Where do I start?

We wouldn’t of even been to the Expo, had we not won the Naturally Boulder Pitch Slam.    I still can’t believe I won.  The brands coming out of Boulder and Colorado are FIERCE. Thank you Naturally Boulder judges for listening to my passionate talk,  which included me telling the judges to just “stick their tongue in it”….”once you taste it, you’ll love it.”  Ewww….sorry about that.

Luckily, they enjoyed the actual pitch about why I’m actually here.  Let’s face it, any person can get up and talk about the stores they are in and the turns they are doing.  What matters to me is the story behind it all.

I’ve actually attended Expo West for three years in a row. The first two years, I went to the business school and basically every education class I could go too.  I was (and still am) obsessed with information.  Now, that I have a product and soon product line, I’ll have to make sure I spend my OCD time on hacking personal care and keeping track of daily business stuff.  No problem.

“College for Grown ups”

Someone at Expo West commented that it was like “college for grown ups.”  I agree.  Mostly because the people in natural foods ARE AWESOME PEOPLE.   They are the type of people I would of hung out with in college!

Most people in this industry are trying push and drive agendas to better the earth and people…and that’s a really good thing. 

Exhibiting at Expo West is a real mad-house situation. The only truly difficult situation is dealing with GES, which is a unionized group that “handles” trade shows in hotels. They gave me a $1000 dollar bill for electricity use because I had lights on my banner.  Say what!?

The guests that show up at your booth are really FUN to talk too.  We loved visiting with everyone and we are sad that we didn’t get to speak to EVERYONE. 

Expo West Pitch Slam and Errol Schweizer!

Somehow, thanks to New Hope Network, I was offered to pitch again at the Expo West pitch slam. I made it to the finals and lost in the final round. I lost to very good competition I would say.  A sustainable seafood company, backed by Leonardo Di Caprio won.  The second place company made a shampoo for kids, exploiting a price point and she didn’t know what her ingredients were…that was a bit disappointing for me (being a food science major).

Errol Schweizer, one of the judges from Beyond Brands (and a long time industry vet with Whole Foods Market), found me after the show to let me know that he agreed with everything I said on stage and had some really nice comments for me.  Apparently, he was a microbiology major and you could tell, his questions WERE great for all of the contestants I thought.  If I can make him THAT enthusiastic, then I’m happy.  

The other judges, I think, judged me on my personality I think.  The way I like to this of this is like artwork.  It’s subjective.   Sue Heilbronner, another judge, came up to me while I was speaking with others and told me something about needing to “own my womanhood” and that “I think I’m trying to be cute.”  It was insulting.  She teaches people how to “be authentic.” Hmmmmm…..

I had a steady stream of people coming to the booth next day to tell me they were sad to see I didn’t win and a steady stream of emails letting me know that they were inspired by it.

And you know if Dr. Bronner was alive,  I’m sure he would of lost the slam also…because he would start talking about The Moral ABCs!  I’m just glad that most people in this industry understand that not everyone is going to wear a suit and talk about numbers.

Even if we had millions of sales, I would still talk about the stuff that really matters, because it’s what drives me. It’s in my DNA. When you’re in CPG, you’re really “in service.” 

Expo West Pitch Slam Speech

I’m Perry The “Frau” from Frau Fowler.  I’m a packaging engineer and food scientist, a former USA track and field athlete, an author and autoimmune disease survivor turned THRIVER, and a West Point drop-out.  I created a dental product that contains all the antibacterial benefits of a mouthwash, with all of the plaque/tarter/tooth whitening benefits of a tooth powder. And you can eat it.

Did you know that 81% of the population has an oral care issue. Yet, it’s essential to being HEALTHY.  What we are using is not WORKING.

The mouth is a cesspool with over 200 species of bacteria, including 60 varieties of spirochetes, which is the bacteria found in the brains of deceased Dementia and Alzheimer’s patients…and Lyme disease.  I spent 5 years battling Lyme and Lupus and a variety of autoimmune diseases and what I discovered that most of my illness was due to routine wisdom teeth extraction creating focal infection, later fixed by a biological dentist.  I then cured myself of the rest.  And I can remember to this day, how I raked my arm across my bathroom sink and knocked every personal care item I owned into a black garbage bag. I’ve never looked back and I haven’t had a symptom of illness to this day.

Gloria Steinman said, “The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off.”

Most people use dental products filled with irritants, endocrine disruptions & toxic ingredients, multiple times a day.   And what you put in your mouth, goes right into your bloodstream.

While natural brands are much healthier, their copycats of each other. Top ingredients read- Water, glycerin, hydrated silica, add in some emulsifiers and some SLS.  None of these improve dental health and the research behind these ingredients point to the contrary.

I wondered where the innovation was?  There are thousands of cavity studies out there.

So I  made the  “altoid” of brushing experiences. It’s a whole new level of clean. It contains well researched ingredients that rebuild enamel,  kill bacteria, and heal the gums.  It does everything.  It can also be used as a mouthwash or an intense breath freshener.  You can instantly change the pH of your mouth to a super alkaline 10 and halt decay.

Oral care is a 12  billion a year industry. It’s dominated by pure evil.

With the push for better ingredients in cosmetics and personal care, the natural channel is estimated at  250 million a year and grows 15% a year.  It’s HUGE.  

We want to offer enticing options…that WORK, for every age.

With infection rates for dental surgeries being so high, and practically ignored, our social mission to educate consumers about their dental care options.  Everyone knows someone suffering from disease. And this is the kind of information that can save people’s lives!

Frau Fowler is putting the TREAT back into Treatment and the CARE back into Oral Care.

Thank you!

 

Yvonne Feld, triedandtasty.com