You know that feeling when you have an incredibly
busy week ahead and you're prepping for meetings
or maybe you're just trying to catch up on the
world and you want to learn something genuinely
fascinating but without feeling completely overwhelmed
by information overload. You know, just a good
solid story without the textbook density. Exactly.
Well, you are in the exact right place today.
We are taking a deep dive into the anatomy of
necessity -driven innovation. We have a stack
of notes and a really fascinating source to guide
us. Specifically, a Wikipedia biography detailing
the life of an American journalist and inventor
named Lisa Faye Kreitz. It is such a dynamic
source to look at. It really is. So our mission
for this deep dive is to explore how a deeply
personal health crisis can actually become the
spark for an invention that ends up helping patients
all over the world. Yeah, it's a story that intersects
health journalism, female inventors. And just
the sheer willpower it takes to bring a physical
product to market. Okay, let's unpack this, because
we aren't just talking about a lifelong mechanical
engineer here. No, no, no. Or, you know, a scientist
who spent decades in a research and development
lab. Right, we're talking about someone who started
her career on the complete opposite side of the
camera. Reporting the news rather than making
it. And that trajectory is exactly what makes
this case study so compelling to analyze. How
so? Well, um... We often hold this preconceived
notion that medical innovation happens strictly
in a vacuum. Right, like within a highly funded
corporate laboratory or something. Exactly, or
a massive university research hospital. But the
reality is that some of the most practical, immediately
impactful breakthroughs come from patients themselves.
People who are just simply trying to solve a
logistical problem staring them right in the
face. Precisely. And when we review the source
material on Lisa Faye Crites, we see a textbook
example of user -driven innovation. But to really
understand her methodology as an inventor, we
have to first examine her foundation as a communicator.
Because those two faces of her life are inextricably
linked. Absolutely. The background facts from
the source establish that foundation really clearly.
So Lisa Faye Kreitz was born on May 12, 1967.
In Sykeston, Missouri. Right. And from early
on, her trajectory was heavily focused on communication
and media. She earned her Bachelor of Science
in Journalism from Murray State University in
Kentucky. And she didn't just, you know, earn
the degree and take a quiet behind -the -scenes
role. Not at all. She built a highly visible,
multifaceted broadcast career. The resume detailed
in her biography includes working as a reporter,
an anchor, and a media coach. And the specific
outlets she worked for represent a really wide
spectrum of the broadcasting world. Yeah, let's
run through them. She was at Central Florida
News 13, America's Health Network, which, by
the way, eventually became part of Discovery
Health. Huge. platform. Totally. Then WKMG, Local
6, CNTV, NDATV. The Travel Channel too. Yeah,
the Travel Channel. And she spent time working
as a media coach with Gannett. Looking closely
at that list of employers, a very specific niche
emerges that is critical to the rest of her story.
Her focus on health. Exactly. She wasn't simply
a general assignment reporter jumping from local
politics to the weather. Right. She built her
professional foundation specifically as a health
and medical journalist. Which requires a completely
different cognitive toolkit. It does. Consider
the demands of that specific beat. A health and
medical journalist spends their days researching,
distilling, and reporting on complex health issues.
Clinical trials, medical breakthroughs. And,
crucially, patient narratives. They are tasked
with taking dense, often highly technical and
jargon -filled medical data. And translating
it into a format that the general public can
instantly comprehend. And apply to their own
lives, yes. They are acting as a bridge between
the clinical world and the everyday consumer.
Which means you have to thoroughly understand
the mechanics of the medical system to report
on it effectively. But you also have to understand
the anxieties and the needs of the patient audience
watching at home. That dual perspective is everything.
By spending years analyzing the medical industry
from that specific vantage point, a journalist
develops a highly tuned critical lens. Their
default operating system becomes one of inquiry.
Right. They are professionally trained to ask,
why is this protocol the way it is? And where
are the gaps in this narrative? Exactly. So during
her time with America's Health Network and Discovery
Health, she was constantly absorbing information
about medical procedures and the realities of
patient care. That mindset, that ability to analyze
a complex situation, identify the core friction
point and communicate it clearly. It served as
the exact cognitive toolkit required for necessity
-driven innovation. She was basically building
the architecture for her future invention long
before she ever set foot in a patent office.
She really was. Which brings us to a massive
and highly personal turning point in the timeline.
The source material highlights the year 2009.
Kreutz undergoes a double mastectomy. Yeah, so
the dynamic completely flips. The health and
medical journalist is suddenly the patient. She
is the one navigating the labyrinth of a major
surgical procedure, the hospital environment,
and that grueling multi -layered recovery process
that follows. And anyone familiar with major
medical procedures understands that the surgery
itself, while traumatic, is really only the initial
hurdle. The acute recovery phase, particularly
when the patient is sent home, is often where
the most unexpected and frustrating daily logistical
challenges occur. Because the medical team has
successfully treated the primary condition, but
the patient is left to manage the messy practical
realities of healing. And that is precisely where
she encountered a glaring gap in the standard
of care. Right, the drains. Yes. Following a
mastectomy, patients are typically outfitted
with surgical drains. For those who might not
be familiar, surgical drains are essentially
tubes placed into the body to remove fluid that
accumulates after a major tissue removal. They
are absolutely vital for preventing complications.
But they present a massive logistical problem.
The risk of water exposure. Exactly. Tap water
is not sterile. If unsterilized water reaches
those open surgical sites or the drain entry
points, the patient is at a severe risk for serious
bacterial infections. Like staff. Right. So something
as basic, as deeply human, and as mentally restorative
as taking a shower. Suddenly becomes a terrifying
logistical nightmare. And a serious medical risk.
The surgery was successful, but there was a definitive
void in how to handle this basic daily hygiene
needs safely. And her solution was to create
a specialized garment to protect those drains
from water. She invents what becomes known as
the shower shirt. It is the ultimate manifestation
of identifying a market failure because you have
personally fallen into the gap. Yeah. She recognized
a critical vulnerability in the post -operative
recovery protocol. The lack of a safe, reliable
way to maintain hygiene without risking infection.
And when she realized the medical market had
not provided a solution, she engineered one herself.
Here's where it gets really interesting. Oh,
yeah. Because a lot of patients might rig up
a temporary makeshift solution for themselves
out of pure desperation. Sure, they might tape
some plastic bags together. Or fashion a rudimentary
waterproof covering just to get through their
own two -week recovery window. And then discard
it and never think about it again once their
drains are removed. Exactly. But she took an
entirely different path. She made the conscious
leap from identifying a temporary personal workaround
to designing a formalized physical product. A
product intended to fix the problem for every
other patient who would come after her. But I
have to ask, how does a broadcast journalist
actually bridge the gap between reporting the
news and navigating the bureaucratic labyrinth
of medical device manufacturing? That is the
pivotal question. And it requires us to look
at the hard facts of what she actually achieved
on paper. Because she didn't just sketch a design
on a napkin and hand it off. No, she engaged
directly with the institutional hurdles of intellectual
property and medical regulation. The source explicitly
notes she navigated the grueling process of securing
a patent. Eventually being awarded U .S. Patent
Number 8 ,516 ,613 for the garment's design and
its specific method of use. We all know the steep
hill of the patent process. It is relentless.
You have to definitively prove to the U .S. Patent
and Trademark Office that your design is novel,
that it has practical utility, and that it is
non -obvious to someone skilled in that particular
field. Improving that for a medical garment when
your background is in television broadcasting
requires a serious analytical pivot. It is a
monumental undertaking to draft claims that hold
up to the scrutiny of patent examiners. But she
pushed the envelope even further than... Right,
the FDA. Yes. She took the shower shirt to the
U .S. Food and Drug Administration and successfully
had the device classified as a class I medical
device. Let's clarify that for the listener because
the FDA classification system can be dense. Very
dense. A Class I medical device designation,
how does that change the trajectory of a product
like this? To be precise, Class I is the lowest
risk category in the FDA's framework. We're talking
about items that present minimal potential for
harm to the user. Things like manual stethoscopes,
bandages, or examination gloves. It's not an
implantable pacemaker. Right. However, securing
a Class I designation for a piece of apparel
is a massive strategic leap. It officially separates
the product from being viewed as just a DIY life
hack or a novelty comfort item. And elevates
it to a recognized federally classified medical
tool. It means doctors and surgeons can confidently
recommend it to their patients as part of a formal
discharge protocol. What's fascinating here is
how her previous career as a media coach and
journalist inevitably returns to the forefront.
Oh, absolutely. Navigating the USPTO and the
FDA requires an extraordinary... capacity for
clear, persuasive, and highly precise communication.
You have to define the utility of his device
flawlessly. You have to argue against prior art.
The ability to clearly articulate a complex concept.
Skills she honed at Gannett and WKMG Local 6.
It is a brilliant example of transferring a skill
set from one industry to completely conquer another.
And the broader medical and business communities
definitely recognize the magnitude of that achievement.
They certainly did. The accolades detailed in
the source material demonstrate a truly global
impact. In 2015 alone, she won the National Invader
Challenge. And this wasn't a minor local contest.
It was sponsored by the U .S. Small Business
Administration, The Washington Post and Microsoft.
The caliber of those sponsors is worth pausing
on. Federal government infrastructure, legacy
media validation, and backing from one of the
most powerful technology corporations on the
planet. All converging to acknowledge the value
of a female inventor's solution to a highly specific
medical problem. It validates the commercial
and social viability of the product simultaneously.
And that momentum continued internationally.
Right. Also in 2015, she received the Patient
Innovation Award from the University of Portugal.
Officially moving the record. And later, in 2022,
she was nominated for induction into the Florida
Inventors Hall of Fame. The international reach
highlights a fundamental truth about medical
entrepreneurship. A highly effective solution
to a universal human vulnerability translates
seamlessly across cultural and geographic borders.
Post -operative infection risk isn't localized
to Florida. No, it's a global medical concern.
The source material provides a perfect illustration
of that global translation. The shower shirt
wasn't merely treated as a commercial unit to
be stocked on pharmacy shelves. It was recognized
for its broader scientific and historical value.
The garment was featured in an innovation exhibit
at the prestigious London Science Museum. Which
is incredible. And that specific exhibit then
toured several European countries. Furthermore,
Kreitz presented the product at the World Government
Summit in Dubai. We are tracking an invention
that originated from a deeply personal isolating
health crisis. In an American hospital. Which
then journeyed to museum exhibitions in Europe
and high -level global policy summits in the
Middle East. It is a remarkable validation of
her original design. But perhaps more importantly,
it speaks volumes about her tenacity as an entrepreneur.
Because inventing the product is only step one.
Ensuring it actually reaches the global patient
population requires relentless advocacy and business
acumen. Which perfectly sets up a detail in her
biography that I know will resonate with you,
the listener, especially if you possess that
innate drive to constantly expand your own capabilities.
This is one of my favorite parts of her journey.
Despite having the patents, the FDA classification,
the international awards, and the museum exhibits
under her belt, Kreitz recognized a gap in her
own knowledge base. She actually went back to
school. She already held her BS in journalism,
but she went on to earn an MBA and a master's
degree in digital marketing and e -commerce.
From the European Business School, or ENEB, in
Barcelona. If we connect this to the bigger picture
of entrepreneurship, this decision to return
to higher education is incredibly revealing.
It demonstrates a profound humility and a realistic
understanding of modern commerce. You can hold
the patent for the most useful FDA -approved
medical device in the world. But if the target
demographic doesn't know it exists, or if your
supply chain and digital storefront cannot support
international purchasing, the invention cannot
fulfill its primary purpose. It's the stark realization
that being a brilliant inventor doesn't automatically
make you a brilliant global distributor. The
skills required to design a waterproof surgical
garment are entirely different from the skills
required to run a targeted online advertising
campaign. Or manage international e -commerce
logistics. Exactly that. By pursuing an MBA and
specifically focusing on digital marketing and
e -commerce, she acknowledged that scaling a
physical product in the 21st century requires
a mastery of digital infrastructure. She didn't
simply outsource that responsibility to an external
marketing firm and step away. She committed to
the rigorous academic work required to become
a subject matter expert in the business ecosystem
surrounding her own invention. It is the hallmark
of a lifelong learner who refuses to be the bottleneck
in their own company's growth. It shows a deep
commitment to the entire lifecycle of the product.
But her biography also makes a point to highlight
that her energy wasn't solely directed at commercial
enterprise. No, she has a very broad scope of
impact. The source material outlines an extensive
record of philanthropic work, which adds a crucial
layer of context to her character. Let's look
at where she dedicates her time outside of the
boardroom. The Wikipedia article details her
service on several nonprofit boards. The historic
Cocoa Village Playhouse, Digital Arts for Autism,
Driven by Heart. and Space Coast Early Steps.
Furthermore, she engages in direct boots -on
-the -ground volunteer work with the Second Harvest
Food Bank of Central Florida and the Central
Florida Homeless Coalition. Rather than just
viewing that as a list of charities, we should
analyze the thematic connections between these
organizations. A very distinct, holistic pattern
of community engagement emerges here. Her work
with Driven by Heart directly supports women
navigating the breast cancer experience. Which
lines perfectly with her own medical journey
and the demographic she serves commercially.
Then, Digital Arts for Autism and Space Coast
Early Steps point to a focus on neurodivergent
individuals and crucial early childhood interventions.
Her involvement with the Food Bank and the Homeless
Coalition addresses the most fundamental, foundational,
physiological needs of a community. Food and
shelter. And finally, the Playhouse represents
a commitment to the cultural and artistic vitality
of her region. It really covers the entire spectrum
of what a community needs to thrive, from crisis
intervention to cultural enrichment. It does.
And if we examine the psychological driver behind
this diverse philanthropic portfolio, it mirrors
the exact same empathy that necessitated the
invention of the shower shirt. Entrepreneurs
who successfully innovate their way out of a
personal crisis often develop a highly sensitive
radar for systemic vulnerabilities. The impulse
to observe a situation, identify a person in
need. Whether it is a post -operative patient
terrified of taking a shower, a family facing
acute food insecurity, or a child requiring developmental
support. And then take structured, active steps
to provide a solution. That is the consistent
through line of her entire biography. Her medical
device company and her nonprofit board service
are two different expressions of the exact same
core philosophy. It all circles back to that
initial journalistic instinct. Looking closely
at the world and asking, how can I help make
this better? Whether she was translating medical
jargon for a television audience, arguing utility
claims before the U .S. Patent Office, or distributing
resources at a local food bank. That desire to
clarify and improve the human experience remains
constant. Absolutely. What does this all mean
for us? We have covered a massive amount of territory
today exploring the multifaceted life of Lisa
Faye Crites. We really have. I encourage you
to look at the overarching architecture of her
story. We started with a health and medical journalist
who spent years honing her ability to observe,
analyze, and communicate. We watched her endure
a severe, life -altering health trauma. But instead
of simply surviving the arduous recovery process
and moving on... She paused. identified a critical
systemic flaw in post -operative patient care,
and physically engineered a solution. She leveraged
her specific background in media to successfully
navigate the highly rigid, bureaucratic worlds
of federal patent law and FDA regulation. Ultimately,
establishing a class I medical device that actively
protects patients on a global scale. She then
possessed the self -awareness to return to academia
to master the digital business acumen necessary
to scale her company. All while maintaining a
deeply rooted, active commitment to diverse philanthropic
causes in her community. It stands as a profound
case study proving that no professional experience
is ever truly isolated or wasted. The analytical
and communication skills she relentlessly drilled
in the newsroom became the exact instruments
she needed to succeed in the patent office and
the boardroom. She utilized every piece of her
past to build her future. It is an incredibly
grounding perspective. It forces you to reevaluate
how your own seemingly disparate skills might
eventually combine to solve a complex problem
down the road. It really does. This raises an
important question and it is the thought I want
to leave you with as we wrap up today's deep
dive. Let's hear it. Think critically about the
everyday friction you encounter in your own life.
Consider the inconveniences, whether they are
minor workflow annoyances in your career, structural
hurdles in your industry, or even gaps in your
own personal health or organizational routines.
How often do you simply accept these friction
points as just the way things are? We are conditioned
to find temporary workarounds, to tape the metaphorical
plastic bags over our problems, and just accept
the inefficiency as a permanent fixture of reality.
But given the journey we just unpacked, could
one of those persistent obstacles you quietly
endure actually be your own shower shirt waiting
to be conceptualized? Is there a scalable, impactful
solution hiding inside your daily frustration,
just waiting for you to apply your own unique
set of skills to solve it? That is a brilliant
framework to view our own challenges through.
Thank you for joining us on this deep dive. Keep
asking the hard questions, keep looking for the
solutions hidden in plain sight, and we will
catch you next time as we unpack another incredible
story.