Jennifer Karmarkar
Anything is possible with a good night’s sleep.
That’s been the guiding principle for Melissa Bamberg since launching her sleep-wellness company, Nodpod, 10 years ago. Nodpod makes strap-free, weighted sleep masks that use deep-touch pressure to calm overactive minds, soothe headaches and promote deep and restful sleep.
What started as a bud of an idea today has blossomed into a company that ships its product line worldwide, has been touted on national television shows, including “Good Morning America,” and earned Bamberg a nomination for Ernst Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023.
And she credits Amazon for much of her success.
Humble beginnings
As with most innovations, the idea behind Nodpod started with identifying a simple need – almost by accident. One night, while trying to sleep, Bamberg reached for the arm of her sweatshirt and tossed it over her eyes to block the light.
That was her “eureka moment,” she said.
“It was just energizing. I thought this was such a great idea because, as a sleep-mask wearer myself, I found it to be an interesting concept: Do you really need a strap to get to sleep?”
Inspired by Beanie Babies
Bamberg enlisted the assistance of her mom, a seamstress, to develop her first prototype in 2009. She knew she needed to weight the mask to keep it from falling off, and she wanted something machine-washable and -dryable.
One day, while washing a load of her kids’ Beanie Babies, she hit on the idea of filling the masks with a similar polyethylene pellet for weight. Research led her to the science of how applying gentle, constant pressure has a transformative effect on our bodies.
“I thought, ‘Why isn’t this talked about? Why aren’t we all wearing some version of a weighted product?’ ” she said. “The deeper I dug, I learned that for people with autism, PTSD and depression, deep-touch pressure really has its place.”
Bamberg knew she had hit upon something transformational, and Nodpod entered the wellness space.
Amazon says ‘yes’
The next few years found Bamberg in the throes of learning, marketing and messaging –bootstrapped and wearing every hat in her business. She launched her website in October 2014 and participated in her first trade show the following year.
Still, nobody knew that her product existed.
“Yes, I made it to the website launch, but my grandma was my first sale,” she recalled. ‘I wondered how do I, in a meaningful way, enter the marketplace?” That was when Amazon presented itself as an intriguing opportunity.
From the beginning of its partnership, Nodpod has leveraged the opportunities Amazon supplies to business owners to help Nodpod get noticed and to accelerate growth.
Specific offerings for small businesses include Small Business Academy, Seller University, 24/7 advice and support for business owners, financial support, Seller Forums, Buy with Prime, Customer Service by Amazon, Fulfillment by Amazon, assistance with advertisement and product promotion and much more.
According to Amazon’s 2022 Small Business Empowerment Report, more than 60% of sales in Amazon’s store are from independent sellers, which sold more than 4.1 billion products and averaged more than $230,000 in sales in Amazon’s store in 2022.
Incredible growth
Once Nodpod products were in the Amazon store, Bamberg’s business began to grow exponentially.
“I’m very thankful that Amazon gave me that launch pad – that place to be seen and to be heard and feel like an equal among other brands,” Bamberg said. “Once I segued myself into Amazon in a way that felt like my home, my business started to take off, and the reviews started to speak for themselves.”
With Amazon’s support, Nodpod has seen between 50% to 100% growth year over year.
“It’s incredible,” Bamberg said. “People evangelize for the product. They use it, and they want to share that experience with friends and family. And there’s just a natural lift on Amazon. People see something, and they go straight to Amazon because Amazon makes shopping so easy.”
She notes that consumers know and trust Amazon – a plus for new businesses.
“Amazon is my number one sales channel for my products, and I’m so thankful for their platform,” Bamberg adds. “I just don’t think anything comes close to it.”
Learn more about starting an Amazon seller account, and start telling your company’s story today.
