Meet Kelly Fedio in Patch.com - our latest local She-ro!

REDONDO BEACH, CA – Kelly Fedio is living proof that the cyber age is a game changer for the kind of mom and pop shops that spent decades in decline as massive retailers dominated retail. The Redondo Beach lawyer-turned-entrepreneur credits Amazon's Cyber Monday with helping her line of fitness products grow into a seven-figure brand within a year.

As an active mom and wife living in Redondo Beach, Kelly Fedio wanted to find a way to inspire women to enjoy the same activities she does – whether it's a day at the beach, hiking, bike riding, or "glamping with her girlfriends." Fedio founded One Savvy Life in 2014, creating products like infusion water bottles and sling backpacks meant to inspire, guide, and motivate women to get the most enjoyment from their outdoor experiences, she said.

"The biggest challenge as a small business and starting a new brand is gaining widespread exposure and building a loyal customer base," Fedio said. "Amazon has played a pivotal role in helping shoppers discover us and has provided us with the incredible opportunity to establish an enduring brand."

Selling One Savvy Life products on Amazon helps drive "massive amounts of traffic and sales," and allows Fedio's company to build brand awareness, she said. This Cyber Monday, their sales were ten times better than that of an average day. Fedio says the visibility and sales she gets from using Amazon on Cyber Monday would be "simply unattainable" on her own.

"Cyber Monday has typically been our biggest sales day of the year, so we do a lot of planning to prepare for it," Fedio said.

The One Savvy Life team prepares for Cyber Monday by significantly increasing marketing and advertising budgets in order to leverage the biggest online shopping day of the year. They offer deals and optimize their product listings to highlight their potential to make great holiday gifts, she said.

After years of success, Fedio's biggest advice for new entrepreneurs is not to do it alone. If there's one thing she's learned, it's to surround yourself with others that believe in your mission and want to help you succeed, she said.

She also suggests getting involved in local communities and conferences with like-minded entrepreneurs, as the relationships she's forged with fellow entrepreneurs has had the biggest impact on her business and drive to succeed. As a woman who has built her business from the ground up, Fedio understands the importance of balance and connections.

"In the world of business and especially ecommerce, there is no limit to what women can achieve while still having an amazing work-life balance," she said.

Now that her brand has gained some traction, she plans to re-invigorate the company from the inside out through rebranding and updating the ecommerce site. The team "dug deep and looked inward," realizing the need to deeply connect with their audience so they serve them better, grow bigger, and expand into other channels. One Savvy Life's 2018 plans include ramping up product development and releasing new items that they think their customers will love, she said.