Products that Actually Work with Lisa Creaven

Drs. Lisa and Vanessa Creaven co-founded Made by Dentists and Spotlight Oral Care to provide their patients with consumer products that are safe and clinically proven to work. Both women are full-time sisters, practitioners, entrepreneurs, and mothers who feel that all of their customers deserve to be patients. Companies are born from gaps in the market; in this case, it was the disconnect between what Lisa and her sister knew to be true as dentists and what was being marketed at the time. In each other, Lisa and Vanessa have a partner with different personalities and skill sets that allows them to team up, lead, and innovate. Join us to hear Lisa speak on what’s wrong with mass-market products and how natural alternatives can sometimes fall short in oral health care.

Transcript:

Unidentified [00:00:14] Three, two, one. Let’s go. We have lift off

Sam Jayanti [00:00:18]  Hi everyone. Welcome to this episode of the ideamix podcast. I’m your host, Sam Jayanti. Today we’re in conversation with Lisa Creaven, the co-founder of Made by Dentists, along with her sister Vanessa. They’re both practicing cosmetic dentists who are also entrepreneurs and innovators as co-founders of Made by Dentists and Spotlight Oral Care. Their company creates clinically proven, clean, sustainable oral care products that work Lisa. Welcome to the show.

Lisa Creaven [00:01:06] Thank you so much for having me. I’m so excited to talk to you.

Sam Jayanti [00:01:11] We’re sad that Vanessa couldn’t be here with us today, but it’s wonderful to have you. I want to as we get started, take a quick listen to how you described your brand. Let’s take a quick look.

Lisa Creaven [00:01:28] Hello. My name is Lisa Creaven and I’m one of the founders of Made by Dentists, along with my sister Vanessa. We are sisters and dentists. We work together and we’ve created the brand Made by Dentists to really bring forward what we know, to be true as dentists, as professionals, and create that oral care brand and range of products that really brings a professional knowledge and our expertize as practicing dentists to our customers and patients available to buy in your stores, though, we’re really passionate about oral care. We’re passionate about oral health, driving education and creating amazing products. We really focus on creating products that work using effective ingredients. We always use sustainable packaging where possible. We do not test animals were vegan friendly and animal cruelty free, and I hope that tells you a little bit more about me.

Sam Jayanti [00:02:22] So, Lisa. You described your brand as being focused on sustainable oral care that’s actually proven by you and your sister as practitioners. Tell us a little bit about how both of you came up with the idea to start your company. You had been trained as dentists, had thriving dental care practices, but you decided to take this pivot into entrepreneurship. So tell us about that.

Lisa Creaven [00:02:55] Yeah, I mean, I feel like it was a very natural, organic moment. You know, Vanessa and I were working together as dentists. And really this started from discussions we were having every day with our patients about products they were using. So how to fight their teeth, what products could they use, what toothpaste should they use? And I saw, you know, when I was recommending products and recommending oral care routines, what I saw was a huge disconnection between what we knew to be true as dentists and then what was kind of being marketed at the time, what was being pushed in terms of, you know, advice to to our patients. I found that a lot of the products that were available were very trend led. So like very like charcoal or something like that, which isn’t is we just this? We just don’t recommend those ingredients. So I really felt as a dentist, like we understand that, you know, the majority of your oral health is actually achieved everyday through your routine, through your diet and lifestyle, like any other aspect of health. You don’t go to your doctor to make you healthy. It’s it’s your diet. It’s your lifestyle out there. Your habits and oral health is achieved at home, you know, through the routines and the products that you use. So we really started by creating what we would want our our patients to use for their routine to get the most for their oral health.

Sam Jayanti [00:04:24] Yeah, it makes total sense. It’s so interesting because I think what you’re highlighting is a gap in the market that you and many other founders like you and other spaces have found, right, which is that product formulations are almost being created by marketers rather than by practitioners like the two of you. And as a result, there’s this disconnect between what’s good for the consumer and actually results in their long term sustainable care versus what is trendy or new and might, in a lot of cases, just end up being harmful actually for consumers. Why do you think we’re in this place? Like, in a sense, these large companies have vast R&D budgets and staff and they claim to be focused on on this. And yet the products don’t reflect that.

Lisa Creaven [00:05:25] Mm hmm. I totally agree. And I feel like, you know, when I look at the oral care market and I look the oral care market, we see it really distinctly. So you’ve got your, you know, your natural brands. And I think they’re so cool looking, so stylish. You know, I love the packaging, but, you know, we just as dentists know dentists, I know. I mean, I’m sure there’s 1%. I know that design will ever recommend softer toothpaste. And the reason we don’t is because we see a rise in oral disease in our patients at the end of the day. I’ve seen it time and time again where a patient of mine, I’ll be seeing them for five years. No cavities. They, you know, they’re on a good routine. They know what they’re doing. And then all of a sudden I’m like, you have now you need three fillings. Like, what happened? Oh, I swapped to this. I thought I was making a better choice, you know, and natural toothpaste to not they increase your risk of getting a cavity. And the thing with oral care is that, you know, and a lot of times people talk about oral beauty. Oral care is oral health. This is health care. This is this has a distinct consequence. You know what I mean? If you don’t use, you know, amazing makeup or skin care, okay, we’re going to suffer. And for sure, there are health aspects to skin care for sure. But oral care is it leads to oral disease if you don’t have the proper routine. And I don’t like to dismiss that fact because one of the biggest reasons that children go under general anesthetic in a lot of developed countries is because of poor oral health. It’s because they don’t you know, parents don’t know better. And so this is when when I talk about natural products. The other option are mass market products, those big brands that have been there for 50 years. And they do have some active ingredients in them for sure. And so this is why dentists, if you’re going to recommend something, we want to recommend mass market products. But I totally agree with what you’re saying. What are we seeing in terms of education and awareness? Why are we still seeing children go under general anesthetic for oral care? Why aren’t we talking about how to prevent oral disease? This is not a bright white smile moment. This is this is health care and health care. At the end of the day, as a as a health practitioner, this is how we’re trained. It’s not just the treatment you provide. It’s not just the toothpaste you use. It’s the education that the person has. It’s the awareness that you have instilled in your patient or your customer to know why, to use it or when to use it. You know, so it’s not it’s you can have all the best products if you don’t know when to use it and how to use it, it’s not going to be effective for you. So I do think those big companies have you know, they do have some ingredients. Most big companies still to some animals, most big companies still have animal byproducts in their in their toothpaste there. They’re they still have, you know, really cheap laminated plastic. So they all end up in landfill. And I feel like for those big companies, we need to do better. You know, I want everyone like we need to do better. We need to have more sustainable options. And the sustainability thing, I mean, I feel like that’s just there’s just a standard. I feel like you have to achieve now that it’s just it’s not up for debate anymore. You know, we have to do better. These are products people are using every day. Let’s try and make them, you know, as as best as we can. But when it comes back to the health care aspect, I’m really passionate about educating, driving awareness. And it’s, it’s it’s not difficult as long as we know those key things about how to prevent oral disease, if that’s what we want to achieve. So, yes, we have amazing products that I know are the best out there. They’re clean, they’re effective. But I want my customers to know why, to use them and how they’re going to work really hard for them to prevent oral disease.

Sam Jayanti [00:09:24] Yeah. It’s, it’s I’m so glad that you explained it that way, you know, because I think what you’ve described is a void in the middle, right? On the one side, you have this mass market, large company marketed products that sometimes have some objectionable ingredients in them, are trying to kind of follow these various trends, whether it’s charcoal or teeth whitening or whatever it is from time to time. On the other side, you have these hundred percent actual products, which in a sense are not performant because there’s probably some middle ground that we need to achieve. As with most things in life of being of that, having elements of both of those things, and it reminds me actually a lot of a conversation that we had on this show with Frederick Recchi, whose company exactly occupies and whose products exactly occupy that middle ground. They’re not 100% natural. And so they are performant, and yet they have no unsustainable, you know, harmful ingredients in them. They’re made with sustainable packaging, as are your products. And so from a consumer perspective, you just have much more clarity and transparency, I think, first of all, on what you’re buying. And second, you’re not then worried about degraded performance of these products because as you said, whether it’s hair or teeth or nails or whatever, it’s a health care issue, not does it look great today issue and will it look really bad tomorrow? You know, it’s it’s not how products are marketed to us in the consumer packaged goods space, but it’s really how people need to think about them. And in a sense, the marketing needs to shift to focus on these issues of products as care vehicles, not products as, I’m going to get this instant hit and my teeth are whiter or my hair is shinier or whatever.

Lisa Creaven [00:11:23] For sure. I mean, there’s there is a moment for beauty. And I mean, your smile is the lower third of your face. So of course we want a beautiful smile like everybody’s whitening their teeth. That’s just normal. But let’s do it in a way that’s also going to contribute to your health. Let’s also focus on health care along with whitening. So we have like a full range of whitening products, of course, very carefully formulated to avoid sensitivity. But it’s really it is back to the health care that you’re never going to. You actually, it’s it’s virtually impossible to have a beautiful smile unless it’s a really healthy smile, you know, eventually creeps up. If your gums are not healthy, you can see it and you can you pick it up. So that’s why health care is still at the foundation of beauty, but same with really every other aspect of health. You kind of only get away with it for so long, you know, if you’re not eating well, if you’re, you know, not living a healthy lifestyle, it will show eventually, you know, so and it’s just simple routines, just really elevating a very simple routine that you’re doing everyday anyway. So it’s just about incorporating better ingredients using products at the right time to get the most out of them.

Sam Jayanti [00:12:36] Yeah, totally makes sense. So you have these are two brands that are sort of coexisting at the moment in Europe. Your products are sold under the Spotlight Oral care brand in the US, which is a more recent market for your company. It’s sold under the Made by Dentist brand. Tell us a little bit about what informed that decision, how you went about executing it. So many brands, especially in their early days, struggle with names, positioning, branding, marketing. And these are such critical issues that are determinative to the success of a of a not just a brand, but the company ultimately. So tell us how you thought about that.

Lisa Creaven [00:13:25] Definitely. And I feel like as a founder, you know, everybody comes to the table with different skill sets. I think Vanessa and I are very focused on creating amazing products that we really focus a huge amount of our time on, creating products that really work, that are effective on product development. That’s what we are good at. I think we had started our brand to spotlight oral care, but certainly for the US market where we are more of a retail first brand. So we are available at Ulta and we have an exciting launch coming next year. We really wanted something that we encompassed kind of who we are as a brand and I think it’s made by dentists. It’s it’s kind of it’s basic, you know, it’s this is who we are. It’s transparent, it’s simple, it’s clear. It’s it’s literally who we are. This is what we do. And we focus on making products. That’s what we do. So. We wanted something that would encompass that. One of our board members really helped us in terms of creating the brand. So he was the founder of Sun Bum and he just really helped us to develop that new brand identity packaging, and he was definitely instrumental in creating that for with us, but we’re really happy with it. It’s kind of like for me it feels very authentic to exactly who we are. It’s very pared back and kind of direct, which I think suits us.

Sam Jayanti [00:15:02] Very direct and provide sort of an assurance of what your brand stands for. Straight, straight off the bat. So I love that too.

Sam Jayanti [00:15:11] In a video where you talked about how you started your company. Here’s what you had to say. Let’s take a quick listen.

Lisa Creaven [00:15:20] So when Vanessa and I first started are Made by Dentists, it was really down to the disconnection that we felt between what we knew to be true with dentists and then what oral care products were available to buy for our customers and patients. As a dentist, I feel like a lot of work here is actually very trend led and very kind of based on ideas that are not always what we would necessarily recommend as dentists. Like things like abrasive toothpaste, charcoal. These are ingredients. As dentists we would never recommend because actually very damaging to your enamel and they don’t actually create any clinical results. So we really wanted to create a range of products to work that were safe to use and that created health benefits in our customers while also improving the appearance of their smiles.

Sam Jayanti [00:16:10] Lisa. One of the things you referenced was this idea of practitioners versus marketers and. As we were saying earlier, this is sort of a problem that afflicts the consumer packaged goods industry more broadly. You’ve now been at this as a founder running your company with your sister for a few years. And I have my own thoughts on this, but I’m always curious to hear others. Why do you think large companies have struggled to innovate and to develop an understanding of where products really need to be in terms of their formulation, but also their positioning? In a sense, they’re almost like out of touch with what the consumer wants. You know, U.S. practitioners, because you are so in touch with your patients, could see what customers not just wanted but needed and could deliver that. Tell us a little bit about your thoughts on that.

Lisa Creaven [00:17:16] Sometimes I feel that there’s so much information, you know, even when we speak to business partners that we have or, you know, retail representatives that we have get so much information as to what the customer is thinking and what the customer feels and reason looking at, you know, information like sustainability and you know, how like 70% of people are interested in sustainability, but it’s 20% of people are buying, you know, based on it. And I feel like that will totally catch up. But I think that it’s hard to really understand when you’re when you’re meeting patients, which are essentially your customers day in, day out, just listening, listening, listening all of the time to the language that they’re using in a very natural setting in a dental office, you just start to almost embody what the way they think. What they don’t know, how they describe something. What is the language they use? What are their fears? And a lot of times, you know, again, it’s back to that. You know, people are afraid when they come to the dentist. There’s a lot of shame around. People are embarrassed because they don’t have the words and the language a lot of the times to describe what they feel. And if you compare it to. Dermatology or something or a skin care. I mean, look at how informed we are about ingredients, you know, how bespoke it needs to be to each individual, you know, and how that is changed. Look at skin care 50 years ago and look at skin care now and look at oral care 50 years ago. It’s essentially the same. And I think really I have I really think that that people want products that actually work in oral care. I as a dentist, if I told my patient, look, you need to use this, they listen to me. You know what I mean? They because I’m only telling them for their own benefit, I think they really want products that work. And the reality is that as much as we can see, the smaller brands, more natural brands challenge. They’re really only taking maybe 2% of the market. You know, 98% of the oral care market is still controlled by those huge players. So, yeah, that’s huge. Like there is a lot changing because people are still buying their products, you know? Yeah, people are unaware. You know, I think that people are unaware that, you know, like of the ingredients that are in their toothpaste, that it’s, you know, sometimes a race to the bottom when it comes to price and quality. Like, you know, up until recently, you know, some of those bigger brands were putting micro-plastics in their toothpaste just as a bulking agent, just because it was it’s a cheaper way to do things, you know, until it was so many microplastics getting into our marine life, in our sea, in our in our seas and our fish were like, okay, we have to cut out microplastics. But like at the end of the day, microplastics and they go into your water, you can excrete them. It’s just it’s just not a good ingredient. And you’re probably good at all that at the start, you know? So I think. Right. You know, it was never a good idea for plastic and toothpaste, you know, even things like sulfates. We don’t have any sulfates in our our products. 25% of the population suffer from ulcers and canker sores, 25% of the population. And it’s actually really hard to get a product that’s sulfate free. So sulfates are inflammatory, they exacerbate ulceration. I mean, it’s just not a it’s not an ingredient. And the thing is that the lining of your mouth is 50 times more absorbent than your skin. The lining of your mouth is only a few cells take. So every ingredient that is in your toothpaste is being not swallowed, is being absorbed directly into your bloodstream. And you’re using that product and your kids are using the product twice a day for their whole life. It should be a clean product. It’s actually important that it’s clean because you’re being exposed to it all of the time. And I think going back to your question, the reason. That I don’t think they’re changing or sometimes they bring out a product like this is a recyclable product, all of your products, all of your tubes to be recyclable because actually that’s it’s you know, that that technology’s there now. You know what I mean? You know, so I think the reason is that 98% of the people are still buying their products, you know, so it comes back to if you know more, you know, you do better. And so and I and I for sure think they’re moving in the right direction. Are they moving fast enough? Should they be leading that? Absolutely. Why should it be down to small ones to do the heavy lifting, you know, when they have the resources to really change things economically in the quantities they’re working in, the ingredients they’re using, how they’re sourcing, these are huge, huge companies who can do better. And they’re trying and obviously, I understand the challenges. I don’t fully understand the challenges, but I’m sure the challenges of huge companies. But time and time again, you see it’s the small brands that are that are innovating. Yea

Sam Jayanti [00:22:22] I think the challenge in large companies is ultimately the culture, which is one not of risk taking but of risk avoidance. And second. You know, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Right. So someone comes up with some cost saving measure, like let’s add micro-plastics to bulk the product and reduce our cogs, you know, or someone comes up with, let’s substitute something else for milk in our milkshakes at McDonald’s and that saves them a bunch of money and off it goes. And then to unwind that, given the culture of the organization, becomes extremely hard, even though they know it’s the right thing to do. And it then falls to small companies to actually provide an impetus for change and a choice to the consumer to to have that more natural, you know, harmful ingredient free product. It’s fascinating. Yeah, it is. So why shouldn’t. Go ahead. Go ahead. Sorry. I don’t know. I got you.

Lisa Creaven [00:23:31] I was going to say I think I think it is. And I also think it’s it’s from the from product formulation point. Absolutely. Because they have they have the power to change so much. But then I also think from the health care point of view, I think, you know, we need to do a better job in terms of highlighting that education awareness. So I do also think if you’re going to have a huge contribution towards oral care products in the world, you should be talking about education. And I think like statements like bright white smile, minty fresh, meaningless statements that, you know, kind of confuse and diminish oral health. And I think we could be using that platform. Every company should be using the platform to inform, educate, to help people make better choices. Yeah, I think it’s on on two fronts that we could do better. Really.

Sam Jayanti [00:24:22] Oh, 100%. I mean, we experienced this in our business, that idea, Max, where we spend a lot of time educating people on coaching and the benefits of coaching, why it’s different from therapy, why it’s impactful when to when to seek it out. And that’s a real customer education process because so far, at least in coaching, there hasn’t been a conversation about the benefits of coaching and when to use it, instead of having a conversation about negative situations in which coaching could be a remedial measure. And part of our mission is really changing the perception around coaching because there’s an education that needs to go on where people understand that it’s really a resource to help them unlock various aspects of themselves and kind of craft their own unique paths. So, yeah, I fully agree with you. Let’s shift gears a little bit. I want to talk a little bit about mentorship and coaching and the role that that has played for the two of you as co-founders and in your careers and lives more broadly. Tell us a little bit about that. Who have been your mentors and how have they really helped you?

Lisa Creaven [00:25:42] Mm hmm. I think mentorship is something that is just so important. I think that, you know, at the end of the day, Vanessa and I are dentists, you know, trying to set up a company. So we have so much to learn and to to and also there’s such a you’re up against the clock all the time because you’re constantly having to learn on the go while running a business. So for sure it is challenging. I’ve had so many mentors and I think the whole thing about mentors and, you know, looking for people to help you is that it changes all the time. Like what you need now is not necessarily what you’re going to need in six months. And in two years you might come back around to that that first person who’s helping you. And I think being specific about what you need help in is, is, is really good, too. I also have found that like mentors have been really open with us in terms of I think they want to help. People are open to helping, you know, if you’re coming with a reasonable problem and it’s specific and it’s something in their wheelhouse, not everybody is perfect at everything. So, you know, you have different mentors for different needs. And that has been absolutely crucial for Vanessa and I throughout the whole journey.

Sam Jayanti [00:26:59] Yeah, totally.

Sam Jayanti [00:27:00] Have either of you, Lisa, or both of you together used coaching. What’s the role that that’s played in your life, whether that’s come from a mentor or advisor or a professional executive coach?

Lisa Creaven [00:27:14] Yeah. Neither of us have engaged and I think professionally in a more structured way, more people we have met along the way. And so it’s been more probably a natural progression. I don’t think either of us are overly shy if we need help and if we find someone, we will ask. And if they can’t help, we totally understand that too, because people have different priorities in their life and different moments of kind of freedom. So I think our board have been really helpful. We have a really amazing, really amazing board and they have been really kind of instrumental in terms of advising. Also, Joel Palix, who used to be the CEO of Feelunique in the UK with Tom Rinks, who was the founder of Sun Bum and Ju Rhyu, who is was the founder of Hero Cosmetics.

Sam Jayanti [00:28:11] Ju Rhyu was a was one of our guests on this show.

Lisa Creaven [00:28:13] Yeah. Amazing success with Hero. And so like they have been just great for us in terms of helping, you know, strategize, bring all of that experience to us. That’s been so helpful for us.

Sam Jayanti [00:28:29] Yeah, that’s fantastic. How do you the two of you, you obviously know each other intimately. Well, as sisters, you serve different functions within the company. Talk a little bit about that split of responsibilities and your relationship as co-founders. There have been times when there have been conflicts or disagreements. How have you resolve that? What do you do to sort of actively steward your relationship together as you’re on this journey with your company?

Lisa Creaven [00:29:04] Mm hmm. I think that, you know, it was probably a natural thing for Vanessa and I. You know, she had come to work with me in my practice anyway. So we had been working together for a number of years. She’s my younger sister, so it’s like she I think we we have had a relationship, like a very respectful relationship, kind of working together. We are also best friends. Like, we spend a lot of time together. We get on so well. We’re very different in terms of our personality. So she’s very nice. So she does all of our and logistics like sourcing. You know, she’s very organized in that way. And it’s it’s just her skill set. It’s just where she likes to be. I probably like to be more on the brand side of things, on the marketing side of things, and it’s just something that I am more inclined towards. So we have very different skill sets, very different responsibilities. We actually just kind of let each other do, you know, be responsible for what we are, but we really don’t like. We lean on each other a huge amount. Of course we have bad days, we’re sisters. So like I almost feel like being sisters. You have that, like, built up understanding. Yeah, we’re going to argument and then we’re going to be fine, so. And we’re very clear that we do not want to lose our friendship or that relationship because of business, you know, and kind of like that. Actually, with almost everyone we work with. It’s not a I don’t think business is an excuse to behave badly. You know, sometimes you do, see. So, yeah, I mean, but it’s been great and like. Yes. We’ve launched in Ulta. Yes, we’re we have a really exciting launch next year. But there’s been years where it’s been we’ve been working full time and just on doing this on the side and having our babies and all of that. So I don’t think we would have gotten through it without each other, you know, without that emotional support, etc.. So much of it is. Having someone to talk to and also in a way that is free and you’re not having to guard yourself because being an entrepreneur is it can be emotional, too. It can be stressful. And you’re trying to sometimes hold the whole team up. And so it’s great to have a founder to lean on. And I do think it’s important that they have different skills. I don’t necessarily think it would have worked if we were both had the same personality, but certain things. Yes. So I think it really just happens to work. And it’s one of my proudest things about Spotlight is that we are still so close and we so, you know, people are like, oh, do you really get on like every week on holidays together? We will, you know, like spend loads of time together because we have a laugh. Like we love to have fun as well. And so we’re best friends also.

Sam Jayanti [00:31:59] That’s wonderful. That’s wonderful. I want to take a quick listen to your video where you described what really drives the two of you. Here it is.

Lisa Creaven [00:32:10] I think the reason that I’m so passionate about my job is that I really care about my patients and customers. I want to create an amazing experience for them. I want to create the best products for them and their families. And I think oral health is a really important part to get right. It’s something we do our whole lives. So I think it’s really important that the products that you use, the routines that you establish for yourself and your family, really contribute to a meaningful relationship with your teeth, with your appearance, and actually can impact your overall health. So it’s a really worthwhile routine to get correct. And I also like, you know, myself when I’m using products and they are working hard for me and providing more benefits. So we have a full range of oral care products, bulk whitening and toothpastes floss, waterfalls or sonic toothbrushes. So I really passionate about bringing amazing products that will really create value for our customers.

Sam Jayanti [00:33:10] One of the things you talked about, Lisa, was the importance of service and passion. And what I loved about that was I think any business in order to be successful needs to display a deference and humility towards its customers, because that approach then allows the business to understand what its customers really want and need and develop a really positive, long term relationship with customers. You’ve clearly married your passion for dentistry and oral care with now entrepreneurship and innovation. And tell us about how you think about this sort of culture of customer service that really lies at the heart of all of your products.

Lisa Creaven [00:34:01] Totally. And I you know, I think it comes back to honestly being a dentist and running a dental office, you know. You know, for you know, for a moment we outsourced our customer service and we were comfortable about it. And then once we could see it being outsourced, we’re like, No, we can’t do that. It would be like having your front of house and your dental office outsourced. This is like because people have questions and they need to be heard and you need to get back to them and it needs to be in a way. So like everything we do in dental offices, it really it’s surrounding and focuses on the patient experience. It’s, you know, you and it’s my job. Everybody’s so different. It’s my job to cater to their needs. It’s my job to figure out what, okay, what to what’s their priority, what’s my priority, how can we kind of get there together? How, you know, how can I make this easy to achieve? How can I break this down? Some people are really nervous. Some people, you know, are happy to, you know, do whatever. It’s really important that health care is about an individual and people have individual needs and they need help, you know? And so that was one of those key things, you know, after a couple months were like, no, let’s just take it all back. We I can’t. I can’t listen to this because it’s just if if someone has a question, I kind of want them to get back some straight away. Am really, really passionate about customer service and health care like because it’s it’s it’s three patients I look at my customers like their patients and I’m like, I need them to be happy. I need them to understand if they’re going to buy a product, exactly how to use it. And if they need to ask me questions, I will I really, really feel strongly that they need to know and we need to be there for them, you know? So I think that culture is so important and I think it’s just because that is how health care is set up. That’s how you look at it. And at the dental office, you never look at it like, how can we outsource this how can we juice cost? And that is just there’s just a way of doing things that just gets ingrained in you as a health care professional.

Sam Jayanti [00:36:13] Makes a ton of sense. So last question, Lisa. What advice do you have for other female founders? You know, I think often the hardest part of the journey is as female founders get started. There’s such a long to do list. There’s so many unanswered questions. There’s the challenge of resources and how you’re going to fund the company. And it’s very chicken and egg, right? Because until there’s something there, you’re not going to be able to fund. And for there to be something there or you’ve got to answer all those questions. So tell us your advice for female founders.

Lisa Creaven [00:36:52] I think sometimes, you know, in a way, you have to have like a goal in mind, but also you kind of need to take it like day by day and you’re going to make mistakes. I feel like just when you make a mistake, just really move on quickly from it. Like, you know, we had a brand in the US, but it didn’t really feel like it was suitable for the retailers we were in and what we wanted to say. And it’s cost so much money and it takes time to really look into that. But we wanted to get it right and getting it right takes mistakes and time. And so I think like looking us each day as it comes, like try not to think two years time with so much changes, so much changes, so kind of like it can be overwhelming. And that was the one thing I found that can be very overwhelming to think, okay, we need to get there. How are we ever going to get there? You know, it’s just like it’s it’s day by day. I think having a co-founder is really helpful. A co-founder that has different skill sets, oftentimes different personality than you, because, yeah, you and you. And as the company grows, there’s always pressure and resources. There’s always pressure on your to do list that never gets easier. So having people with different skill sets and I think building a great team and having a good culture that, you know, as I said before, this is not an excuse, an excuse to behave badly. So have a culture where people you build a great team.I think your team especially is that as a company grows, becomes more and more important because you’re just not going to know how to do everything no matter who you are. So I think that team, that culture is really important.

Sam Jayanti [00:38:40] Yeah. Makes a ton of sense. Thank you so much for being here with us today.

Lisa Creaven [00:38:44] Thank you so much for so nice chatting with you.

Sam Jayanti [00:38:49] Thanks for listening today. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and while you’re there, please do review the show. We love hearing from you. So email us at info at the ideamix radio com or Instagram DMS. Our episode this week was produced by the incomparable Martin Milewski with music by the awesome Nashville-based singer-songwriter Doug Allen. You can learn more about Doug at Doug Allen music dot com.