365 How Mint Cleaning became an OVERNIGHT SUCCESS!
Monica and Robin
Co-Founder of Mint Cleaning
Welcome back to another episode of the Visionary Life Podcast.
In this episode, Kelsey chats with Robin and Monica, the powerhouse besties and co-founders behind Mint Cleaning, a wildly successful natural cleaning product company born out of a tiny town in British Columbia.
These two met at a mom group and became instant friends, and launched a cleaning company the very next day (seriously!). Within hours, they had a waitlist and they’ve been riding that momentum ever since.
We get into their incredible origin story, how they transitioned from service-based to product-based business, and how Mint Cleaning has grown into a million-dollar brand with a cult following.
They share the bold moves that helped them get noticed (hello, Jillian Harris brother’s hand-delivery), the behind-the-scenes of their Dragon’s Den pitch, and how they navigate social media with intention and fun.
Robin and Monica also open up about balancing motherhood guilt with entrepreneurship, managing business growth, and staying grounded through the ups and downs.
This episode is packed with real talk, lots of laughs, and loads of inspiration, especially if you're dreaming of building a business with heart and hustle.
In this episode, we chat about:
The power of community and how to engage effectively.
Building relationships and network capital for business growth.
The importance of finding a community that will uplift you and help you thrive in your journey.
It’s not about doing more; it’s about connecting with the right people who can open doors and provide support.
Timestamps
[2:06] The shift from a service-based business to a thriving product line
[04:00] How to stand out in a crowded market
[06:45] How taking bold, aligned action made all the difference in their growth.
[15:10] Challenges of juggling business responsibilities with family life and the ever-present mom guilt.
[27:02] The power of taking risks to get noticed.
[28:50] How their appearance on Dragon’s Den elevated their visibility
To connect with Kelsey:
Access the transcript for this episode:
-
Hey visionaries, welcome back to the show.
00:59
So fun story.
01:00
This past Christmas I was gifted the most amazing set of natural cleaning products.
01:08
My mother-in-law, she always gets us a gift for Christmas and this year it was a starter kit from Mint Cleaning.
01:16
Mint Cleaning is a company that was founded in Euclulet, BC.
01:21
I feel like I was gonna mess that up, but Euclulet, I think I said it right.
01:25
And the company was founded by Robin and Monica.
01:28
They are best friends.
01:29
They are so much fun.
01:31
They met at a mom group in 2016.
01:34
It was friendship at first sight and then business partners the following day.
01:39
And they are literally quoted saying on their website that they started a cleaning cleaning company.
01:45
That became an overnight success, and that totally boggled my mind.
01:48
I'm like, no business is ever an overnight success, but they truly were.
01:53
They had a wait list within hours of opening their doors.
01:57
And Fast forward, they no longer have the cleaning business, but they actually started a product based business and now they have mint cleaning.
02:06
I'm obsessed with their products.
02:08
They're completely natural.
02:09
They smell amazing.
02:10
They have linen spray and dishwasher tabs and laundry booster, which is a great alternative to.
02:18
All the different nasty products that you could be using in your laundry.
02:23
They have all-purpose cleaner.
02:24
They have window cleaner.
02:25
They have this amazing, like granule cleaning scrub.
02:28
I could go on and on, but the products work.
02:31
They're amazing.
02:32
And what's really cool is we dissect a little bit of the story, the origin story of how they started.
02:37
But I also asked them about some of the big marketing moments that happened, including getting in touch with Jillian Harris.
02:44
They literally drove to a hotel.
02:46
That she was staying at and dropped off a thing of products to her brother-in-law.
02:50
Like they go out of their way to express how amazing these products are to the world.
02:57
And it's like this contagious energy that I just think is so vital when you're an entrepreneur, especially in a competitive space and.
03:07
We talk about it all.
03:07
We talk about the highs, the lows, how they balance the motherhood guilt alongside running a really successful and large business that's pulling in millions each year.
03:19
We talk about their Dragon's Den deal.
03:20
We talk about their social media strategy.
03:23
We talk about how they navigate the highs and lows.
03:26
We talk about how they manage their schedule.
03:28
They share advice for new entrepreneurs.
03:30
So we really go all over the place in this episode.
03:32
I think you're going to love Robin and Monica.
03:35
They're fun.
03:36
They're down to earth.
03:38
They are just they were a joy to chat with and I only wish that we could have done this in person.
03:44
So I hope you love this episode.
03:47
Please tag us on Instagram.
03:50
It just takes one second, but it really helps the show.
03:54
I've been doing this show for over 7 years and the only reason it still exists today is because you are amazing listeners.
04:05
You shout out the show, you share it with friends, you tag our guests, which reassures them that it was a good spend of time.
04:12
And yeah, it just means a lot to me.
04:15
If you do take that screenshot, share it and tell a friend about the episode.
04:20
All right, you guys, so let's get into it.
04:22
Today's episode with Robin and Monica, the founders of Mint Cleaning.
04:28
Robin, Monica, welcome to the Visionary Life Podcast.
04:32
I'm so excited to spotlight you guys today and the whole origin story of mint cleaning.
04:37
I was actually gifted one of your incredible starter boxes.
04:41
It came with every product under the sun.
04:44
And as a natural girly myself, as somebody who has always had a sensitivity to chemicals and has always been looking for better for you alternatives.
04:55
for cleaning.
04:56
Mint has essentially just solved every single challenge with that.
04:59
So cannot wait to share more, to learn the origin story.
05:03
So thank you both for being here today.
05:05
Thank you for having us.
05:07
You're so sweet.
05:07
We're so happy to be here.
05:08
Thank you so much.
05:10
Amazing.
05:10
So on your website, or I forget where I grabbed this piece of info, but you actually wrote something along the lines of, We started a cleaning company that became an overnight success.
05:23
And when I read that, I almost did a double take because I'm like, people always share these quotes and memes online.
05:29
That's like, there's no such thing as an overnight success.
05:33
However, I know that in hearing your story, you knew there was a demand for cleaning services in BC where you lived and you started this company and the phone calls just came in from friends.
05:46
So can you share a little bit more?
05:48
Like, do you really mean it was an overnight success?
05:51
And if so, why do you think that?
05:53
Was what was it about what you launched that was a hit right away?
06:01
Well, I think you kind of nailed it.
06:02
Like it was such a need.
06:04
So I think that kind of saying maybe doesn't go so much when people are just going after their big dream and it's overnight success.
06:10
Like sometimes that is just a very much a need that's met for entrepreneur life.
06:14
So we were both at the time we had just both had babies.
06:19
I had was on my second baby, she had her twins.
06:22
And we were just talking about what we were going to do when we went back to work.
06:25
And then we actually didn't know each other at the time.
06:27
We're kind of at this gathering.
06:28
And I was like, who is that?
06:29
I've never met her cause you cool.
06:30
It's such a small town.
06:32
And I was mentioning to some friends that I was maybe going to do a cleaning business.
06:35
And then they were like, actually Robin was saying that too.
06:37
You guys should talk.
06:37
So we're like met each other there.
06:40
And then we decided to go for a walk the next day and we just hit it off.
06:43
We were just laughing the whole walk.
06:44
We just like loved each other immediately.
06:46
And we're like, we could just do a cleaning business together and you know.
06:49
And no word of a lie, like everything word travels so fast in that town in Yuki here.
06:54
So I got texts that night from people like, I heard you start a cleaning business.
06:57
Can I be your client?
06:58
Blah blah blah because everybody here has a vacation rental or B&B and there's no cleaner.
07:02
So it was such a need.
07:03
So the overnight success, it literally was like.
07:06
Within the next kind of days we had full, we had 50 different properties and within that time we were hiring staff.
07:14
So it was, it was very quick.
07:15
Yeah, we had a waiting list.
07:16
I think the first week we were like, OK, we need to slow down.
07:19
So again, it's just like finding that need, what does your community need where, you know, and fulfilling that we didn't set out to want to clean toilets for a living, but we needed flexible hours.
07:31
We needed to keep the lights on.
07:34
I couldn't go back to my tourism.
07:36
Before.
07:37
So yeah, it just it really worked out for us that way.
07:42
This is a bit of a weird question, but do you think if you had started the product based business right away before the cleaning business that it would have been an overnight success or is the product aspect like you had to have the the community, the following, the demand, the confidence from your service based business.
08:03
So I don't know where you want to take that, but just curious your thoughts on that.
08:06
Yeah.
08:07
Well, I think the product line came out of the issues that we were experiencing within the cleaning business.
08:12
So if we didn't experience those issues, we wouldn't be so hell bent on marketing this and believing in it and believing in ourselves and and wanting to do better for the community.
08:22
So I think that's where it blossomed to the product line is out of that we were suffering immensely from using those chemicals all day.
08:31
Before that we didn't know, we didn't know that using Lysol and bleach was harmful for your health.
08:36
We just did it because that's what our parents did and that's what we were used to.
08:40
And so I think we if had we not experienced that, we wouldn't have had the product line to begin with.
08:45
So and we grew such a community along the way.
08:48
Like we have to have our Instagram account with our cleaning business and our in the beginning, anyone that followed us in the beginning, we were using like, yeah, the Lysol and bleach and everything like this is how you clean a toilet.
08:57
But it was growing like we were growing a following in a community and they saw our whole journey from that.
09:01
To like our health issues, especially with Robin's like lung scarring to all of a sudden making the products.
09:06
And then that's when they were they inspired us because they were like, oh, would you ever sell that?
09:10
I'd buy that off you because they're watching us make these products and use it with our cleaning business.
09:14
So I agree with Robin.
09:15
I think like, I don't think it could have been the other way around.
09:17
It had to kind of have that story and that community with it to get that momentum going.
09:21
I don't think we would have had the same momentum.
09:24
So there are kind of like two types of people in the world.
09:27
There are people who are identifying problems and going, OK, now I'll scour the Internet, look for the most appropriate solution and figure out who's already made this product.
09:37
And then there's that other type of person that's like, OK, I can't find the product I'm looking for.
09:43
I'm going to make this product or figure out how to start putting together formulas and making recipes in my kitchen.
09:51
So I'm curious which one of you had this epiphany of like, we need to start making our own products.
10:00
And why did you decide that that was the way to go?
10:03
Because that's the hard way, right?
10:06
So what was it that made you really want to start walking out this path?
10:11
Well.
10:12
Also like I know in the beginning we did try like you said we're like OK, we're having these health issues, let's buy what is saying is eco-friendly.
10:18
So we're buying like the different brands that say eco-friendly and non-toxic learning later a lot of that was greenwashing of course.
10:24
But so we're like OK, we're using this new kind of set of products but they weren't giving us the results we wanted.
10:29
They were like crappy and at this time we had a pretty good reputation and we wanted our cleans to be perfect.
10:34
So that's kind of when that's kind of what started the whole like well maybe we can make our own stuff.
10:38
So we started kind of Googling.
10:40
Recipes and then we're like, well, I got that around my house.
10:42
I could go find some powder peroxide at that and just kind of testing and then again that back to the cleaning business is our testing ground.
10:48
So it'd be like try these products to our staff, to us and give feedback that way.
10:52
But it did start off, I would say we tried to just get what was available, but then it just wasn't living up to our expectations.
10:59
Yeah, I think Monica literally Googled.
11:01
So this has all happened over COVID too.
11:03
So we had a little bit more time on our hands.
11:05
Our cleaning business was shut down.
11:07
We were, we started Instagram account.
11:09
We were kind of experimenting with DIY recipes.
11:13
And Monica one day, she just Googled best bathroom cleaner in the world.
11:16
Like kind of like a joke.
11:18
And she got this basic recipe.
11:19
I mean, I'm speaking for you, but she was like, okay, maybe if I add hydrogen peroxide to this, maybe if I add some essential oils, maybe if I add like this dish soap.
11:28
And she created this like powdery paste, which is now our cleaning scrub.
11:32
And she was using it and she was like, actually this works pretty good.
11:35
And she gave it to me on my clean the next day.
11:37
And she's like, just try this out.
11:39
And I I used it on the greasy stove and I was like, Oh my God, what is this?
11:44
This is the best cleaner I've ever used in my entire life, far beyond any sort of toxic chemical.
11:49
And I called her and she was like, oh, I just, I just whipped it up.
11:51
I'm like, we need to use this.
11:53
Like, we need to use this for a company.
11:54
This is amazing.
11:55
And then we started showing on Instagram and then that's how it kind of really birthed organically.
11:59
It was kind of like we had pictures of us just in the kitchen late at night.
12:03
I had like breast milk stains over my shirt, making like these 12 jars of it to sell the next day.
12:08
But they would sell on our stories.
12:09
We would just say we have 12 available and within like seconds they'd be gone.
12:13
Oh yeah, there you go.
12:17
So yeah, it just kind of started like that.
12:18
And then that's when like the lights went off, right.
12:20
And I think we had this aha moment.
12:21
I remember I I texted Robin.
12:23
We were like, I was walking on the beach having this moment of like, I think products, this is gonna be huge.
12:28
And I just had that like goosebump feeling and message her.
12:30
And then she always says she's like, remember when you were in that Meadow and you had that feeling?
12:33
And I'm like, no, I was like.
12:35
Sounds better in a meadow.
12:36
Yeah, just like rollicking.
12:38
But so innate dress was that's kind of in that feeling is what we've kind of always based our business on that good gut feeling.
12:45
And then from there things just were like, well, how do we make an all-purpose cleaner?
12:48
How do we make a glass cleaner?
12:49
How do we make?
12:50
And then then it just became a lot of demand of our following too, which is growing so big.
12:54
They're like, you guys need to make laundry products.
12:55
We're like, OK, I'm like, so then it grew into like a full, full clean line.
13:02
I want to rewind on something you said.
13:04
So you said when you were in your kitchen making your cleaning scrub and kind of doing like small batch, like I have 12 of these, who wants one?
13:12
You mentioned that you would post it on Instagram.
13:15
So let's actually rewind a little bit because I think the challenge of so many of the business owners who listen is like there's no demand for what I have.
13:25
And of course we know that takes time and building an audience.
13:29
Do you guys remember the early days?
13:31
I think you said Instagram you started on.
13:34
Like when you started your Instagram, did you have any idea what you were doing?
13:39
What were some of the things that you were doing you think that really attracted people to follow you?
13:46
Let's rewind a little bit to those beginning stages of growing your social media.
13:52
Well, this was so COVID again happened and people were interested in cleaning all of a sudden.
13:57
So there was, there was these clean talk influencers or whatever you want to call them was just like going viral.
14:05
And so this was the same time that we started doing like showing cleaning.
14:08
We were just like people were obsessed with watching people clean for some reason.
14:11
It was like hitting, it was just going off.
14:14
But then we were using our products in that clean.
14:16
So we were literally showing them working.
14:18
It was kind of like an infomercial for us.
14:21
And then people wanted to buy it.
14:22
And so I remember we would release like 24.
14:24
It was like we put up, we put it out, we got 24 jars of scrub available.
14:28
We'll mail them to you.
14:29
And they were the the labels were so, so funny, so amateur.
14:33
Jars I had around my house.
14:34
Yeah, like basil jars.
14:36
And we would just sell them out within 10 minutes.
14:39
It was wild.
14:40
And so we knew that, OK, we need to get better systems in place.
14:44
We need to actually get labels.
14:45
We need to get real jars.
14:47
And we need to get a Shopify account because we can't just be taking E transfers all day.
14:50
So we started a Shopify account and then it just was like it happened just so quickly.
14:55
Mm-hmmI we realized there is a need for people wanting to make a change for a product that actually works.
15:00
And knowing that they work and that healthy and going to be healthy for you and yeah, it was really organic.
15:07
And I think for us too for like you're saying some of your other people you've talked to in that issue for us, we took our customers on the journey with us and we asked for their input and we like they really felt like they were part of our journey.
15:17
Like we'd be like we're thinking making an all-purpose, what's your favorite smells and like we really engaged with our community and then.
15:24
Everybody supported us and and for that I feel like and that became they felt like they were part of this whole process.
15:30
So we try to give that advice as much as when we talk to people like this is your free Instagram, social media is your free marketing.
15:36
It's your like no other, no other time in life did we have this like availability at our hands to have like your community right there, your customers right there that you can talk to and interact with.
15:45
So we just really have always taken advantage of it in like the most authentic way possible, not really even knowing we were doing it in the beginning, you know just.
15:52
We were like literally wanted people's opinions.
15:54
We're like, what do you think?
15:55
But then also just realizing, oh, mint essential oil is actually the best degreaser and good for this and good for that.
16:01
Germ fighting.
16:01
Yeah.
16:02
So it was, you know, just learning with them and their feedback.
16:05
So it was kind of this perfect storm.
16:07
Yeah.
16:08
YeahWell, it sounds like you guys had a healthy relationship with social media too.
16:13
I mean, I think a lot of people.
16:15
It's scary to put yourself out there.
16:16
It's scary to turn the camera on.
16:18
And whether you're passionate about cleaning products or you're passionate about a certain method of dog training, there's like this general sense of like, what if somebody judges me?
16:28
Or what if I get a mean comment?
16:31
Did you guys ever deal with any sort of like, whether it's imposter syndrome or just like that general, like this is a weird world we live in?
16:40
Or did you just kind of think like, this is the best free platform?
16:45
Embrace it.
16:45
Go all in.
16:46
Get as much data as you can.
16:47
Connect with people.
16:49
Where were your mindsets when it came to building an audience on social?
16:54
Yeah, I mean, it was pretty great cuz we have each other, right?
16:58
But if you look back at our old Instagram videos.
17:01
It is so embarrassing.
17:02
So if you're if you're afraid of being embarrassing online, you will be guaranteed when you first start out.
17:08
It's gonna be cringe.
17:09
If you look back on five years from now, you're gonna be cringed out by what you posted.
17:12
But everybody is, you know what I mean?
17:14
Everyone just has to start like we have, we joke actually.
17:18
There's a one video that we have that we first gave to this company and it was we were so stiff and so embarrassing and it's it gives me chills to even think about it cause it was so bad.
17:29
It was like a 90s infomercial.
17:31
It was like, well, thanks, Robin.
17:33
And what I like to make with this baking soda, it was like, it was really bad.
17:38
And I don't even think they posted it, to be honest.
17:41
But then the more you're in front of a camera, the more you're going to get used to it.
17:45
It's like, it's just that old saying.
17:47
Like, the more you do it, the more you practice, it's going to get comfortable.
17:50
And if you start something for the first time, you're going to be bad at it.
17:53
Guaranteed.
17:54
So just do it.
17:55
That's our, my biggest thing is just go for it.
17:57
You're gonna get better.
17:58
It's gonna get more more comfortable for you.
18:00
And I think that was definitely our, we're not embarrassed to be embarrassed.
18:05
Yeah you know I was in the beginning though, my heart, when we posted post, my heart would beat for like six hours posting in the beginning.
18:12
I actually just, now that you brought that up, I'm like, 'cause now it's just second nature, I post everybody.
18:17
But in the early days, my heart would be in that nervous state for so long and comments, my face would be read.
18:22
AndIt took like a while, but then, like Robin said, once it just became part of our life and realizing that it could be a huge part of our business and like owning that.
18:32
But in the beginning it was so uncomfortable for sure.
18:34
And I was so nervous of what people would think and so embarrassed, but at the same time, just knowing like.
18:40
But this is good.
18:41
You know, this is good.
18:42
This is doing good for us.
18:43
So, yeah.
18:43
And there was a couple times where we posted and we didn't get great feedback.
18:48
Like sometimes we could be a little bit personal or opinionated or politics or something like that.
18:53
We let it like kind of, you know, filter in there a little bit.
18:56
And then we both had to have sit down and actually be like, OK, what is our Instagram for?
19:01
It is to be that laugh that you see in the morning.
19:03
It's to be really lighthearted.
19:05
It's to be about our products and about our relationship and business.
19:08
And we made that conscious decision to be like, we're not going to post anything political, anything Debbie Downer.
19:15
It just was really a value to us because we did try that a little bit.
19:19
It didn't work.
19:20
And so I think having that, like really focusing on what do you want your account to be, what values, like if you are a political and opinionated account, great, go for it.
19:28
But that's not what we want our account to be.
19:30
So that we had to make that conscious decision as well.
19:32
And we are very like intentional about what we post, you know what I mean?
19:37
Even though it seems like we're not.
19:38
Yeah, yeahI think our biggest compliment is when people tell us like, you know, you're my, like, my laugh in the morning and that's when I scroll and that's all, like, that's all I want to hear.
19:47
I'm like, I just want to be somebody's a good part of their day, not like guilt them into feeling bad about something or this or that.
19:53
And you know, so yeah, keep it light.
19:56
Keep it light.
19:56
Yeah, life is serious enough.
19:57
There's so much negativity on there.
19:59
It's just like, I even have like the doom scrolling.
20:01
I'm like, Oh my God.
20:02
So it's nice to know we're part of the lighter side of it.
20:06
Yeah.
20:06
And I think you guys have called out two really important things that I want to double tap on is #1, you're going to experiment with stuff that doesn't stay as part of your strategy, right?
20:15
Like you have to get through the content that feels misaligned in order to find exactly what feels so good, so effortless.
20:24
So I think that's an important reminder to experiment and know that you can try things on for size, whether it's in social media or any marketing and business growth strategy and also to know like.
20:36
Why you're doing things like you guys mentioned, had to remind ourselves like we want to bring fun and lightheartedness and humor and also like spread this mission that there are better for you alternatives for cleaning.
20:49
And I think when you really come back to that.
20:52
You don't have to look at social media as like a self-serving vehicle.
20:56
It's like no, I wanna spread this impact and make a bigger impact in the world and I can do that through social.
21:04
So I think that's really important.
21:07
And you know, I'd be remiss to move on before asking you guys, how do you approach your social media strategy today?
21:14
Do you still just kind of like wake up, say what do we want to post today and like go with the flow?
21:20
Or are you at a point now where it's like we want run a really big company, we need to have structure, a content calendar, every day has a different theme or are you somewhere in the middle?
23:21
She's our she's our Instagram.
23:24
Yeah, it's all her.
23:26
She just puts me in and I'm like, OK, she's our our actual star.
23:29
She's my star performer.
23:32
I I think it's like anything.
23:33
It has its highs and lows.
23:34
Sometimes I'm really like, I can't really schedule a time where I'm like, I'm gonna think of ideas now.
23:38
It honestly comes to me like late at night or different ideas.
23:41
So now we have different.
23:41
We kind of have a certain channel.
23:43
That we just put ideas in.
23:45
We used to always dedicate like a day a week that that was when we would just film like a bunch of stuff and then just kind of filtering other things throughout the week.
23:53
But then getting so busy we've struggled a lot.
23:55
But that's usually our our intention is usually to have a day a week where we have some ideas lined up.
24:00
Learning to be as organized as possible is huge.
24:02
Have all the things you need.
24:04
Sometimes we forget like yesterday we were filming, we did like 6 reels, but we wore the same outfit in each one.
24:09
So it's always like sometimes we're like.
24:11
God.
24:11
But like, I kind of like that we're a bit amateur.
24:13
Like, I don't know, you know what I mean?
24:14
It's just who we are too.
24:16
Or it's like, well, the next six reels were wearing this outfit.
24:18
That's what it is.
24:19
So.
24:21
But I think funniness really gets me.
24:23
I just love funniness.
24:24
Like my mom has always joked.
24:25
She's like, if I went on your Instagram, I wouldn't even know you sold products.
24:29
We don't want us.
24:30
Like, you know, we throw in the odd maybe once a week, honestly, is all we really.
24:34
Products and then another post a week will be like maybe a tip and then honestly the rest of it's just kind of fun.
24:39
So and that's the way we like to keep it and I think it's working for us.
24:43
So I'm happy to keep it that way.
24:44
You can always use your stories for like you know resharing people tagging your products and posting your products in there.
24:50
And we we run meta ads and different ways to get in people's heads.
24:53
But for the most of it, it's honestly just that it's just kind of like Willy nilly funny ideas and inspired by something and how can we make this mint and.
25:01
You know, some dancing and yeah, so Robin's favorite.
25:04
Yeah.
25:04
When I'm like, look at this dance, he's like, how long is it going to take to rehearse this dance?
25:10
I know.
25:11
I don't have all day.
25:13
We're freakishly quick though.
25:14
I think people understand how like how we can bang out a rail so quick.
25:19
We're like just yeah, just get on it.
25:22
And I know because we talked to other people and.
25:24
When they want to like do, say, a collab post or something and they're like, what's your social media calendar?
25:29
Will the 19th of this day work?
25:30
And so we're like, yeah, like, whatever.
25:34
It's like we're going to post my face saying something again.
25:38
So yeah, we really don't like think too deeply about it.
25:41
And we like to be flexible because sometimes we'll post something and then I'll think it won't be that it won't be like I'll have this other one in mind that'll be the big Friday one or something, say.
25:49
And then we post and it like is going viral, then I'm like, OK, well, I'll just post kind of a shitty one the next day because this one's kind of keeping engine going, you know.
25:56
So I think it's good to be flexible with what you're posting to and.
25:59
Yeah, I love it.
26:00
That feels like a breath of fresh air.
26:02
You know, sometimes we think that the bigger you get, the more structured you have to be.
26:05
But I think so much of the magic is like when you're out on a walk and you're just like, get these crazy ideas and you don't overthink it, post it.
26:13
And those are often the pieces of content that are the most relatable and that end up going viral.
26:20
So that's a really good reminder.
26:22
OK, so now let's reflect on your journey.
26:24
You guys are doing millions of dollars in sales.
26:27
So looking back at.
26:29
The marketing strategy, are there like two or three moments that you feel like really helped get mint cleaning visible?
26:37
Like, was it when you were featured in the Jelly Box?
26:40
Was it when, you know, you had more media attention?
26:44
Was it just like pure elbow grease, like grit of meeting one person at a time, selling one product at a time?
26:51
Like what were some of those marketing highlights that you see really helped to grow the business and grow the brand?
26:59
Yeah, I would say Jillian Harris for sure.
27:02
So funny story, you can edit this out if it's too long, but whatever.
27:06
My sister-in-law, who's a PR agent in Toronto, she called me.
27:10
She was like, Jillian Harris is staying at Pacific Sands.
27:13
I don't think we were following Jillian Harris at this point.
27:15
You got to go drop off products to her.
27:17
This is way back.
27:18
We didn't even have her like, I think we got her labels in the day before.
27:21
Like we were like one hair above amateur.
27:24
We were definitely following Jillian Harris's.
27:25
Oh, we were.
27:26
OK, definitely amateur.
27:27
Her mason jars, I think like a hair above that of where we were in our business.
27:32
And so we like we dug around for this dusty basket and I think we got a little basket together of like some really new mint products.
27:40
And I was just like, you know what, I'm just going to do it.
27:41
I'm going to go to drive to Pacific Sands.
27:43
I'm going to drop it off at her hotel room and hope for the best.
27:46
And Long story short, she ended up getting it posted on her stories that night and then in 24 hours, I think we got like 2000 followers and then she started pulling it.
27:56
And so that's her like first initial hit of like, Oh my God, the dopamine high was like, what?
28:01
Jillian Harris.
28:02
That was a big night.
28:04
That was huge.
28:05
And so then she started using our products and that kind of like parlayed into the Julie box a couple years later.
28:11
And then that was huge again.
28:13
So Jillian Harris's support from the beginning was so instrumental to our growth at the time and just giving us a buzz, right, that high of like, Oh my God.
28:23
We might have something here.
28:24
And so I would say that would be #1 for sure of like in the beginning.
28:27
I don't know if you had like I was gonna say too, I think in this time too all of a sudden we had all these stores reaching out to us.
28:34
So within like now we're in like over 250 stores across Canada.
28:37
But I know that buzz of just getting in these different stores and then them posting about us was just this new kind of marketing too happening.
28:44
And then I would definitely say obviously Dragon's Den, the Dragon's Den was huge, but I think.
28:50
Just the following, our Instagram following started getting pretty big and then that word of mouth and spreading, I think all of it.
28:57
But I think we both agree.
28:58
I think the first thing that really started all was that Jillian Harris encounter and then just from there, yeah.
29:04
How do you get a hold of what somebody's hotel room is?
29:07
Like that boggles my mind that you can just like, I was driving there and then I was just gonna drop it off at the front desk.
29:16
Well, the Pacific Sands is so small, whatever.
29:18
And when I was dropping it off the front desk, I actually saw her brother-in-law, Tori's husband, who I recognized from Instagram.
29:26
And I actually went up to him and he was like with his kids.
29:29
And I just was like.
29:31
Wobbering like, hey, I love you and your and your.
29:33
I love Jillian and your wife.
29:35
Can you drop this off to them?
29:36
I'd be so grateful.
29:37
He was like, so nice.
29:38
He was like, of course, yeah, no problem.
29:41
And so yeah that's how it happened.
29:43
It was just luck man.
29:44
Like I don't know it was just but it's like putting yourself out there too where it that could be a lot of people would just like that's too embarrassing and awkward and I'm not gonna do it or we're not ready like I think you know like that's that'll that'll be it that's always our slogan is just like say yes and figure it out later and that's kind of the that's always been our way is just like this is embarrassing cause half the labels I think at that time just our scrub label was in still some of them were handwritten and we were debating we're like whatever and now looking back it was like.
30:11
This like tin mist spray with like I had tied a rope with like a hamlet.
30:16
Oh man, bad, really bad.
30:17
But whatever.
30:20
It was fine, yeah.
30:23
It's a cool story to just like remind us to be open to life's opportunities, right?
30:28
You could have in that moment or any of us are guilty of like hearing about something like, oh, this person is down the road from you.
30:35
But being like, no, I'm just gonna shut down and I I'll just answer some emails instead.
30:40
And it's like, no, no, no.
30:42
Life is about just being open and receptive and you never know where the next big break, where the next big opportunity is.
30:50
But you have to be.
30:51
Open to it.
30:53
And those are the people that get quote UN quote lucky, right?
30:56
So I think that's a great way to take action.
30:59
Like I'm all about all vision boards and manifesting and all this, but it means nothing if you don't take action.
31:04
So you get these little pings in life.
31:06
And then you're like, OK, yeah, let's, let's just, let's go, let's go for it.
31:11
You know, the word luck out of.
31:12
I feel like as women entrepreneurs too, in the beginning especially, we always said lucky.
31:16
And I look at a lot of our newspapers and quotes and we're like, we're so lucky, we're lucky.
31:19
And then I don't know who said it to us once.
31:20
You're like, you're not lucky.
31:22
You guys work your ass off.
31:23
And I'm like, Oh yeah.
31:25
So I think, especially for women, it's like embarrassing or it's if you want to stay so humble and you don't want to admit that you, you know, you've done a good job without.
31:32
But I think it can be both.
31:34
I think, yeah, there's been, we've had a lot of luck for sure, but that doesn't go without us like earning it as well or like working to get there to.
31:42
Absolutely.
31:43
So now I've heard you talk about manifestation on a couple of the podcasts you've been on.
31:48
You mentioned it just here.
31:49
Now I'm curious, how do you carve out space for things like manifestation?
31:55
Dreaming about the future of mint cleaning when you probably have A to do list like the size of your head.
32:01
Like there's so much that can bog us down as entrepreneurs.
32:06
And sometimes I'm guilty of it.
32:08
Like I'll go weeks and be like, wow, I haven't even like thought about where I want to go or had any creative energy because I'm just getting through.
32:17
Tasks.
32:18
Do you guys have any rituals for continuing to prioritize like that dreaming, that manifestation?
32:25
Because clearly you could just get bogged down in a lot of the busy work.
32:30
Can I tell you my secret to our secret to manifesting?
32:33
Love it.
32:33
Yes.
32:34
I think we have like it is.
32:36
I'm a firm believer in manifestation.
32:38
I love it.
32:39
I've always been obsessed with like the secret and vision boards and all that.
32:42
One thing that's worked the most is you write down what you want.
32:46
Don't.
32:46
Don't worry about arts and crafts.
32:47
Don't worry about the pictures.
32:49
Just write it down and then let it go.
32:51
Put it away.
32:51
Let it go.
32:53
That's been like we I'm getting chills now.
32:55
So every January, Monica and I sit down with what do what do we want the business to look like, you know, for 2024, 2025 for the year.
33:03
And it's like outrageous.
33:04
Like we'll put like a real 12 million views or I think we even had like go on the Dragon's Den and then and they fight over us and they fight over us.
33:13
We do that list and we put it away.
33:15
So I don't even look at it.
33:17
And then we look at it like I've looked at the 2024 in October and I was like,Oh my God, 99% of this came true to the to the T like we literally had a reel that hit 12 million views and that was on our vision board.
33:30
So I think and the Dragons then fought over us like you were saying we're like I forgot we added that.
33:34
It was so funny and yeah, so I think having that like you input in your brain, you put it in and then you just have to like let it let it go.
33:41
Because if you're obsessed with your vision board or you're obsessed with your list, that's going to bring I think negative energy to it.
33:47
You're going to kind of have that desperation.
33:48
But as soon as it's in your brain.
33:50
And you just like carry on and I don't know that's that's always worked for me.
33:54
I don't yeah I kind of like yeah it's it's it's magic.
33:57
I think you see when it's in front of you too much you're also just challenging it cause you're like well cause you're seeing the reality starts hitting well I don't well now that's that might not.
34:05
And so I think yeah you just write it down put away and we we're always like floored.
34:09
It's so funny.
34:10
It's always just on a weird scrap like the back of this paper and it's like so funny.
34:15
It's like chin scratch.
34:16
Yeah.
34:16
Our last talk we did we we put it up on our on the.
34:21
For what is it called?
34:22
The keynote.
34:23
The slideshow.
34:25
Yeah.
34:25
And so I think you just, yeah, you picture like it's gonna be this Pinterest perfect board.
34:29
It's just like chicken scratch on an old paper.
34:31
But they all came true, I think, except for meeting Oprah.
34:34
Yeah, we have.
34:35
Yeah, that's on there.
34:35
That's been on there since 2000.
34:38
It's coming.
34:39
It's coming.
34:41
I know you guys took a deal with Brian Scudamore and he shares a similar story about how he has this thing called his painted picture.
34:47
And same thing he says he like goes to a creative place, writes it all down and 99% of it was true within 5 or 10 years.
34:55
So yeah, I think it's just like gifting yourself the opportunity to even think about what we want, but not being so fixated that it keeps you closed off to opportunities that are right in front of you.
35:07
So yeah, I think that's yeah, and like you write down these things, but what if you know you gotta leave.
35:11
Leave some room for something even to beyond that.
35:14
What if something happens that you can't even wrap your head around right now?
35:17
That's like a million times better than what you have written down.
35:19
So I think leaving space for that as well.
35:21
So love Bryce, love that exercise.
35:24
We did that.
35:25
We were in, we met him at his office last February a couple weeks ago.
35:29
Sorry.
35:30
And we did that with him.
35:31
The painted picture.
35:32
It's so awesome.
35:33
It's amazing.
35:34
Yeah, amazing.
35:35
Amazing.
35:36
OK.
35:36
So you guys are on this rocket ship.
35:39
How do you make sure that you take time off?
35:42
Are you able to take time off?
35:44
I know you've both talked about like feeling split between like, do I spend time with the kids or continue to grow the business?
35:51
So I'm curious to hear from both of you.
35:53
How do you make sure that you don't burn out, especially as women, especially as mothers, especially as busy entrepreneurs?
36:00
Like, the tendency is one day to wake up and be like, I'm fucking tired.
36:04
Like, so I don't know if you have any secrets or if you're like, no, I am tired.
36:09
I'm just on caffeine.
36:10
How do you make sure that you're not gonna completely combust?
36:14
Because you're doing a lot.
36:15
Well, yeah.
36:16
Yeah, we so it's funny.
36:18
We say we used to always try to use the word balance to be like, we're gonna find balance and balance.
36:22
And then we're like balance.
36:24
This is like another thing we're not doing, like getting rid of that word.
36:27
So we actually saw Chao speak.
36:29
She's the owner of Paris Jewelers and her, she was talking about this exact same thing.
36:33
And so she kind of used this analogy of like, we all have balls in the air and she's like, you know what?
36:37
But some of those balls are plastic, some are glass.
36:39
So you can really look at those and be like, what can I drop right now?
36:42
And what needs to stay in the air?
36:43
And like that always gives me goosebumps.
36:45
And that's always what I kind of come back to where I'm like, I have 10 things on my list today.
36:49
Like, what are they?
36:50
I put them kind of visually in front of my head and like, what can I let go of today?
36:53
Just let it go.
36:54
And that's been like a huge help for me.
36:57
I battle so much.
36:58
I did actually did burn out pretty hard this year and I do battle so much with guilt on all ends.
37:02
Guilt has always been my feel like I'm doing shitty at work if I'm like too much time with kids and blah blah blah and.
37:08
Guilt, guilt, guilt.
37:08
But I think just just like letting that go, just trying to like, you know, know that we have each other for support and know that no one's going to get mad.
37:17
And I know my mom, I was like a single mom who raised us and worked and went to school and everything.
37:22
And I never felt like she wasn't there.
37:25
And I was like, how did you like how?
37:26
And she's always like quality over quantity, just like whatever you're doing, give your quality time.
37:30
If you're with your kids, phone away.
37:32
30 minutes just full on with them, you know, or whatever you can do, but just make it quality and then it's not so spread out.
37:38
I feel like I can get there like lighting too much going on.
37:42
And yeah, and we say, you know, we haven't figured out we don't like it's it's one thing that we really, really still struggle with.
37:49
And it's like because as an entrepreneur you go home at the end of the day, but everyone knows your day isn't done.
37:54
You have these messages and then you get Instagram and then things come up and I don't know, it's just non, it's nonstop and so.
38:01
Yeah, it's definitely a a struggle for us.
38:03
We've been better I think at like putting our phones away in the evening and not bugging each other so much or we can kind of like parking lot in our parking is it parking lot.
38:13
So we call it cause before we're both so excitable people and like fiery.
38:16
So if something an idea came up we'd have to message and then I got the other one going and so the next thing you know two hours pass and you've just ignored your family.
38:23
So we're like OK we got to stop that.
38:25
So we we've learned to just.
38:27
Like we can talk about this tomorrow morning.
38:28
Yeah.
38:28
Has been huge for us and a little, a little bit of boundaries, but not much.
38:33
Like we're pretty whatever, but Lucy gets it.
38:36
Yeah.
38:37
We're not like no conversations after.
38:39
Like, you know, if it needs to happen, it needs to happen, but trying.
38:43
Yeah.
38:44
Yeah.
38:44
Oh, those are such good tips.
38:45
It's like, you don't have to be so rigid about it, but also to recognize like, is it a bit of an energy leak to be voice noting back and forth between 7:00 PM and midnight every night?
38:55
Totally.
38:55
So like you put in these like soft boundaries, but it's also like, but we love our work, so you can honor that part of you too.
39:02
So I think it's just finding that happy medium of what works for each of you.
39:06
So that's great.
39:08
So what is next for Mint Cleaning?
39:10
Like what are you guys working on?
39:11
Are you working on just operationalizing, sustaining what you have?
39:15
Do you have big plans to launch new products to go into new avenues or where are you guys at today?
39:22
We're recording this mid March in 2025, I think for 2025 are we like a word of the year.
39:30
So our word of the year this year is focus.
39:33
So it's been so many years of like product launches and new things and business in like stores and everything.
39:40
But now we really need to, like Monica always says, like the stakes are getting higher and higher and they're high right now, you know.
39:45
So we're really wanting to focus.
39:47
I know it's boring, but really focusing on our manufacturing, really focus on our distribution and yeah, letting things just like getting our systems in place and dialed before we take on anything extra is kind of what where we are right now.
40:00
But that being said, we do have dreams of.
40:03
Opening up a stack in retail location with I think would be really fun expanding our wholesaling and obviously growing but for right now I think no product launches.
40:13
I don't think it was so weird for us and we yeah we've kind of I think our team too is feeling it.
40:19
Everyone's just stretched.
40:20
We're so you know and then Rob and I was these jerks like remember like we have an idea of what this and everyone's like great.
40:25
So like no like stop it.
40:29
So I think yeah, I love that.
40:30
I think last year our word was like growth I think and this year yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
40:38
So I think this year, yeah.
40:39
And I I'm liking that cause it it feels like it's the right time like we've.
40:43
We have a full product.
40:44
We can like, you know, there's a couple more ideas we have, but really it's just like we we could just, we just have to focus on what we're doing.
40:50
And I think as entrepreneurs, that's probably the hardest thing to do because we're dreamers, right?
40:54
I think naturally we're always dreaming and we're living in the future.
40:57
We're living on what's next, what's going to come up.
40:58
But I think to focus into the present is actually difficult.
41:03
We're dopamine junkies, so this is the hardest thing.
41:06
Yeah, just focus.
41:07
It's so boring.
41:08
Yeah, this is so boring.
41:09
But that's important, but things will happen.
41:11
And it's been it's been good, good learning of just yeah, because a couple times for a couple, should we do the stain spray?
41:20
And I think that's so valuable what you said about having a word of the year because every season of business demands something different from us.
41:27
So yeah, sometimes you're in that creative energy of like launch and create and grow.
41:32
And other times you can't be in that season.
41:34
You have to go to the other side, whichIs like operationalize, streamline, focus, don't get distracted.
41:40
And so I love that idea of choosing that anchor word and maybe you change it every couple months, maybe you change it every 12 months, every 24 months.
41:48
But just knowing like, OK, well what is the priority this year?
41:52
And like we can shelf all the other ideas, categorize them for 2026 or whenever down the line that we have the free space.
41:59
So I love that it was the same Brian, I think said it you you move slow to go fast, so you do.
42:06
You have to like nourish the roots and get those seeds planted and figure that, figure out your foundation before you can really, you know, grow.
42:13
So that's where we're at right now.
42:15
Absolutely.
42:16
So before we wrap up, I would love to ask each of you.
42:20
So maybe I'll start with you, Monica.
42:22
What is one business tip that you would offer to someone who's in those messy early years?
42:29
They're like one to three years in.
42:31
They're going, this is so hard.
42:33
I might want to quit, but they know they're kind of on to something.
42:37
Any piece of advice that you would share to help them stay the course?
42:41
I think if they're at that level of their business, my favorite quote is always if you haven't, if you're not embarrassed by your first launch, you've launched too late, which I think is our biggest tip because we just went for it like and it looks hideous, but people bought it and then we have these customers that they got nicer, they kept still buying.
42:56
So but I think where you said at that stage of the game, I think my favorite thing for that is just say yes and figure it out later.
43:04
Like I know you get to that point where you're nervous and you're like, oh, but the butts come in and the uncertainties, but I think.
43:09
If you say yes, it's that manifestation thing.
43:11
It's not just gonna it's not like yes, poof it happens.
43:14
But saying yes will motivate you to make sure you get it done.
43:17
So if you're not saying yes, you're being wishy washy.
43:20
You're not as motivated.
43:21
But if you say yes to these things and these opportunities, even though like Jilly Box, 15,000 jars of scrub and it's just you two and a thing and hand making, we're like, yeah, we can do that.
43:29
We figured it out.
43:31
So I just think that's key to us is that we we offer that advice a lot.
43:36
Just say yes, figure it out later.
43:37
I love it.
43:38
Robin, what about you?
43:39
What advice would you offer?
43:42
I'm going to.
43:45
Yeah, I think one thing for us too is we always believed in our product.
43:49
We had a really, really good product and I knew that it worked.
43:54
And you can't sell something if you don't believe in it.
43:56
No.
43:56
So if you're just gonna like drop ship from China or something like that, I think that's gonna get so old so fast.
44:02
So really love what you're selling.
44:04
Love it, love it.
44:05
Be obsessed with it and use it and believe in it.
44:08
That's my number one, I think.
44:09
That was great.
44:10
Thank you.
44:11
Oh, please.
44:11
But it's so true.
44:12
I think we always forget about that.
44:14
Everything that's happened that it was so grassroots.
44:16
These were all our recipes.
44:18
We created all these products.
44:19
So now that, yeah, we get some manufactured, but they're still the recipes we created and.
44:23
Having the cleaning expertise background created these products that were like amazing and actually work.
44:28
And that's our biggest compliment was like cleaning companies use them all the time.
44:30
They're like these actually work.
44:32
We're like, yes, yes, they actually work.
44:33
So, so true.
44:35
Yeah.
44:35
I always think back to the quote that I think you kind of said it, Robin, actually like no amount of marketing can sell a bad product.
44:41
And like we have to be our own hype people in the early days.
44:45
If we don't believe in our product, nobody else will.
44:48
So it's like Ground Zero.
44:50
Make sure you love what you sell and believe in it so deeply that nobody can derail you from how much you love it, right?
44:59
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
45:00
Well, if somebody has never cleaned with mint products before, does one of you want to give us the rundown of what you offer and the best way for people to find a store or even to get online and purchase their starter kit?
45:14
Yeah, well, I mean, how many products do we have now?
45:17
We have like 90 space, but yeah, 30.
45:19
So I think we always kind of say start with the all-purpose cleaner as our hero item and you can use it everywhere.
45:25
So if you're just like, I want to try something, I always recommend the all-purpose cleaner.
45:29
And then of course it comes with like a concentrated refill option.
45:32
So you can just refill that bottle 8 times with just this little mini concentrate as well, which is really nice.
45:39
And you can find us at mintcleaningproducts.com where our handle's at mintcleaning.
45:44
Underscore for all of our socials.
45:46
And yeah, yeah, that's it.
45:51
Well, I would highly encourage everybody to go grab your stuff.
45:56
Incredible products.
45:57
They smell amazing.
45:58
The linen spray.
45:59
My girlfriends and I have always loved that product and it's like I want to like mist it around my house all day, every day.
46:06
So I'm not recommended enough.
46:08
The all-purpose cleaner, the glass cleaner, the dish tabs so that you're not putting like weird plastic shitThat was your main thing.
46:17
We're like, we do not want plastic, that PVA film.
46:19
Yeah, yeahSo I'd highly suggest that people go on, explore everything that you have to offer.
46:25
And my only last question is, so I was trying to find somebody to help us clean our home and I'm like looking in the Facebook group and nobody offers green cleaning like everyone's just like typical chemical base.
46:38
And I'm like.
46:39
Wait a second, what is the solution?
46:40
Do you guys have the answer to that?
46:42
If somebody listening is like, I need to find someone who can clean my home but use my mint products, where do we go?
46:50
How do we find these people?
46:52
People say that to us all the time actually.
46:54
And I feel like it's we should maybe next year figure this out and have it on our website like of what cleaning.
46:59
Yes, a mint certified cleaner.
47:02
That would be a really good idea.
47:03
You just like what's going on.
47:05
We did that in a story once we did a question box for it because we were getting that same question.
47:08
So but of course you only have like 24 hours for people though.
47:11
So quite a few cleaning companies put their names in.
47:14
But yeah, it's not saved anywhere or like yeah, we should totally put our website, but we.
47:18
As we were cleaners and cleaning company and we had some clients that when we had our own products we used, but we went to some houses and they wanted us to use a specific kind of cleaning product that they left for us and we were like, OK, yes, that's what you want to use in your home.
47:31
So I tell people that too that if they're looking for a cleaning company, I'm like you can politely put out mint, just say due to my allergies and stuff, I really prefer that you use these products and if I don't see people having an issue with it.
47:42
But yeah, that's a good idea, Monica.
47:44
Thanks, Robert.
47:45
Yeah, I love it.
47:46
OK.
47:46
You got a nice little caddy.
47:48
And I'll put it out with a note and say, yeah, and like we use this, yeah, amazing commercial program for businesses that use Mint.
47:55
So cleaning, a lot of cleaning companies are in our commercial program.
47:58
So that could be something.
47:59
Spread the word to your cleaners.
48:00
OK, they get discounts.
48:02
Yeah, big discount things.
48:05
I love it.
48:06
Well, thank you both so much for sharing a little bit of your energy with us today on the Visionary Life podcast.
48:12
I would encourage everyone to go watch your segment on Dragon's Den.
48:15
You have a couple other episodes on your media page, on your website, and we just appreciate you opening up, being yourselves for making us laugh online and keeping things really light-hearted.
48:27
So we wish you guys all the best in your year of focus and cannot wait to see where mint cleaning goes from here.
Hey visionaries, welcome back to the show.00:59
So fun story.
01:00
This past Christmas I was gifted the most amazing set of natural cleaning products.
01:08
My mother-in-law, she always gets us a gift for Christmas and this year it was a starter kit from Mint Cleaning.
01:16
Mint Cleaning is a company that was founded in Euclulet, BC.
01:21
I feel like I was gonna mess that up, but Euclulet, I think I said it right.
01:25
And the company was founded by Robin and Monica.
01:28
They are best friends.
01:29
They are so much fun.
01:31
They met at a mom group in 2016.
01:34
It was friendship at first sight and then business partners the following day.
01:39
And they are literally quoted saying on their website that they started a cleaning cleaning company.
01:45
That became an overnight success, and that totally boggled my mind.
01:48
I'm like, no business is ever an overnight success, but they truly were.
01:53
They had a wait list within hours of opening their doors.
01:57
And Fast forward, they no longer have the cleaning business, but they actually started a product based business and now they have mint cleaning.
02:06
I'm obsessed with their products.
02:08
They're completely natural.
02:09
They smell amazing.
02:10
They have linen spray and dishwasher tabs and laundry booster, which is a great alternative to.
02:18
All the different nasty products that you could be using in your laundry.
02:23
They have all-purpose cleaner.
02:24
They have window cleaner.
02:25
They have this amazing, like granule cleaning scrub.
02:28
I could go on and on, but the products work.
02:31
They're amazing.
02:32
And what's really cool is we dissect a little bit of the story, the origin story of how they started.
02:37
But I also asked them about some of the big marketing moments that happened, including getting in touch with Jillian Harris.
02:44
They literally drove to a hotel.
02:46
That she was staying at and dropped off a thing of products to her brother-in-law.
02:50
Like they go out of their way to express how amazing these products are to the world.
02:57
And it's like this contagious energy that I just think is so vital when you're an entrepreneur, especially in a competitive space and.
03:07
We talk about it all.
03:07
We talk about the highs, the lows, how they balance the motherhood guilt alongside running a really successful and large business that's pulling in millions each year.
03:19
We talk about their Dragon's Den deal.
03:20
We talk about their social media strategy.
03:23
We talk about how they navigate the highs and lows.
03:26
We talk about how they manage their schedule.
03:28
They share advice for new entrepreneurs.
03:30
So we really go all over the place in this episode.
03:32
I think you're going to love Robin and Monica.
03:35
They're fun.
03:36
They're down to earth.
03:38
They are just they were a joy to chat with and I only wish that we could have done this in person.
03:44
So I hope you love this episode.
03:47
Please tag us on Instagram.
03:50
It just takes one second, but it really helps the show.
03:54
I've been doing this show for over 7 years and the only reason it still exists today is because you are amazing listeners.
04:05
You shout out the show, you share it with friends, you tag our guests, which reassures them that it was a good spend of time.
04:12
And yeah, it just means a lot to me.
04:15
If you do take that screenshot, share it and tell a friend about the episode.
04:20
All right, you guys, so let's get into it.
04:22
Today's episode with Robin and Monica, the founders of Mint Cleaning.
04:28
Robin, Monica, welcome to the Visionary Life Podcast.
04:32
I'm so excited to spotlight you guys today and the whole origin story of mint cleaning.
04:37
I was actually gifted one of your incredible starter boxes.
04:41
It came with every product under the sun.
04:44
And as a natural girly myself, as somebody who has always had a sensitivity to chemicals and has always been looking for better for you alternatives.
04:55
for cleaning.
04:56
Mint has essentially just solved every single challenge with that.
04:59
So cannot wait to share more, to learn the origin story.
05:03
So thank you both for being here today.
05:05
Thank you for having us.
05:07
You're so sweet.
05:07
We're so happy to be here.
05:08
Thank you so much.
05:10
Amazing.
05:10
So on your website, or I forget where I grabbed this piece of info, but you actually wrote something along the lines of, We started a cleaning company that became an overnight success.
05:23
And when I read that, I almost did a double take because I'm like, people always share these quotes and memes online.
05:29
That's like, there's no such thing as an overnight success.
05:33
However, I know that in hearing your story, you knew there was a demand for cleaning services in BC where you lived and you started this company and the phone calls just came in from friends.
05:46
So can you share a little bit more?
05:48
Like, do you really mean it was an overnight success?
05:51
And if so, why do you think that?
05:53
Was what was it about what you launched that was a hit right away?
06:01
Well, I think you kind of nailed it.
06:02
Like it was such a need.
06:04
So I think that kind of saying maybe doesn't go so much when people are just going after their big dream and it's overnight success.
06:10
Like sometimes that is just a very much a need that's met for entrepreneur life.
06:14
So we were both at the time we had just both had babies.
06:19
I had was on my second baby, she had her twins.
06:22
And we were just talking about what we were going to do when we went back to work.
06:25
And then we actually didn't know each other at the time.
06:27
We're kind of at this gathering.
06:28
And I was like, who is that?
06:29
I've never met her cause you cool.
06:30
It's such a small town.
06:32
And I was mentioning to some friends that I was maybe going to do a cleaning business.
06:35
And then they were like, actually Robin was saying that too.
06:37
You guys should talk.
06:37
So we're like met each other there.
06:40
And then we decided to go for a walk the next day and we just hit it off.
06:43
We were just laughing the whole walk.
06:44
We just like loved each other immediately.
06:46
And we're like, we could just do a cleaning business together and you know.
06:49
And no word of a lie, like everything word travels so fast in that town in Yuki here.
06:54
So I got texts that night from people like, I heard you start a cleaning business.
06:57
Can I be your client?
06:58
Blah blah blah because everybody here has a vacation rental or B&B and there's no cleaner.
07:02
So it was such a need.
07:03
So the overnight success, it literally was like.
07:06
Within the next kind of days we had full, we had 50 different properties and within that time we were hiring staff.
07:14
So it was, it was very quick.
07:15
Yeah, we had a waiting list.
07:16
I think the first week we were like, OK, we need to slow down.
07:19
So again, it's just like finding that need, what does your community need where, you know, and fulfilling that we didn't set out to want to clean toilets for a living, but we needed flexible hours.
07:31
We needed to keep the lights on.
07:34
I couldn't go back to my tourism.
07:36
Before.
07:37
So yeah, it just it really worked out for us that way.
07:42
This is a bit of a weird question, but do you think if you had started the product based business right away before the cleaning business that it would have been an overnight success or is the product aspect like you had to have the the community, the following, the demand, the confidence from your service based business.
08:03
So I don't know where you want to take that, but just curious your thoughts on that.
08:06
Yeah.
08:07
Well, I think the product line came out of the issues that we were experiencing within the cleaning business.
08:12
So if we didn't experience those issues, we wouldn't be so hell bent on marketing this and believing in it and believing in ourselves and and wanting to do better for the community.
08:22
So I think that's where it blossomed to the product line is out of that we were suffering immensely from using those chemicals all day.
08:31
Before that we didn't know, we didn't know that using Lysol and bleach was harmful for your health.
08:36
We just did it because that's what our parents did and that's what we were used to.
08:40
And so I think we if had we not experienced that, we wouldn't have had the product line to begin with.
08:45
So and we grew such a community along the way.
08:48
Like we have to have our Instagram account with our cleaning business and our in the beginning, anyone that followed us in the beginning, we were using like, yeah, the Lysol and bleach and everything like this is how you clean a toilet.
08:57
But it was growing like we were growing a following in a community and they saw our whole journey from that.
09:01
To like our health issues, especially with Robin's like lung scarring to all of a sudden making the products.
09:06
And then that's when they were they inspired us because they were like, oh, would you ever sell that?
09:10
I'd buy that off you because they're watching us make these products and use it with our cleaning business.
09:14
So I agree with Robin.
09:15
I think like, I don't think it could have been the other way around.
09:17
It had to kind of have that story and that community with it to get that momentum going.
09:21
I don't think we would have had the same momentum.
09:24
So there are kind of like two types of people in the world.
09:27
There are people who are identifying problems and going, OK, now I'll scour the Internet, look for the most appropriate solution and figure out who's already made this product.
09:37
And then there's that other type of person that's like, OK, I can't find the product I'm looking for.
09:43
I'm going to make this product or figure out how to start putting together formulas and making recipes in my kitchen.
09:51
So I'm curious which one of you had this epiphany of like, we need to start making our own products.
10:00
And why did you decide that that was the way to go?
10:03
Because that's the hard way, right?
10:06
So what was it that made you really want to start walking out this path?
10:11
Well.
10:12
Also like I know in the beginning we did try like you said we're like OK, we're having these health issues, let's buy what is saying is eco-friendly.
10:18
So we're buying like the different brands that say eco-friendly and non-toxic learning later a lot of that was greenwashing of course.
10:24
But so we're like OK, we're using this new kind of set of products but they weren't giving us the results we wanted.
10:29
They were like crappy and at this time we had a pretty good reputation and we wanted our cleans to be perfect.
10:34
So that's kind of when that's kind of what started the whole like well maybe we can make our own stuff.
10:38
So we started kind of Googling.
10:40
Recipes and then we're like, well, I got that around my house.
10:42
I could go find some powder peroxide at that and just kind of testing and then again that back to the cleaning business is our testing ground.
10:48
So it'd be like try these products to our staff, to us and give feedback that way.
10:52
But it did start off, I would say we tried to just get what was available, but then it just wasn't living up to our expectations.
10:59
Yeah, I think Monica literally Googled.
11:01
So this has all happened over COVID too.
11:03
So we had a little bit more time on our hands.
11:05
Our cleaning business was shut down.
11:07
We were, we started Instagram account.
11:09
We were kind of experimenting with DIY recipes.
11:13
And Monica one day, she just Googled best bathroom cleaner in the world.
11:16
Like kind of like a joke.
11:18
And she got this basic recipe.
11:19
I mean, I'm speaking for you, but she was like, okay, maybe if I add hydrogen peroxide to this, maybe if I add some essential oils, maybe if I add like this dish soap.
11:28
And she created this like powdery paste, which is now our cleaning scrub.
11:32
And she was using it and she was like, actually this works pretty good.
11:35
And she gave it to me on my clean the next day.
11:37
And she's like, just try this out.
11:39
And I I used it on the greasy stove and I was like, Oh my God, what is this?
11:44
This is the best cleaner I've ever used in my entire life, far beyond any sort of toxic chemical.
11:49
And I called her and she was like, oh, I just, I just whipped it up.
11:51
I'm like, we need to use this.
11:53
Like, we need to use this for a company.
11:54
This is amazing.
11:55
And then we started showing on Instagram and then that's how it kind of really birthed organically.
11:59
It was kind of like we had pictures of us just in the kitchen late at night.
12:03
I had like breast milk stains over my shirt, making like these 12 jars of it to sell the next day.
12:08
But they would sell on our stories.
12:09
We would just say we have 12 available and within like seconds they'd be gone.
12:13
Oh yeah, there you go.
12:17
So yeah, it just kind of started like that.
12:18
And then that's when like the lights went off, right.
12:20
And I think we had this aha moment.
12:21
I remember I I texted Robin.
12:23
We were like, I was walking on the beach having this moment of like, I think products, this is gonna be huge.
12:28
And I just had that like goosebump feeling and message her.
12:30
And then she always says she's like, remember when you were in that Meadow and you had that feeling?
12:33
And I'm like, no, I was like.
12:35
Sounds better in a meadow.
12:36
Yeah, just like rollicking.
12:38
But so innate dress was that's kind of in that feeling is what we've kind of always based our business on that good gut feeling.
12:45
And then from there things just were like, well, how do we make an all-purpose cleaner?
12:48
How do we make a glass cleaner?
12:49
How do we make?
12:50
And then then it just became a lot of demand of our following too, which is growing so big.
12:54
They're like, you guys need to make laundry products.
12:55
We're like, OK, I'm like, so then it grew into like a full, full clean line.
13:02
I want to rewind on something you said.
13:04
So you said when you were in your kitchen making your cleaning scrub and kind of doing like small batch, like I have 12 of these, who wants one?
13:12
You mentioned that you would post it on Instagram.
13:15
So let's actually rewind a little bit because I think the challenge of so many of the business owners who listen is like there's no demand for what I have.
13:25
And of course we know that takes time and building an audience.
13:29
Do you guys remember the early days?
13:31
I think you said Instagram you started on.
13:34
Like when you started your Instagram, did you have any idea what you were doing?
13:39
What were some of the things that you were doing you think that really attracted people to follow you?
13:46
Let's rewind a little bit to those beginning stages of growing your social media.
13:52
Well, this was so COVID again happened and people were interested in cleaning all of a sudden.
13:57
So there was, there was these clean talk influencers or whatever you want to call them was just like going viral.
14:05
And so this was the same time that we started doing like showing cleaning.
14:08
We were just like people were obsessed with watching people clean for some reason.
14:11
It was like hitting, it was just going off.
14:14
But then we were using our products in that clean.
14:16
So we were literally showing them working.
14:18
It was kind of like an infomercial for us.
14:21
And then people wanted to buy it.
14:22
And so I remember we would release like 24.
14:24
It was like we put up, we put it out, we got 24 jars of scrub available.
14:28
We'll mail them to you.
14:29
And they were the the labels were so, so funny, so amateur.
14:33
Jars I had around my house.
14:34
Yeah, like basil jars.
14:36
And we would just sell them out within 10 minutes.
14:39
It was wild.
14:40
And so we knew that, OK, we need to get better systems in place.
14:44
We need to actually get labels.
14:45
We need to get real jars.
14:47
And we need to get a Shopify account because we can't just be taking E transfers all day.
14:50
So we started a Shopify account and then it just was like it happened just so quickly.
14:55
Mm-hmmI we realized there is a need for people wanting to make a change for a product that actually works.
15:00
And knowing that they work and that healthy and going to be healthy for you and yeah, it was really organic.
15:07
And I think for us too for like you're saying some of your other people you've talked to in that issue for us, we took our customers on the journey with us and we asked for their input and we like they really felt like they were part of our journey.
15:17
Like we'd be like we're thinking making an all-purpose, what's your favorite smells and like we really engaged with our community and then.
15:24
Everybody supported us and and for that I feel like and that became they felt like they were part of this whole process.
15:30
So we try to give that advice as much as when we talk to people like this is your free Instagram, social media is your free marketing.
15:36
It's your like no other, no other time in life did we have this like availability at our hands to have like your community right there, your customers right there that you can talk to and interact with.
15:45
So we just really have always taken advantage of it in like the most authentic way possible, not really even knowing we were doing it in the beginning, you know just.
15:52
We were like literally wanted people's opinions.
15:54
We're like, what do you think?
15:55
But then also just realizing, oh, mint essential oil is actually the best degreaser and good for this and good for that.
16:01
Germ fighting.
16:01
Yeah.
16:02
So it was, you know, just learning with them and their feedback.
16:05
So it was kind of this perfect storm.
16:07
Yeah.
16:08
YeahWell, it sounds like you guys had a healthy relationship with social media too.
16:13
I mean, I think a lot of people.
16:15
It's scary to put yourself out there.
16:16
It's scary to turn the camera on.
16:18
And whether you're passionate about cleaning products or you're passionate about a certain method of dog training, there's like this general sense of like, what if somebody judges me?
16:28
Or what if I get a mean comment?
16:31
Did you guys ever deal with any sort of like, whether it's imposter syndrome or just like that general, like this is a weird world we live in?
16:40
Or did you just kind of think like, this is the best free platform?
16:45
Embrace it.
16:45
Go all in.
16:46
Get as much data as you can.
16:47
Connect with people.
16:49
Where were your mindsets when it came to building an audience on social?
16:54
Yeah, I mean, it was pretty great cuz we have each other, right?
16:58
But if you look back at our old Instagram videos.
17:01
It is so embarrassing.
17:02
So if you're if you're afraid of being embarrassing online, you will be guaranteed when you first start out.
17:08
It's gonna be cringe.
17:09
If you look back on five years from now, you're gonna be cringed out by what you posted.
17:12
But everybody is, you know what I mean?
17:14
Everyone just has to start like we have, we joke actually.
17:18
There's a one video that we have that we first gave to this company and it was we were so stiff and so embarrassing and it's it gives me chills to even think about it cause it was so bad.
17:29
It was like a 90s infomercial.
17:31
It was like, well, thanks, Robin.
17:33
And what I like to make with this baking soda, it was like, it was really bad.
17:38
And I don't even think they posted it, to be honest.
17:41
But then the more you're in front of a camera, the more you're going to get used to it.
17:45
It's like, it's just that old saying.
17:47
Like, the more you do it, the more you practice, it's going to get comfortable.
17:50
And if you start something for the first time, you're going to be bad at it.
17:53
Guaranteed.
17:54
So just do it.
17:55
That's our, my biggest thing is just go for it.
17:57
You're gonna get better.
17:58
It's gonna get more more comfortable for you.
18:00
And I think that was definitely our, we're not embarrassed to be embarrassed.
18:05
Yeah you know I was in the beginning though, my heart, when we posted post, my heart would beat for like six hours posting in the beginning.
18:12
I actually just, now that you brought that up, I'm like, 'cause now it's just second nature, I post everybody.
18:17
But in the early days, my heart would be in that nervous state for so long and comments, my face would be read.
18:22
AndIt took like a while, but then, like Robin said, once it just became part of our life and realizing that it could be a huge part of our business and like owning that.
18:32
But in the beginning it was so uncomfortable for sure.
18:34
And I was so nervous of what people would think and so embarrassed, but at the same time, just knowing like.
18:40
But this is good.
18:41
You know, this is good.
18:42
This is doing good for us.
18:43
So, yeah.
18:43
And there was a couple times where we posted and we didn't get great feedback.
18:48
Like sometimes we could be a little bit personal or opinionated or politics or something like that.
18:53
We let it like kind of, you know, filter in there a little bit.
18:56
And then we both had to have sit down and actually be like, OK, what is our Instagram for?
19:01
It is to be that laugh that you see in the morning.
19:03
It's to be really lighthearted.
19:05
It's to be about our products and about our relationship and business.
19:08
And we made that conscious decision to be like, we're not going to post anything political, anything Debbie Downer.
19:15
It just was really a value to us because we did try that a little bit.
19:19
It didn't work.
19:20
And so I think having that, like really focusing on what do you want your account to be, what values, like if you are a political and opinionated account, great, go for it.
19:28
But that's not what we want our account to be.
19:30
So that we had to make that conscious decision as well.
19:32
And we are very like intentional about what we post, you know what I mean?
19:37
Even though it seems like we're not.
19:38
Yeah, yeahI think our biggest compliment is when people tell us like, you know, you're my, like, my laugh in the morning and that's when I scroll and that's all, like, that's all I want to hear.
19:47
I'm like, I just want to be somebody's a good part of their day, not like guilt them into feeling bad about something or this or that.
19:53
And you know, so yeah, keep it light.
19:56
Keep it light.
19:56
Yeah, life is serious enough.
19:57
There's so much negativity on there.
19:59
It's just like, I even have like the doom scrolling.
20:01
I'm like, Oh my God.
20:02
So it's nice to know we're part of the lighter side of it.
20:06
Yeah.
20:06
And I think you guys have called out two really important things that I want to double tap on is #1, you're going to experiment with stuff that doesn't stay as part of your strategy, right?
20:15
Like you have to get through the content that feels misaligned in order to find exactly what feels so good, so effortless.
20:24
So I think that's an important reminder to experiment and know that you can try things on for size, whether it's in social media or any marketing and business growth strategy and also to know like.
20:36
Why you're doing things like you guys mentioned, had to remind ourselves like we want to bring fun and lightheartedness and humor and also like spread this mission that there are better for you alternatives for cleaning.
20:49
And I think when you really come back to that.
20:52
You don't have to look at social media as like a self-serving vehicle.
20:56
It's like no, I wanna spread this impact and make a bigger impact in the world and I can do that through social.
21:04
So I think that's really important.
21:07
And you know, I'd be remiss to move on before asking you guys, how do you approach your social media strategy today?
21:14
Do you still just kind of like wake up, say what do we want to post today and like go with the flow?
21:20
Or are you at a point now where it's like we want run a really big company, we need to have structure, a content calendar, every day has a different theme or are you somewhere in the middle?
23:21
She's our she's our Instagram.
23:24
Yeah, it's all her.
23:26
She just puts me in and I'm like, OK, she's our our actual star.
23:29
She's my star performer.
23:32
I I think it's like anything.
23:33
It has its highs and lows.
23:34
Sometimes I'm really like, I can't really schedule a time where I'm like, I'm gonna think of ideas now.
23:38
It honestly comes to me like late at night or different ideas.
23:41
So now we have different.
23:41
We kind of have a certain channel.
23:43
That we just put ideas in.
23:45
We used to always dedicate like a day a week that that was when we would just film like a bunch of stuff and then just kind of filtering other things throughout the week.
23:53
But then getting so busy we've struggled a lot.
23:55
But that's usually our our intention is usually to have a day a week where we have some ideas lined up.
24:00
Learning to be as organized as possible is huge.
24:02
Have all the things you need.
24:04
Sometimes we forget like yesterday we were filming, we did like 6 reels, but we wore the same outfit in each one.
24:09
So it's always like sometimes we're like.
24:11
God.
24:11
But like, I kind of like that we're a bit amateur.
24:13
Like, I don't know, you know what I mean?
24:14
It's just who we are too.
24:16
Or it's like, well, the next six reels were wearing this outfit.
24:18
That's what it is.
24:19
So.
24:21
But I think funniness really gets me.
24:23
I just love funniness.
24:24
Like my mom has always joked.
24:25
She's like, if I went on your Instagram, I wouldn't even know you sold products.
24:29
We don't want us.
24:30
Like, you know, we throw in the odd maybe once a week, honestly, is all we really.
24:34
Products and then another post a week will be like maybe a tip and then honestly the rest of it's just kind of fun.
24:39
So and that's the way we like to keep it and I think it's working for us.
24:43
So I'm happy to keep it that way.
24:44
You can always use your stories for like you know resharing people tagging your products and posting your products in there.
24:50
And we we run meta ads and different ways to get in people's heads.
24:53
But for the most of it, it's honestly just that it's just kind of like Willy nilly funny ideas and inspired by something and how can we make this mint and.
25:01
You know, some dancing and yeah, so Robin's favorite.
25:04
Yeah.
25:04
When I'm like, look at this dance, he's like, how long is it going to take to rehearse this dance?
25:10
I know.
25:11
I don't have all day.
25:13
We're freakishly quick though.
25:14
I think people understand how like how we can bang out a rail so quick.
25:19
We're like just yeah, just get on it.
25:22
And I know because we talked to other people and.
25:24
When they want to like do, say, a collab post or something and they're like, what's your social media calendar?
25:29
Will the 19th of this day work?
25:30
And so we're like, yeah, like, whatever.
25:34
It's like we're going to post my face saying something again.
25:38
So yeah, we really don't like think too deeply about it.
25:41
And we like to be flexible because sometimes we'll post something and then I'll think it won't be that it won't be like I'll have this other one in mind that'll be the big Friday one or something, say.
25:49
And then we post and it like is going viral, then I'm like, OK, well, I'll just post kind of a shitty one the next day because this one's kind of keeping engine going, you know.
25:56
So I think it's good to be flexible with what you're posting to and.
25:59
Yeah, I love it.
26:00
That feels like a breath of fresh air.
26:02
You know, sometimes we think that the bigger you get, the more structured you have to be.
26:05
But I think so much of the magic is like when you're out on a walk and you're just like, get these crazy ideas and you don't overthink it, post it.
26:13
And those are often the pieces of content that are the most relatable and that end up going viral.
26:20
So that's a really good reminder.
26:22
OK, so now let's reflect on your journey.
26:24
You guys are doing millions of dollars in sales.
26:27
So looking back at.
26:29
The marketing strategy, are there like two or three moments that you feel like really helped get mint cleaning visible?
26:37
Like, was it when you were featured in the Jelly Box?
26:40
Was it when, you know, you had more media attention?
26:44
Was it just like pure elbow grease, like grit of meeting one person at a time, selling one product at a time?
26:51
Like what were some of those marketing highlights that you see really helped to grow the business and grow the brand?
26:59
Yeah, I would say Jillian Harris for sure.
27:02
So funny story, you can edit this out if it's too long, but whatever.
27:06
My sister-in-law, who's a PR agent in Toronto, she called me.
27:10
She was like, Jillian Harris is staying at Pacific Sands.
27:13
I don't think we were following Jillian Harris at this point.
27:15
You got to go drop off products to her.
27:17
This is way back.
27:18
We didn't even have her like, I think we got her labels in the day before.
27:21
Like we were like one hair above amateur.
27:24
We were definitely following Jillian Harris's.
27:25
Oh, we were.
27:26
OK, definitely amateur.
27:27
Her mason jars, I think like a hair above that of where we were in our business.
27:32
And so we like we dug around for this dusty basket and I think we got a little basket together of like some really new mint products.
27:40
And I was just like, you know what, I'm just going to do it.
27:41
I'm going to go to drive to Pacific Sands.
27:43
I'm going to drop it off at her hotel room and hope for the best.
27:46
And Long story short, she ended up getting it posted on her stories that night and then in 24 hours, I think we got like 2000 followers and then she started pulling it.
27:56
And so that's her like first initial hit of like, Oh my God, the dopamine high was like, what?
28:01
Jillian Harris.
28:02
That was a big night.
28:04
That was huge.
28:05
And so then she started using our products and that kind of like parlayed into the Julie box a couple years later.
28:11
And then that was huge again.
28:13
So Jillian Harris's support from the beginning was so instrumental to our growth at the time and just giving us a buzz, right, that high of like, Oh my God.
28:23
We might have something here.
28:24
And so I would say that would be #1 for sure of like in the beginning.
28:27
I don't know if you had like I was gonna say too, I think in this time too all of a sudden we had all these stores reaching out to us.
28:34
So within like now we're in like over 250 stores across Canada.
28:37
But I know that buzz of just getting in these different stores and then them posting about us was just this new kind of marketing too happening.
28:44
And then I would definitely say obviously Dragon's Den, the Dragon's Den was huge, but I think.
28:50
Just the following, our Instagram following started getting pretty big and then that word of mouth and spreading, I think all of it.
28:57
But I think we both agree.
28:58
I think the first thing that really started all was that Jillian Harris encounter and then just from there, yeah.
29:04
How do you get a hold of what somebody's hotel room is?
29:07
Like that boggles my mind that you can just like, I was driving there and then I was just gonna drop it off at the front desk.
29:16
Well, the Pacific Sands is so small, whatever.
29:18
And when I was dropping it off the front desk, I actually saw her brother-in-law, Tori's husband, who I recognized from Instagram.
29:26
And I actually went up to him and he was like with his kids.
29:29
And I just was like.
29:31
Wobbering like, hey, I love you and your and your.
29:33
I love Jillian and your wife.
29:35
Can you drop this off to them?
29:36
I'd be so grateful.
29:37
He was like, so nice.
29:38
He was like, of course, yeah, no problem.
29:41
And so yeah that's how it happened.
29:43
It was just luck man.
29:44
Like I don't know it was just but it's like putting yourself out there too where it that could be a lot of people would just like that's too embarrassing and awkward and I'm not gonna do it or we're not ready like I think you know like that's that'll that'll be it that's always our slogan is just like say yes and figure it out later and that's kind of the that's always been our way is just like this is embarrassing cause half the labels I think at that time just our scrub label was in still some of them were handwritten and we were debating we're like whatever and now looking back it was like.
30:11
This like tin mist spray with like I had tied a rope with like a hamlet.
30:16
Oh man, bad, really bad.
30:17
But whatever.
30:20
It was fine, yeah.
30:23
It's a cool story to just like remind us to be open to life's opportunities, right?
30:28
You could have in that moment or any of us are guilty of like hearing about something like, oh, this person is down the road from you.
30:35
But being like, no, I'm just gonna shut down and I I'll just answer some emails instead.
30:40
And it's like, no, no, no.
30:42
Life is about just being open and receptive and you never know where the next big break, where the next big opportunity is.
30:50
But you have to be.
30:51
Open to it.
30:53
And those are the people that get quote UN quote lucky, right?
30:56
So I think that's a great way to take action.
30:59
Like I'm all about all vision boards and manifesting and all this, but it means nothing if you don't take action.
31:04
So you get these little pings in life.
31:06
And then you're like, OK, yeah, let's, let's just, let's go, let's go for it.
31:11
You know, the word luck out of.
31:12
I feel like as women entrepreneurs too, in the beginning especially, we always said lucky.
31:16
And I look at a lot of our newspapers and quotes and we're like, we're so lucky, we're lucky.
31:19
And then I don't know who said it to us once.
31:20
You're like, you're not lucky.
31:22
You guys work your ass off.
31:23
And I'm like, Oh yeah.
31:25
So I think, especially for women, it's like embarrassing or it's if you want to stay so humble and you don't want to admit that you, you know, you've done a good job without.
31:32
But I think it can be both.
31:34
I think, yeah, there's been, we've had a lot of luck for sure, but that doesn't go without us like earning it as well or like working to get there to.
31:42
Absolutely.
31:43
So now I've heard you talk about manifestation on a couple of the podcasts you've been on.
31:48
You mentioned it just here.
31:49
Now I'm curious, how do you carve out space for things like manifestation?
31:55
Dreaming about the future of mint cleaning when you probably have A to do list like the size of your head.
32:01
Like there's so much that can bog us down as entrepreneurs.
32:06
And sometimes I'm guilty of it.
32:08
Like I'll go weeks and be like, wow, I haven't even like thought about where I want to go or had any creative energy because I'm just getting through.
32:17
Tasks.
32:18
Do you guys have any rituals for continuing to prioritize like that dreaming, that manifestation?
32:25
Because clearly you could just get bogged down in a lot of the busy work.
32:30
Can I tell you my secret to our secret to manifesting?
32:33
Love it.
32:33
Yes.
32:34
I think we have like it is.
32:36
I'm a firm believer in manifestation.
32:38
I love it.
32:39
I've always been obsessed with like the secret and vision boards and all that.
32:42
One thing that's worked the most is you write down what you want.
32:46
Don't.
32:46
Don't worry about arts and crafts.
32:47
Don't worry about the pictures.
32:49
Just write it down and then let it go.
32:51
Put it away.
32:51
Let it go.
32:53
That's been like we I'm getting chills now.
32:55
So every January, Monica and I sit down with what do what do we want the business to look like, you know, for 2024, 2025 for the year.
33:03
And it's like outrageous.
33:04
Like we'll put like a real 12 million views or I think we even had like go on the Dragon's Den and then and they fight over us and they fight over us.
33:13
We do that list and we put it away.
33:15
So I don't even look at it.
33:17
And then we look at it like I've looked at the 2024 in October and I was like,Oh my God, 99% of this came true to the to the T like we literally had a reel that hit 12 million views and that was on our vision board.
33:30
So I think and the Dragons then fought over us like you were saying we're like I forgot we added that.
33:34
It was so funny and yeah, so I think having that like you input in your brain, you put it in and then you just have to like let it let it go.
33:41
Because if you're obsessed with your vision board or you're obsessed with your list, that's going to bring I think negative energy to it.
33:47
You're going to kind of have that desperation.
33:48
But as soon as it's in your brain.
33:50
And you just like carry on and I don't know that's that's always worked for me.
33:54
I don't yeah I kind of like yeah it's it's it's magic.
33:57
I think you see when it's in front of you too much you're also just challenging it cause you're like well cause you're seeing the reality starts hitting well I don't well now that's that might not.
34:05
And so I think yeah you just write it down put away and we we're always like floored.
34:09
It's so funny.
34:10
It's always just on a weird scrap like the back of this paper and it's like so funny.
34:15
It's like chin scratch.
34:16
Yeah.
34:16
Our last talk we did we we put it up on our on the.
34:21
For what is it called?
34:22
The keynote.
34:23
The slideshow.
34:25
Yeah.
34:25
And so I think you just, yeah, you picture like it's gonna be this Pinterest perfect board.
34:29
It's just like chicken scratch on an old paper.
34:31
But they all came true, I think, except for meeting Oprah.
34:34
Yeah, we have.
34:35
Yeah, that's on there.
34:35
That's been on there since 2000.
34:38
It's coming.
34:39
It's coming.
34:41
I know you guys took a deal with Brian Scudamore and he shares a similar story about how he has this thing called his painted picture.
34:47
And same thing he says he like goes to a creative place, writes it all down and 99% of it was true within 5 or 10 years.
34:55
So yeah, I think it's just like gifting yourself the opportunity to even think about what we want, but not being so fixated that it keeps you closed off to opportunities that are right in front of you.
35:07
So yeah, I think that's yeah, and like you write down these things, but what if you know you gotta leave.
35:11
Leave some room for something even to beyond that.
35:14
What if something happens that you can't even wrap your head around right now?
35:17
That's like a million times better than what you have written down.
35:19
So I think leaving space for that as well.
35:21
So love Bryce, love that exercise.
35:24
We did that.
35:25
We were in, we met him at his office last February a couple weeks ago.
35:29
Sorry.
35:30
And we did that with him.
35:31
The painted picture.
35:32
It's so awesome.
35:33
It's amazing.
35:34
Yeah, amazing.
35:35
Amazing.
35:36
OK.
35:36
So you guys are on this rocket ship.
35:39
How do you make sure that you take time off?
35:42
Are you able to take time off?
35:44
I know you've both talked about like feeling split between like, do I spend time with the kids or continue to grow the business?
35:51
So I'm curious to hear from both of you.
35:53
How do you make sure that you don't burn out, especially as women, especially as mothers, especially as busy entrepreneurs?
36:00
Like, the tendency is one day to wake up and be like, I'm fucking tired.
36:04
Like, so I don't know if you have any secrets or if you're like, no, I am tired.
36:09
I'm just on caffeine.
36:10
How do you make sure that you're not gonna completely combust?
36:14
Because you're doing a lot.
36:15
Well, yeah.
36:16
Yeah, we so it's funny.
36:18
We say we used to always try to use the word balance to be like, we're gonna find balance and balance.
36:22
And then we're like balance.
36:24
This is like another thing we're not doing, like getting rid of that word.
36:27
So we actually saw Chao speak.
36:29
She's the owner of Paris Jewelers and her, she was talking about this exact same thing.
36:33
And so she kind of used this analogy of like, we all have balls in the air and she's like, you know what?
36:37
But some of those balls are plastic, some are glass.
36:39
So you can really look at those and be like, what can I drop right now?
36:42
And what needs to stay in the air?
36:43
And like that always gives me goosebumps.
36:45
And that's always what I kind of come back to where I'm like, I have 10 things on my list today.
36:49
Like, what are they?
36:50
I put them kind of visually in front of my head and like, what can I let go of today?
36:53
Just let it go.
36:54
And that's been like a huge help for me.
36:57
I battle so much.
36:58
I did actually did burn out pretty hard this year and I do battle so much with guilt on all ends.
37:02
Guilt has always been my feel like I'm doing shitty at work if I'm like too much time with kids and blah blah blah and.
37:08
Guilt, guilt, guilt.
37:08
But I think just just like letting that go, just trying to like, you know, know that we have each other for support and know that no one's going to get mad.
37:17
And I know my mom, I was like a single mom who raised us and worked and went to school and everything.
37:22
And I never felt like she wasn't there.
37:25
And I was like, how did you like how?
37:26
And she's always like quality over quantity, just like whatever you're doing, give your quality time.
37:30
If you're with your kids, phone away.
37:32
30 minutes just full on with them, you know, or whatever you can do, but just make it quality and then it's not so spread out.
37:38
I feel like I can get there like lighting too much going on.
37:42
And yeah, and we say, you know, we haven't figured out we don't like it's it's one thing that we really, really still struggle with.
37:49
And it's like because as an entrepreneur you go home at the end of the day, but everyone knows your day isn't done.
37:54
You have these messages and then you get Instagram and then things come up and I don't know, it's just non, it's nonstop and so.
38:01
Yeah, it's definitely a a struggle for us.
38:03
We've been better I think at like putting our phones away in the evening and not bugging each other so much or we can kind of like parking lot in our parking is it parking lot.
38:13
So we call it cause before we're both so excitable people and like fiery.
38:16
So if something an idea came up we'd have to message and then I got the other one going and so the next thing you know two hours pass and you've just ignored your family.
38:23
So we're like OK we got to stop that.
38:25
So we we've learned to just.
38:27
Like we can talk about this tomorrow morning.
38:28
Yeah.
38:28
Has been huge for us and a little, a little bit of boundaries, but not much.
38:33
Like we're pretty whatever, but Lucy gets it.
38:36
Yeah.
38:37
We're not like no conversations after.
38:39
Like, you know, if it needs to happen, it needs to happen, but trying.
38:43
Yeah.
38:44
Yeah.
38:44
Oh, those are such good tips.
38:45
It's like, you don't have to be so rigid about it, but also to recognize like, is it a bit of an energy leak to be voice noting back and forth between 7:00 PM and midnight every night?
38:55
Totally.
38:55
So like you put in these like soft boundaries, but it's also like, but we love our work, so you can honor that part of you too.
39:02
So I think it's just finding that happy medium of what works for each of you.
39:06
So that's great.
39:08
So what is next for Mint Cleaning?
39:10
Like what are you guys working on?
39:11
Are you working on just operationalizing, sustaining what you have?
39:15
Do you have big plans to launch new products to go into new avenues or where are you guys at today?
39:22
We're recording this mid March in 2025, I think for 2025 are we like a word of the year.
39:30
So our word of the year this year is focus.
39:33
So it's been so many years of like product launches and new things and business in like stores and everything.
39:40
But now we really need to, like Monica always says, like the stakes are getting higher and higher and they're high right now, you know.
39:45
So we're really wanting to focus.
39:47
I know it's boring, but really focusing on our manufacturing, really focus on our distribution and yeah, letting things just like getting our systems in place and dialed before we take on anything extra is kind of what where we are right now.
40:00
But that being said, we do have dreams of.
40:03
Opening up a stack in retail location with I think would be really fun expanding our wholesaling and obviously growing but for right now I think no product launches.
40:13
I don't think it was so weird for us and we yeah we've kind of I think our team too is feeling it.
40:19
Everyone's just stretched.
40:20
We're so you know and then Rob and I was these jerks like remember like we have an idea of what this and everyone's like great.
40:25
So like no like stop it.
40:29
So I think yeah, I love that.
40:30
I think last year our word was like growth I think and this year yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
40:38
So I think this year, yeah.
40:39
And I I'm liking that cause it it feels like it's the right time like we've.
40:43
We have a full product.
40:44
We can like, you know, there's a couple more ideas we have, but really it's just like we we could just, we just have to focus on what we're doing.
40:50
And I think as entrepreneurs, that's probably the hardest thing to do because we're dreamers, right?
40:54
I think naturally we're always dreaming and we're living in the future.
40:57
We're living on what's next, what's going to come up.
40:58
But I think to focus into the present is actually difficult.
41:03
We're dopamine junkies, so this is the hardest thing.
41:06
Yeah, just focus.
41:07
It's so boring.
41:08
Yeah, this is so boring.
41:09
But that's important, but things will happen.
41:11
And it's been it's been good, good learning of just yeah, because a couple times for a couple, should we do the stain spray?
41:20
And I think that's so valuable what you said about having a word of the year because every season of business demands something different from us.
41:27
So yeah, sometimes you're in that creative energy of like launch and create and grow.
41:32
And other times you can't be in that season.
41:34
You have to go to the other side, whichIs like operationalize, streamline, focus, don't get distracted.
41:40
And so I love that idea of choosing that anchor word and maybe you change it every couple months, maybe you change it every 12 months, every 24 months.
41:48
But just knowing like, OK, well what is the priority this year?
41:52
And like we can shelf all the other ideas, categorize them for 2026 or whenever down the line that we have the free space.
41:59
So I love that it was the same Brian, I think said it you you move slow to go fast, so you do.
42:06
You have to like nourish the roots and get those seeds planted and figure that, figure out your foundation before you can really, you know, grow.
42:13
So that's where we're at right now.
42:15
Absolutely.
42:16
So before we wrap up, I would love to ask each of you.
42:20
So maybe I'll start with you, Monica.
42:22
What is one business tip that you would offer to someone who's in those messy early years?
42:29
They're like one to three years in.
42:31
They're going, this is so hard.
42:33
I might want to quit, but they know they're kind of on to something.
42:37
Any piece of advice that you would share to help them stay the course?
42:41
I think if they're at that level of their business, my favorite quote is always if you haven't, if you're not embarrassed by your first launch, you've launched too late, which I think is our biggest tip because we just went for it like and it looks hideous, but people bought it and then we have these customers that they got nicer, they kept still buying.
42:56
So but I think where you said at that stage of the game, I think my favorite thing for that is just say yes and figure it out later.
43:04
Like I know you get to that point where you're nervous and you're like, oh, but the butts come in and the uncertainties, but I think.
43:09
If you say yes, it's that manifestation thing.
43:11
It's not just gonna it's not like yes, poof it happens.
43:14
But saying yes will motivate you to make sure you get it done.
43:17
So if you're not saying yes, you're being wishy washy.
43:20
You're not as motivated.
43:21
But if you say yes to these things and these opportunities, even though like Jilly Box, 15,000 jars of scrub and it's just you two and a thing and hand making, we're like, yeah, we can do that.
43:29
We figured it out.
43:31
So I just think that's key to us is that we we offer that advice a lot.
43:36
Just say yes, figure it out later.
43:37
I love it.
43:38
Robin, what about you?
43:39
What advice would you offer?
43:42
I'm going to.
43:45
Yeah, I think one thing for us too is we always believed in our product.
43:49
We had a really, really good product and I knew that it worked.
43:54
And you can't sell something if you don't believe in it.
43:56
No.
43:56
So if you're just gonna like drop ship from China or something like that, I think that's gonna get so old so fast.
44:02
So really love what you're selling.
44:04
Love it, love it.
44:05
Be obsessed with it and use it and believe in it.
44:08
That's my number one, I think.
44:09
That was great.
44:10
Thank you.
44:11
Oh, please.
44:11
But it's so true.
44:12
I think we always forget about that.
44:14
Everything that's happened that it was so grassroots.
44:16
These were all our recipes.
44:18
We created all these products.
44:19
So now that, yeah, we get some manufactured, but they're still the recipes we created and.
44:23
Having the cleaning expertise background created these products that were like amazing and actually work.
44:28
And that's our biggest compliment was like cleaning companies use them all the time.
44:30
They're like these actually work.
44:32
We're like, yes, yes, they actually work.
44:33
So, so true.
44:35
Yeah.
44:35
I always think back to the quote that I think you kind of said it, Robin, actually like no amount of marketing can sell a bad product.
44:41
And like we have to be our own hype people in the early days.
44:45
If we don't believe in our product, nobody else will.
44:48
So it's like Ground Zero.
44:50
Make sure you love what you sell and believe in it so deeply that nobody can derail you from how much you love it, right?
44:59
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
45:00
Well, if somebody has never cleaned with mint products before, does one of you want to give us the rundown of what you offer and the best way for people to find a store or even to get online and purchase their starter kit?
45:14
Yeah, well, I mean, how many products do we have now?
45:17
We have like 90 space, but yeah, 30.
45:19
So I think we always kind of say start with the all-purpose cleaner as our hero item and you can use it everywhere.
45:25
So if you're just like, I want to try something, I always recommend the all-purpose cleaner.
45:29
And then of course it comes with like a concentrated refill option.
45:32
So you can just refill that bottle 8 times with just this little mini concentrate as well, which is really nice.
45:39
And you can find us at mintcleaningproducts.com where our handle's at mintcleaning.
45:44
Underscore for all of our socials.
45:46
And yeah, yeah, that's it.
45:51
Well, I would highly encourage everybody to go grab your stuff.
45:56
Incredible products.
45:57
They smell amazing.
45:58
The linen spray.
45:59
My girlfriends and I have always loved that product and it's like I want to like mist it around my house all day, every day.
46:06
So I'm not recommended enough.
46:08
The all-purpose cleaner, the glass cleaner, the dish tabs so that you're not putting like weird plastic shitThat was your main thing.
46:17
We're like, we do not want plastic, that PVA film.
46:19
Yeah, yeahSo I'd highly suggest that people go on, explore everything that you have to offer.
46:25
And my only last question is, so I was trying to find somebody to help us clean our home and I'm like looking in the Facebook group and nobody offers green cleaning like everyone's just like typical chemical base.
46:38
And I'm like.
46:39
Wait a second, what is the solution?
46:40
Do you guys have the answer to that?
46:42
If somebody listening is like, I need to find someone who can clean my home but use my mint products, where do we go?
46:50
How do we find these people?
46:52
People say that to us all the time actually.
46:54
And I feel like it's we should maybe next year figure this out and have it on our website like of what cleaning.
46:59
Yes, a mint certified cleaner.
47:02
That would be a really good idea.
47:03
You just like what's going on.
47:05
We did that in a story once we did a question box for it because we were getting that same question.
47:08
So but of course you only have like 24 hours for people though.
47:11
So quite a few cleaning companies put their names in.
47:14
But yeah, it's not saved anywhere or like yeah, we should totally put our website, but we.
47:18
As we were cleaners and cleaning company and we had some clients that when we had our own products we used, but we went to some houses and they wanted us to use a specific kind of cleaning product that they left for us and we were like, OK, yes, that's what you want to use in your home.
47:31
So I tell people that too that if they're looking for a cleaning company, I'm like you can politely put out mint, just say due to my allergies and stuff, I really prefer that you use these products and if I don't see people having an issue with it.
47:42
But yeah, that's a good idea, Monica.
47:44
Thanks, Robert.
47:45
Yeah, I love it.
47:46
OK.
47:46
You got a nice little caddy.
47:48
And I'll put it out with a note and say, yeah, and like we use this, yeah, amazing commercial program for businesses that use Mint.
47:55
So cleaning, a lot of cleaning companies are in our commercial program.
47:58
So that could be something.
47:59
Spread the word to your cleaners.
48:00
OK, they get discounts.
48:02
Yeah, big discount things.
48:05
I love it.
48:06
Well, thank you both so much for sharing a little bit of your energy with us today on the Visionary Life podcast.
48:12
I would encourage everyone to go watch your segment on Dragon's Den.
48:15
You have a couple other episodes on your media page, on your website, and we just appreciate you opening up, being yourselves for making us laugh online and keeping things really light-hearted.
48:27
So we wish you guys all the best in your year of focus and cannot wait to see where mint cleaning goes from here.
Tune into the episode.
Tune into this episode with on your podcast app of choice:
If you’re searching for an Online Business & Marketing Coach for your Business, rest assured that you’re in the right place.
I've helped over 200+ people to launch their business, go full-time, get fully booked, and become #1 with The Visionary Method
Mentioned on the Episode:
Private 1:1 Marketing Coaching: Small tweaks to your Marketing Strategy can skyrocket your business success…. Working with a Business & Marketing Coach will help you identify new income opportunities, optimize your lead generation & sales strategies, and accomplish more than you ever thought possible, in just 4 months. Apply here ➡
Feeling overwhelmed with your Marketing & Online Lead Generation?
Learn about Marketing Coaching |Rank on Page # 1 of Google with Everyday SEO™ |
Email List: Join the Dose of Visionary Weekly Inspiration Roundup!
You Might Also Like:
