iMogul: Plano wunderkind creates iPhone app

Freddie Anne Hodges is a 12-year-old Plano resident who is about to start school with a handy new tool: "MeasureMe," an Apple iPhone application that helped launch this seventh-grader into a world of online entrepreneurship.

Last year, Freddie Anne -- or "Fa Fa," as her family calls her -- received an iPhone as a reward for getting good grades. Since then, she began looking for apps to download and established an ongoing conversation of what she wished her phone could do. It was then that this application enthusiast told her dad of her big idea.

"My grandmother's house had a wall with all of the grandchildrens' names on it; but my grandparents knocked the house down, and when they rebuilt we lost the wall," Freddie Anne said. "When that happened, I thought there should be another way to keep up with my height. We were at home one day; I told my dad I thought my phone should be able to measure me and tell me how tall I was. So we just took it from there."

Clark said he couldn't believe how good the idea was, and after a few weeks of deliberation, he decided to run with it. He read an article and found local iPhone developers and began looking into which route he would take.

"There were some that made the app for you, charge you a flat fee and go away," Clark said. "Most of the others made it and wanted some of the percentage from the sales - a piece of the action. From the standpoint of ease, it may be easier to do that - give someone a piece and let them run with it - but from the standpoint of teaching her about business, the entrepreneurial life and cost and expenses, I thought if we just try to do this, we will get more out of it, even if it doesn't sell."

After settling on the route, Clark decided to give Bear Kahill with Brainwash Inc. a call.

"We originally thought you could stand against a wall and a laser beam would shoot down and you could see the measurement," Clark said. "But when we talked to an iPhone developer. He said, 'Well, it won't do that. There is no laser beam that shoots out of the phone.' He said we could figure out a way to do it using the camera."

After four months and a few bucks, MeasureMe was born.

"He does almost everything," Clark said. "It really was very valuable in my mind. I know what it costs to make a website, and it's a lot more than that. He has a nice business setting people up with a very nice service."

Freddie Anne said she couldn't wait to tell her friends during the process and especially when it was complete.

"At first I didn't really think much about it," Freddie Anne said. "I thought it would only go through halfway and not finish. But when I actually started to see the final results and we had to take pictures, I knew it was going to be real."

During the process, Clark would ask for Freddie Anne's opinion and show her samples to approve.

"I would show her the artwork and she would approve it," Clark said. "Then it got to a point where [Kahill] needed real-life examples. That's when we started taking pictures of her and her stepbrothers, so they could be part of it."

The app works like this: you take a picture of your child or a person standing in a doorway. Then you adjust the measurements within the app to the approximate height of the doorframe. The app then measures the person in relation to the surrounding frame. It is currently exclusive to the iPhone, but Clark is considering expanding it to the Android market. It is priced at $2.99.

"Most people, when they are spending that small amount of money, aren't thinking about it," Clark said. "They just say, 'Oh, I want it,' and buy it."

Clark said he isn't too concerned about sales, and if the venture doesn't prove lucrative, the knowledge gained for Freddie Anne would be more than enough.

"It would be great if we sold a million of them, but it's more of a learning project," Clark said. "We have a couple of ideas; she has one, I have one. Lately we have been thinking that she is 12 and we have all the time in the world to build this. We were thinking we could have a company of apps that are all family-friendly. It could eventually become a good brand name to give a stamp of approval. Kind of like, if this company says it's good app, then families around the world would know kids could see it and it's family-friendly."

But as far as putting that plan into motion, Clark said, "We aren't doing that at this point; I have my job, and she's a kid."

Freddie Anne agreed.

"I have learned that if you have an idea, you should try your hardest to make it come true and never give up on anything," Freddie Anne said.

They have been hatching new ideas and are currently brainstorming on a few new apps.

"At her age, she is starting to go to movies with her friends and be dropped off at the theater," Clark said. "I drop her off and tell her to call me or text me when the movie is over, and I will come pick her up. But she's getting to an age that she may be tempted to not call right away and stay longer to hang out with her friends. That gave me the idea to create an app that would text you or notify you that the movie will end in 10 minutes, it's time to go pick your child up. It takes the decision out of their hands and puts in the parents'."

Clark isn't the only one coming up with new ideas; Freddie Anne thought of another during a manicure.

"There is an app called 'Shazaam' that records a song and tells you what it is," Freddie Anne said. "Mine would be similar, but it would record a voice. I got the idea from going and getting my nails done. I thought it could record their voices and tell me what they are saying - kind of like a translator."

The Hodges have named their company iFaFa, and the app can be found in the iTunes app store. For information on Brainwash Inc., visit brainwashinc.com.

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