Meet the Makers Mini Interview: Mint Cleaning
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Mint Cleaning Mini Interview
Meet Vancouver Island moms, entrepreneurs and cleaning enthusiasts Monika and Robyn, the duo behind Mint Cleaning. We sat down with co-founder Monika to hear how it all began in the small coastal town of Ucluelet, and how their passion for creating effective, non-toxic cleaning products grew into the widely recognized brand Mint Cleaning is today.
Share your story with us in 150 words or less.
We met at a mom get-together in Ucluelet in 2017, went for a walk the next day, instantly clicked and decided to start a cleaning business together. There was huge demand in our small town, and before long we were cleaning over 50 properties with a team of 12.
By 2020, years of working with harsh cleaning chemicals were taking a toll on our health, so we began researching ingredients and creating our own effective, non-toxic alternatives. As we shared them on social media, people started asking where they could buy them. We created a Shopify store, figured out bottles and labels, and by 2021 Mint had become so busy that we handed off the cleaning business and went all in.
Today, Mint has grown into an almost $14-million company, with products in over 600 locations across Canada, all while building the business from Ucluelet and raising our families.
Getting from an idea to a small business is a lot of work! When did it first sink in for you that ‘this is really happening’?
Dragon’s Den was a pretty surreal moment for us. Sitting in front of the Dragons and watching their reaction to what we had built from this tiny town on the west coast of Vancouver Island made us see Mint through a completely different lens.
Four of the five Dragons wanted to make a deal with us, and hearing them recognise how quickly we had grown and what we had accomplished was definitely one of those “Okay…this is REALLY happening!” moments. We ultimately made a deal with Brian Scudamore, which made the whole experience even more exciting.
Out of all your products, which is your personal favourite and why?
This is a tough one. It’s kind of like asking us to choose a favourite child! But if we had to pick, we’d probably both say our All Purpose Cleaner.
It’s our number-one seller, but it’s also genuinely the product we both reach for every single day in our own homes. It’s simple, effective, smells amazing and can tackle so many different jobs. It really represents what we wanted Mint to be from the beginning: cleaning products you actually love using that also really work.
What motivates you on a day-to-day basis?
Our kids and families are probably our biggest motivation. We want our children to see what can happen when you work hard, take risks and believe in something you’ve built.
Our team is a huge motivator too. Mint has grown into something much bigger than the two of us, and knowing that other people and their families rely on this business gives us an incredible sense of responsibility and purpose.
And then there’s our community. Ucluelet has supported us from day one. We’re also still very motivated by making our parents proud! No matter how old you get, apparently that one never goes away.
What’s your favourite thing about the town or city you live in?
The community, hands down.
Growing a business in a small town like Ucluelet is incredibly special because people genuinely rally around you. Our community supported us when Mint was just an idea, watched us grow, told their friends about our products and celebrated our wins alongside us.
There are definitely challenges to building a national brand from a small, remote town, but we wouldn’t trade it. We get to build this company surrounded by the ocean, rainforest, our families and people who have known us since the very beginning. There’s something pretty amazing about that.
Describe your ideal Sunday morning, including your breakfast.
We’re both notoriously bad at doing nothing, although Robyn is definitely better at relaxing than Monika!
Robyn’s dream Sunday would start slowly with coffee in bed, journaling and absolutely no rushing anywhere. Breakfast would probably turn into brunch, ideally with a really good eggs Benedict. Then some kind of movement, a walk or workout, followed by as much guilt-free chilling as possible before doing anything remotely productive.
Basically: coffee, journaling, eggs Benny, movement and CHILL.
What are your personal top three tips for feeling amazing?
Move your body. It doesn’t have to be complicated. A workout, a walk outside or simply getting moving can completely change how you feel.
Practise gratitude and write things down. Journaling helps us slow down, get out of our own heads and remember how much there is to be grateful for, even during the crazy seasons.
Laugh. A lot. Life and business can get really serious if you let them. Being able to laugh at yourself, have fun with the people around you and not take everything too seriously is probably one of our best survival strategies.
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