Currently a part-time group fitness instructor, I've also been a mechanical engineer and a stay-at-home mom.

When I started teaching group fitness, I was overwhelmed with the planning and practice that went into each class.

I desperately needed something to hold, organize, and display (many pages at once of) my choreography notes.

I’m usually a very good product sleuth; however I couldn’t find ANYTHING that came close to what I wanted. It didn’t exist.

Although I wasn’t planning to use it for music, my piano playing experience with taping pages onto manila folders suggested that looking in the music realm would be my best bet.

Still nothing. So I proceeded to throw something together.

I started by cutting and taping to join single sheet protectors. (In fact, for about a year, the trifold sheet protectors we sold were my homemade creations. It was extremely time-consuming and I couldn’t do very many each day.)

Also, the outer trifold pockets sagged when my binder was propped up, so I began brainstorming how to hold them up. My idea was to use paint stirring sticks for the swing-out arms. This is when my chemical engineer husband Brian jumped in and started asking around for better- looking and performing materials.

Now I’ll run this next part at double speed.

Because it was SO useful to me, we started offering these online.

Several years later, musicians are the largest group of users. There are also group fitness instructors, scrapbookers, family tree researchers, map organizers, one nanny, and others who don’t say how they will use these.

Along the way, we got a patent, found a manufacturer for the trifolds, and enlisted the help of a wonderful teenager to reinforce and load the trifolds. Brian cuts, sands, assembles, and installs the arms. I inspect everything and handle the shipping. We joke that he’s the manufacturing department; I’m the marketing, quality control, and shipping departments.

I continue to use my personal ChoreoKeeper at least 3 times a week. I need it AND it’s a good chance to keep testing it too.

It’s been fun, frustrating, joyful; overall I’m grateful for the pursuit. Our children are on their own, and this was great vehicle to navigate the transition from full-time parenting to being empty nesters.

I love hearing from you on how you use this, and we’ve “met” so many wonderful people as a result!