWins. She said, ‘because I recognized that life was giving me an “at-bat” to create a better world for my daughter.”
LittleWins was established in 2018, Lexis began laying the groundwork for LittleWins that year.
The discovery process had begun in 2019 and in November of 2019 the website was launched. After launching LittleWins.com in 2019, Serot began to explore how the site could serve her community’s needs beyond durable medical equipment. She created and posts daily on LittleWins’ online support forum, receiving and providing feedback to help people with disabilities and the families that support them live their best lives. Since then, Serot has continually adapted the LittleWins.com website with web and e-commerce developers while directing a marketing assistant and marketing communications agency. She works closely with her legal and financial advisors. She collaborates with regional and national organizations that support people with disabilities. She partners with other women entrepreneurs who offer products and services to her community.
Facing Challenges in harsh times
Especially over the past few years with COVID 19, users have been confined to their home in which they are constantly online. Most users, especially those with a medical condition that may make them more vulnerable to COVID. LittleWins has been working hard getting users to join and listings to be posted. Since we are an online based community as well, we really rely on our users to help the online marketplace and provide support for one another. Serot had started her own blog and podcast to help address questions and concerns by other members of the LittleWins community. Serot finds experts to sit down and have a discussion with and hopes that listeners will connect to these resources.
Lexis Serot also blogs about navigating her daily life. Such as must-have products or services that she has personally tried with her children that help make life easier. Just recently she blogged about summer must haves that her four children helped decide on. She also talks about the people that she has connected with that have helped her in journey such as her daughters therapists. Serot has started offering a support system through her community which is not something you find everyday online.
Leader’s way to help Users
We are constantly referring to user feedback and insights. Since we are a self started start up and a community based platform, LittleWins heavily relies on user feedback and experience. In the beginning Serot had interviewed over 175 families and caregivers to see what the common denominators were in their journey to acquiring care, equipment, and therapies. What she found was, regardless of symptoms, diagnosis or even socioeconomic status.
Lexis is always looking for new ways to help the community and offer products that will provide support and care. Currently we are working on launching a LittleWins medical supply subscription box. Users are able to sign up for a monthly subscription of needed medical supplies specifically catered to them.
She asserts, “Right now we are working on launching LittleWins medical supply subscription boxes of customers needing medical supplies specifically catered to them. These supplies would include bandages, gauze, antiseptic, hydrogen peroxide, feeding tubes, and other daily supplies that are often reordered. Along with the subscription boxes LittleWins is working on partnering up to provide transportation services for users. I want to make it accessible for those within the community to get a ride on demand for command.”
Lexis launched version 3 of the website and asked the LittleWins community what they wanted on the LittleWins website. The entire update was spearheaded by the user community. These weren’t just updates to the site which included a premium membership amongst other things but also what people were looking for and in need of. She is always on the lookout for requested equipment to ensure that users can find what they’re in need of. With the new premium membership users now have access to our resource list, a discounted rate on shipping through FedEx and many more things.
Award Winning Marketplace
LittleWins.com is an easy-to-use marketplace for people to post used durable medical equipment, browse equipment by category and location, and connect directly with buyers and sellers through the site’s messaging app. LittleWins also provides a community in which people across the nation now have each other for support, help, resources and experiences. Along with the online marketplace, Serot hosts a podcast in which she starts conversations on living with disabilities and navigating life.
To build the LittleWins brand, she launched a line of LittleWins apparel – beanies, trucker hats and t-shirts. Serot also has launched a podcast in which she talks about leading life with a disability.
LittleWins.com harnesses the power of community to help its members buy, sell or donate medical equipment, get information and connect with others. Members list and browse equipment by category and location on the company’s website. They connect directly with buyers and sellers through the site’s app. They share tips, experiences and advice on LittleWins’ social pages.
In February 2021, LittleWins was named a Top 100 Healthcare Visionary by the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare, previously known as the Smart Health Conference. Serot received the award at the IFAH Global Healthcare Conference in June 2021. Just recently in March 2022, LittleWins was awarded one of the Best Companies by the Health 2.0 Conference in Dubai. Serot was also awarded Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas in both 2021 and 2022.
Tips for Entrepreneurs
Socrates said, ‘The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new’.
If we put all our heads together we could kick out some solutions for the things we know to help this system. ” I’d argue we are the ones to bring about change” not hazard to argue.
What if some big solutions are so simple, they’re simply being overlooked.
Someone asked me in an interview last year why I started LittleWins. I said, “Because I recognized that life was giving me an “at-bat” to create a better world for my daughter. For all of my kids.
For the ones who came before us, all those who come after us.
Because, if it’s one of us, it’s all of us.
I’m gonna take that ‘at-bat’
and
I’m gonna swing like hell. I hope you do too.”