The world is looking pretty good for two West Coast entrepreneurs.
Mint Cleaning co-founders Robyn Pook and Monika Scott have wowed social media with cleaning tricks and DIY recipes for non-toxic products, while creating a line of handcrafted, eco-friendly products that's growing as fast as its creators.
His Ucluelet-based company was recently named one of five finalists for the Small Business BC Awards.
"We feel very honored. It was amazing," Pook told the Westerly News.
Learning that they had been nominated to move on to the next phase of the competition just a day before the voting deadline, the pair quickly set about building support on their popular social media channels.
"We had 24 hours on Instagram for everyone to come forward and vote," Scott said.
With that push successful, the next step was to present a pitch to a panel of judges, and they are now awaiting the announcement of the results at a gala on June 2nd.
"It's been a very stressful and intense couple of days of training and we got through it and I think we did pretty well. They seemed very impressed," said Scott.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Small Business BC Awards received 613 nominations from 84 communities across the province.
The awards are divided into four categories and Mint Cleaning is one of five finalists for the eCommerce Experience Award.
"As Canadians increasingly turn to online shopping, our eCommerce Experience Award is given to a small business that offers its customers a great online experience," the award website states. . "Whether on mobile or desktop, this company converts visitors into buyers through an easy-to-navigate store experience and a clear, measurable digital marketing strategy."
The online experience Pook and Scott created stems from the COVID-19 pandemic which wiped out their professional cleaning business when vacation rentals were temporarily suspended in 2020.
"We call it the COVID pivot," Pook said. "It really worked for us. I feel bad that COVID has been so horrific for so many people, but it has really been the catalyst for what our business is today.
The couple had met at a local moms' meeting in 2017 and it was, at first glance, a synergy.
"I immediately thought, 'Who is this person? I love her. We definitely get along with cracking jokes and making fun of ourselves,'" recalled Scott.
She said they had discussed a common interest in a part-time cleaning job and that other mothers at the rally overheard them and were quick to express interest in hiring and encouraged them to go into the business together.
"We were complete strangers at the time, but I asked Robyn, 'Would you like to go for a walk tomorrow and talk about it?' So we took a little walk and decided to start a cleaning business together," Scott said.
Pook said it was exciting to see her schedule fill up quickly, but added that with so much work to do, she and Scott "were using toxic cleaning chemicals all day" and she was beginning to fret about the ill effects, including one X-ray that revealed scars on his lungs. .
This sparked a search for non-toxic products, though Scott said they were initially unconvinced of the effectiveness of all-natural products.
"We were very skeptical at first," he says. "We've used some of the more popular commercial eco-friendly products and they just didn't work. But then, when our health was in jeopardy and we both felt like shit after eight hours of bleach, we started finding things that worked.
When COVID erased their cleaning plans, the two began collaborating on non-toxic products and grew their following on social media, using the power of their energetic personalities and fun friendship to amass over 30,000 followers on Instagram.
"It was kind of the perfect storm," Pook said. "Our shop was closed and Monika and I had more free time, so we started experimenting with our own recipes in our kitchens and at the same time we started an Instagram account and it went very quickly."
In the summer of 2021, they decided to formalize the pivot, sell the cleaning business and focus solely on the products, which are now available at 135 gas stations and retail outlets in Canada, as well as some in the United States.
"We want to enter the US market slowly, but it's happening, so we're very excited," Pook said.
He added that as professional cleaners, they have the advantage of being able to test the products they make and think through trial and error.
"We were professional cleaners, so we had to try it. We knew what we wanted. We didn't just call a lab and say, "Get us some cleaners." At the bottom, we create these recipes and reformulate them. "I think that's what really sets us apart," he said. "It flowed organically from where we now have 19 products and the company that they see and get nominated for this crazy award. It's been a wild ride.
Scott added that they also share DIY recipes via social media, much to the delight of their growing fan base.
"It's not just about the product for us," he says. "We have motivational tips and tricks and cleaning hacks, it's more of a community and more of a service than just selling something."
Pook suggested that some may not realize the negative effects toxic cleaning chemicals have on those who use them, as well as on the environment, or may be unaware that there are viable alternatives.
"I hear people say, 'I'm cleaning my bathroom and I have a bad headache. I feel nauseous and my eyes are bloodshot. It's like aromatherapy at the same time," he says.
Scott credits much of the company's success to the community in which it thrives.
"I think if we were in a big city we would never have been so successful. Our success really comes from the people of this city," he said. That community was huge. I honestly don't think where we are today without that community. We're so grateful.
Pook assured that no matter how small, Ucluelet will always be his base of operations.
"Our children were born here. Ucluelet comes first. We work to live, we don't live to work," he said.
"I love everyone here," added Monika. "I wouldn't live anywhere else."
In fact, the couple is branching out with a new manufacturing and retail space at 1950 Peninsula Road, which they hope to open in May.
"We now have a large manufacturing space and are opening a small retail space as well," Scott said. "People can walk in and see the magic in the background and then shop at the front door."
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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