Then Sabet stumbled upon SCORE, a nonprofit association that aims to guide small business owners from idea to execution to, hopefully, success through workshops and free one-on-one counseling.

SCORE, a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Association, began in 1964 and now boasts 389 chapters nationwide. Their 11,000 trained volunteers are retired business representatives who want to give back to the community.

Sabet was assigned a personal SCORE mentor, Tony Calderone, former National Sales Manager of Russell Athletic, to help her along the way. That mentor relationship was exactly what Sabet needed to keep moving forward despite her lack of business experience.

With the help of Calderone and other SCORE volunteers, Splashgear has taken off since its inception in 2005. Sabet’s merchandise has attracted Muslims and non-Muslims all over the world including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Malaysia, England, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E.

Calderone was so proud of Sabet’s accomplishments he suggested she share her success story at SCORE’s meeting on April 18. As part of her presentation, Sabet explained the Islamic modest dress code and how her swimwear accommodates that code.

Bill Morland, Chairman of the Orange County chapter called SCORE 114, was very impressed by Sabet’s talk. "She was a big hit because she’s an accomplished young woman and her idea has substantial merit. She’s a typical example of those who come to us for information that helps them launch," he said. SCORE 114 is the largest SCORE chapter and has won the Chapter of the Year award twice.

Calderone, who has been working with SCORE for over two years and with Sabet for 15 months, admitted that at first he was skeptical about the idea of modest swimwear, but after witnessing the positive response, Calderone changed his mind. "It started off a ‘Muslim product,’ but it is already evolving to accommodate the general population. A full-figured person who is modest can avail him or herself of this merchandise, and it has nothing to do with religion," he explained.

As Splashgear continues to grow, Sabet looks forward to working more closely with SCORE. "I think SCORE is a great resource for entrepreneurs, and I encourage the Muslim community to take advantage and build bridges with the business community," she said.