The golden bowl

Entrepreneur Natalie Ellis survived the Dragons’ Den and now, she says, the only way is up

The inspiration came from Shizza, our beloved miniature pincher.

On hot summer days, I used to carry her on my lap and give her water from my hand at traffic lights. But when the lights changed, Shizza would jump around, wanting more water. I was eventually stopped by the police and threatened with arrest for dangerous driving.

As I did not want to go to jail, I decided to invent a non-spill water bowl that could also be used while travelling with your dog. It would keep the water clean and cool, and reduce spills and slobber. You would be able to kick it across the floor, or carry it across the kitchen without spilling anything if you had a shaky hand.

After months of cutting up plastic and foam in my kitchen, I cracked it: the perfect water bowl. I started selling my invention at dog shows and to pet stores.

The Road Refresher went on to win three awards, including Best British Product Development, and to be used by fire and rescue services and police dog-handlers.

This September came the BBC’s Dragons’ Den. This was a challenge in itself, but also the moment I decided I was no longer going to hide my impairment. I was looking for equity to help me expand into the United States. Although I was unsuccessful, we are now selling the Road Refresher in the UK, the US, Australia and Europe.

My TIA (transient ischaemic attack) happened four years ago at a trade show in Germany. I lost my memory for a couple of months, and was still affected many months later.

At the time, I was running a business selling pet accessories. But now I could no longer turn on my computer because I had forgotten the password, I would lose concentration while talking, and would forget where I was while driving. I slept a lot and could no longer drive my 15-year-old daughter to school. My body had had enough and more or less shut down, and my company soon went into liquidation.

The following year, I decided to start another business, so I began knocking on doors to sell my Road Refresher bowl.

It was hard to start at the bottom again, particularly as a single mother, but I had to either stay where I was or start climbing the ladder.  

My Dragons’ Den experience turned out to be liberating. The TIA was no longer something I kept hidden away. Once I had got over my fear, the only way was forward.

Shizza passed away from old age in 2006, and is very much missed. But she left a legacy: the Road Refresher.

*www.RoadRefresher.com

NATALIE ELLIS: CAREER PATH

• 1982 – left school at 15 with no qualifications
• 1982-1989 – tried jobs in several areas
• 1989 – gave birth to Leah
• 1999 – began working for myself
• 2003 – developed the Road Refresher
• May 2004 – had TIA and was forced to stop work
• Oct 2005 – started working again but at slower and safer pace
• Sept 2008 – appeared on Dragons’ Den