In the swim: waterproof Kids was built on a mission and a crystal clear marketing vision.

The making of "Waterproot Kids" a video designed to show parents how to teach their children to swim, could have been movie in itself Swim instructor Gaylene Anderson, underwater photographer Thomas Gorgas and video producer Paul Sosso met only a year ago, but the three partners have already developed a product that ms been licensed by California-based swimming equipment distributor FINIS Inc. and distributed to national retailers, starting with approximately 100,000 units at Wal-Mart stores nationwide. Anderson is projecting first year retail sales of about $15 million. All this after investing less than $10,000, a lot of sweat equity and what Anderson calls destiny,

Anderson had been a children's swimming instructor for 14 years when she conceived the idea for the video in Alabama four years ago. The concept gelled when she equated children's drowning statistics with the Pact that, because many parents had more than one job, they either could not afford, or did not have the time, to take their children to swimming lessons. Having directed aquatic programs at the University of Alabama, she had seen specialized swimming videos, but none in the mainstream. "I thought, if I could do a video and have it in Wal-Mart next to the flotie and summer toys aisle--not in the video department--for about $15 they can learn some safety basics, and how to safely use the toys they're already buying," she says.

It took three years and a move to Hawaii, after her husband Michael was named head swim coach at the University of Hawaii before her vision was realized. Anderson met Gorgas when their children were attending the university's preschool. Gorgas, who has a doctorate in geophysics, had filmed underwater for the Discovery Channel and A&E's science documentaries. Gorgas introduced her to Sosso, a broadcast veteran and multimedia documentaries. The three clicked immediately. "I come from a shooting-of-opportunities point of view. But Paul has a lot of experience in the industry, so he's by far more skilled with the whole line of production," says Gorgas. Sosso was equally impressed: "Thomas composes his shots from a scientific standpoint, and they're beautiful. From more of a post-production standpoint, I've got to shoot for the edit. Gaylene had a clear vision--she understands the power of the medium--and I was hooked right away."