We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Glickstein and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
My favorite quote recently is from Marie Forleo’s book “Everything is Figureoutable”

“I’ve suffered from failing but it’s really just a Faithful Attempt In Learning…meaning as long as you learn, you can never fail!”

This resonates with me because there have been many moments on my entrepreneurial journey where I wanted to just throw in the towel and give up but I always told myself that if it was easy to start a business, then everyone would have a business. I use this idea of failure as a learning opportunity to make change and to grow from mistakes. We would not be where we are today without these failed attempts in learning.

What should our readers know about your business?
My company Dress Up to Calm Down makes weighted clothing, costumes and stuffed animals for kids with sensory processing and anxiety. 1 in 8 children in the US have anxiety and 1 in 6 have a sensory processing difficulty. The chances that you have a child, know a child or interacted with a child with one of these conditions is guaranteed.

I am a pediatric Occupational Therapist and saw the need for my company when working in my clinic. As an occupational therapist we work with kids with sensory difficulties, Autism, ADHD, anxiety and much more. Many of these kids needs tools to help their bodies and brains so they can be more successful and be able to just be kids. One of the most used and referred tools are weighted items. The problem is, kids aren’t using these tools because they are ugly, dated and make them standout often being worn on top of their clothing. One day I was working with a little boy with ADHD, Autism, Trauma. He was getting kicked out of daycare, had difficulty regulating himself and his parents were hopeless. I knew how much weighted tools benefited him but he refused to wear them. I did what OT’s do best and adapted a weighted vest we had in the clinic. I knew he loved superheroes. I put a superman logo I printed off the computer on the front, a cape we had lying around the clinic on the back and was like look we can be Superman. He immediately wanted to wear the vest and he became a different kid. I knew from the moment that I had something special and this is how Dress Up to Calm Down was born. We took weight and made something fun, exciting and discreet that kids want to use and are using.

Our company is unique in that we offer discreet weighted tools that are accessible, individualized, grow with the child and designed by an Occupational Therapist to help kids cope with sensory processing disorder and anxiety.

We are super excited to continue to add to our line of weighted clothing with plans for a weighted jacket, fleece, flannel and more. We also are currently working on an adult weighted hoodie prototype as well which we will hopefully test in the next few months!

We launched our company in August of 2021 with 2 skus of costumes and have grown our product pipeline in such a short time. No one said starting a business is easy and that holds true. For us the biggest challenge has been building brand awareness and outreach since we have such a niche market and there is a lack of education and awareness about our product even existing. There is a lot of grind to get a niche embryonic business out in front of the public. We are so excited to continue to share our brand and the success stories and impact with the world as we continue to become a more established company.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When visiting Colorado, My perfect day would be to have bagels at Rosenberg’s Bagel and Deli and then drive to Rocky Mountain National Park to Hike and picnic. It is a great way to get outdoors and see what Colorado’s beauty has to offer. Then I would end the night with a concert at Red Rocks. It is an absolute must. Such a cool experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout to all the kids who have difficulty processing sensory information and anxiety and all those who work with these populations directly. It is because of you that I started this company. It is because of you that I wanted to find an impactful solution where I could change the lives of many. Through my work and my passion I want to continue to educate and bring awareness that it is ok to not be ok and its ok to be different. We are all special in our own ways!

Website: www.dressuptocalmdown.com

Instagram: www.instragram.com/dressuptocalmdown

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dressuptocalmdown

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