As a child, PJ McGuire dreamed of creating new products and selling them on television, much like the home shopping shows she watched while spending time her grandmother. In 2016, she made that dream come true when she appeared on the Home Shopping Network (HSN) as a finalist for the HSN/Good Housekeeping “American Dreams” contest. She introduced her invention, the Wrapperoo®, a unique all-in-one T-Shirt Hair Towel & Protective Styling Cape, selling out the product on the first show. HSN customers loved the Wrapperoo so much that PJ was invited back to appear on the network a second time.

Before she came to realize her entrepreneurial dream, PJ, a native of Lima, Ohio who holds a degree in biological sciences from Ohio University, worked in the corporate sector in sales and management roles. In 2006, she founded her first independent business venture, Modet Inc., a professional development, business etiquette, and international protocol consulting firm. PJ also developed the P-to-P Success Skills training program, which she taught to employees at Procter & Gamble, The Boston Consulting Group, Kraft Foods, Marriott, and Miller Coors, along with students from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, as well as numerous small businesses and individuals.

ABOUT THE WRAPPEROO®

Fueled by her annoyance with the mess of her hair and beauty routine – and the final straw being the morning she ruined her favorite silk blouse with hair product – PJ created the Wrapperoo by cutting up a towel, broken umbrella and gluing on some Velcro. After tinkering with her idea for a single product that would be useful for multiple hair, skincare, makeup, and other grooming tasks, she secured a utility patent on her invention. Today, the Wrapperoo is a favorite among a diverse customer base that includes natural hair and curly hair advocates, hair and beauty digital influencers, professional makeup artists, hair stylists, barbers, and DIYers. PJ and her products have been featured on Good Housekeeping​, ABC’s Good Morning America, MSN.com, Entrepreneur​, Forbes.com, and WGN News, among others.

ABOUT PJ’S MASKS

After initially sourcing materials in China and beginning the process of moving her manufacturing operation there, changes to international trade agreements negatively impacted PJ’s ability to create product, forcing her to rethink her entire supply chain. While turning to alternative materials sourcing and resuming local production in Chicago with a small home-based sewing team, the COVID-19 global pandemic hit, slamming micro businesses like Wrapperoo especially hard. Pivoting once again, in March 2020 P.J. started home-sewing and donating protective face masks, using leftover Wrapperoo fabric and N99 filters she had on hand. She was spurred to action after hearing the anguished stories of her healthcare professional friends treating COVID-10 patients in Chicago-area hospitals. To meet soaring demand for both donated and for-sale masks, PJ launched a “buy one, give one” sale that has generated donations of more than 1,000 high-quality, multifunctional, reusable masks to medical personnel, essential workers and nursing homes all over the country.