Making a fortune from using toilet footrests.

Judy Edwards' family's business idea, inspired by her doctor's advice to elevate her feet to relieve constipation, has become a family business.

“Everyone’s reaction is like, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’” said Bobby Edwards, 41, founder and CEO of Squatty Potty.

The idea stemmed from Bobby's mother, Judy Edwards, who had suffered from constipation for a long time, and age had only worsened it. A few years ago, a doctor recommended using a footrest to elevate her knees while using the toilet. She tried it, and the results were quite positive: "Everything is completely different now."

Footrests designed to alleviate constipation in toilets have also become a business idea.

Her husband, Bill, was also surprised. “We both thought, ‘Wow, we’ve lived to be over 60 and never knew this before!’” he recalled.

But the footrests they bought outside weren't really perfect. And Bobby immediately saw a business opportunity. "There weren't any really suitable chairs on the market. So we decided to manufacture them," he said.

First, they made wooden footrests and named them Squatty Potty. Bobby's family started by giving the footrests to friends as a fun gift. "But when people started using them, I saw the results on everyone's faces," Bobby said. So he, along with his parents and an older brother, spent $35,000 building a website and started production.

Judy then decided to replace the plastic material to lower the production cost and received her first large order – 2,000 Squatty Potties from China. “I never thought I’d be selling things like this. But now, we sell a lot every day,” Bobby said.

Initially, Bobby gifted Squatty Potty to health bloggers for social media promotion. Later, they were invited to appear on several television programs. When they appeared on the startup show Shark Tank, they sold one million products in just 24 hours. The company also received a $500,000 investment and was featured in the premium section of Bed Bath & Beyond.

Their first year's revenue – 2011 – was $17,000. By last year, they had earned $19 million. And this year, that figure is projected to reach $30 million. Judy also believes they could reach $100 million within the next five years.

The company currently has 15 employees, and all products are manufactured in the United States. Bobby Edwards says this saves them on shipping costs and allows the company to scale production quickly when needed.

The biggest challenge lay in balancing humor and health-related elements in their advertisements. They even decided to spend $250,000 on this. Their YouTube video has reached 100 million views, and sales are steadily increasing. "We'll be making more videos, and of course, the cost will be higher than before," Bill said.

Other competitors are emerging, but Edwards hopes to lead the race with new products, such as the portable Squatty Potty that fits in a backpack, the experimental potty product Hippopottymus, or the Double Doody, which comes with a small trash can.

According to VNE