People often ask me “Are you a scientist” and while I do LOVE science, the answer is always no. I am a mom who had a problem that needed a solution, so I made one! My toddler son was what some would call “spirited” which is really just a nice way of saying moody. On one particular outing in a very public place, he had a VERY EPIC meltdown over a fallen sucker and I was mortified. It was the laying on the floor kicking and screaming type of meltdown and it was NOT fun. In that moment everyone stopped and looked at me and I was MORTIFIED! That was my ah-ha moment in which I realized that there were no safe, natural, and fun ways to clean the items that go in our mouths that weren’t full of harsh chemicals or didn’t require water for use.
After getting home and having a meltdown of my own, I spent the next several years researching, sourcing, and hiring scientists to help me formulate the now patented Tasty Clean All-Natural Flavored Cleaning Spray. While Tasty Clean was initially developed for use on baby items, we quickly realized that there were tons of people who saw a different need within the Oral Care market, so we set out on a mission to see how we could help these people. After several more years of researching and testing with dental appliances, we discovered that Tasty Clean was a highly effective calculus and odor-fighting solution. Powered by vinegar, Tasty Clean has truly become a market disruptor in the oral care space and has found its niche as a natural oral care appliance cleaner that is perfect for safely cleaning retainers, clear aligners, mouth guards, dentures, and pacifiers.
In an effort to maximize our exposure, I joined the WBENC and registered as a Certified Woman Owned Business. With inclusivity on more corporations’ radars, this was a chance to network with amazing like-minded women and gave me access to tools to further my business and personal growth. One month after I became certified, I won my way into a bracket-style pitch competition that started with over 100 very talented female entrepreneurs. The competition was to take place at a national conference and the final round was to be held at the final reception dinner in front of almost 500 people, including major corporate diversity representatives and buyers. I had no idea what I was in for and if you ask me what the conference was about I honestly could not tell because I spent the ENTIRE 3-day conference in my room practicing my pitch. You see, I was not a public speaker and was not comfortable onstage, but I was determined. The first round came, I pitched, I won! Time to prepare for the next pitch. The second round came, I pitched, I won! The third round came and you guessed it, I won. Now it was at this time that I learned that I had 5 hours to prepare an entirely new pitch to be done ON STAGE in front of the entire conference, in formal attire, up against 3 other fierce competitors. I was not prepared for this, but I went to my room, took a deep breath, and got to work. Now here I am, backstage, in the dark preparing to go on and give my 5-minute pitch to a room full of strangers in my fancy dress and I was terrified. I went out there and gave it my best and ended up taking home 1st runner-up in my first major pitch competition. That opportunity allowed me to conquer my fear of public speaking and realize that I actually liked it (Ok I LOVED it!). It inspired me to want to get into public speaking, which I am now about to do. Just know that no matter how scared you are, facing your fears allows you to not only conquer them, but you might find out that the thing you fear the most could be one of your strongest assets in life!
Having built this company from a passing thought to a commercially available product that is safe and effective has been the most challenging and rewarding thing I have ever done. Days filled with pure joy can quickly turn into tears and self-doubt in an instant. Traveling and grinding resulted in missed milestones in my children’s lives and as a mom it’s easy to beat yourself up about these things. Seeing the pride in my children’s faces and hearing them talk about the day they get to run Tasty Clean is the fuel for my fire and keeps me going daily. They are the reason! Us women gotta DeW what we gotta DeW right ?
A picture of my “Spirited “ son around that age, he dressed himself that day. Notice the ever-so-stylish sock/sandal combo:
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Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-gore-394471a1
Website: www.tastyclean.com
