Interview with Watchout Group Founders:

The team of entrepreneurs fighting off germs during a pandemic

Allan Klepfisz - A serial entrepreneur known for being ahead of the curve, Allan has extensive experience in establishing new ventures in a range of market segments, including the music, hospitality, textile, chemical, and marketing industries. Before founding the WatchOut Group, Allan co-founded Fenix Music, a blockchain company aiming to increase royalties for musicians. Allan also holds numerous patents, both pending and granted.

 Lance Ford - Had a long and successful career in the magazine publishing world. Working up the ranks at Conde Nast, Lance spent time at Gourmet and eventually The New Yorker before launching Maxim, one of the largest men’s magazines in the world with more than 2.5 million monthly subscribers. In his second career, as he calls it, Lance focused on reinventing the way musicians earn money from their compositions in the digital age. It’s here that led him to Fenix Music, a blockchain company that aims to increase the payouts for musicians. He’s currently the President and Co-Founder of Fenix Music, and the Co-Founder of The WatchOut Group.

Tomas Varga - In his prior career as a management consultant with KPMG, Tomas was widely recognized for his key strategic insights, business development skills, and technology implementation. In his current entrepreneurial ventures, Tomas brings the forgoing skills to the party as well as a strong suite of product and package design skills.

Russ: Allan, Lance, and Tomas thank you for being here with us today. Business Digest Magazine is looking forward to getting to know you and your brand, WatchOut Group !

Russ: Have you always wanted to be inventors? 

Allan: Perhaps not always, but for a great number of years, yes. It is one of those things that requires contemplation and review, which was not possible in my pre-COVID life. Not until lockdown provided us with unexpected free-time was I able to commit to being an inventor. I think of the invention process as a subcategory of problem-solving. To my detriment, I am drawn to overly grand problem-solving, as evidenced by our music industry endeavors. The beauty of product invention is that it is much more of a closed-ended category, compared to, for example, problem-solving of an industry business model, which is a never-ending endeavor.

Lance: We’ve always had big ideas. Another major project of ours is FENIX , where blockchain and music meet. As it now stands, the music industry is a 20th century creation that represents very few artists. FENIX is here to disrupt the music space and bring it into the 21st century. The blockchain platform represents artists that are signed or unsigned, good or bad, established or not. And it provides all of them with an enhanced chance of earning a living. It will also give fans and artists a different way to communicate. FENIX is the polar opposite of the existing music industry, and we are very proud of it. 

I have always been intrigued by innovation. With WatchOut Group, I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge of problem-solving with physical products, rather than problem-solving for a larger space. 

Russ: Can you please explain what WatchOut is?

Tomas: WatchOut is our leadoff product that was created for our new reality. Simply put, WatchOut is a wearable sanitizing band. The comfortable, customized band attaches directly to your wrist so you always have a sanitizing solution on hand. It enables consumers to keep their hand sanitizer readily available in a trendy product. Our liquid solution is 85% alcohol, which is proven to kill COVID-19 and other prevalent viruses and bacteria. We wanted to make a fashion statement with a product that provides a necessary function.

Russ: What sparked your interest in creating WatchOut?

Allan: When COVID-19 took over the world, we decided to put our personal entrepreneurial endeavors on hold to create smart products for our new norm. We wanted to do our part to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. We quickly developed simple, cutting-edge products pertinent to the crisis we are currently facing. Thus, our first product WatchOut was born -- a simple solution to a complicated issue. 

Lance: According to the United Nations, around three billion people live without soap and water available at home . For 40% of the world’s population, the spread of common infections is a part of life -- an unfortunate reality that kills nearly 300,000 children under the age of five annually. WatchOut is a wearable solution that helps prevent the spread of infections, even when soap and clean water are not available. 

Allan : The idea took off quickly and we raced to production to make sure we could deliver to people who needed it most. We already have global partnerships including EDEKA, TrueValue, Ace, Pommery, and more who are selling our products. We are also working with famed fashion designer Christian Cowan on some exclusive designs to be released imminently, and he incorporated WatchOut into his show at New York Fashion Week.

Tomas : We’ve also made sure to get it to those who need it most. Later this month, we will be announcing a donation of 10,000 WatchOuts to a prominent Chinese charity. 

Russ: What can we look forward to in the future?

Lance: Oh, lots of good stuff! We have been hard at work this past year... Can you believe it’s already been a year, Allan?

Allan: No, no I can’t, Lance! While stuck at home with my two young children, who are my muses, I got to brainstorming at-home-gadgets that could make our lives and every other household's lives easier. My kids have watched me invent their whole life, and I am proud to say that it has sparked an interest in them inventing, even at their very young age. Indeed, I think they’re already eclipsing Dad.

WatchOut is the perfect solution for kids. Our next products are perhaps more exclusively for adults, including the Mistifier Sanitizing Wand and the Pocket Misitifier.  The wand features a miniature atomizer built into it that can disinfect anything, anywhere, and is even safe for electronics. The wand also includes a UVC light, which is shown to kill almost all viruses and bacteria. And the pen-shaped Mistifier is easily portable.

Tomas: Our most anticipated new product is The 99Percenter -- designed to address the common deficiencies of currently-available masks. The 99Percenter provides coverage to the mouth, nose, and eyes and features replaceable, integrated N99 filtration fabrics that kill 99.9% of pathogens while still allowing wearers to breathe comfortably. The clear, lightweight plastic of the shield allows others to easily see the wearer's facial expressions. We expect this to be the solution to future events, allowing people to attend large crowds while staying safe.

Lance: I couldn’t imagine going to the next sportings event or concert (whenever that may be) without The 99Percenter. Also, don’t forget about the All Welcome Home Sanitizing Mat that automatically cleans visitors shoes with a combination of sanitizing spray and UV light. This could easily become an essential home item.

Allan: And finally, our Very Smart Phone Cover is another essential. This smartphone cover incorporates a UVC light into its design, so that when you close the cover, it automatically lights up to disinfect your phone. The light can also be manually activated to shine on any surface you want to sanitize. The case itself is impregnated with an antimicrobial agent, and the battery that powers the UVC light can also serve as a backup power source to recharge the phone. It’s sleek and functional.

Russ: Do you have any advice for entrepreneurs? Particularly entrepreneurs that are facing challenges during the pandemic? 

Lance: Be fearless. People spend too much time coming up with an idea, then are scared to share it. Don’t be that person. There will always be critics that will provide you with ten reasons why your idea can’t be done or has already been done. Don’t be afraid of others' inability to imagine the impossible. You have to think that everything is possible and do it with confidence, because if you let fear dictate your invention process, it will eliminate ingenuity and prevent you from succeeding. If you live fearlessly, you will be rewarded with success.

Allan: I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Ford’s advice. Don’t worry about conventional ways of doing things -- that process tends to be overly-structured, and opinions generated in that realm take way too much time. In order to succeed, you must act unilaterally and rapidly.

Russ: Thank you for your time; this concludes our interview. From all of us at Business Digest Magazine, we wish you a lifetime of “ah-hah” moments and look forward to seeing your future creations.

Russ Turner

Director at Business Digest Magazine

Director at Academy of Business Digest