Jessica Gore
Founder/Nurturer of Tasty Clean
What inspired you to start your business?
My “spirited” 2 ½ year old son! That extremely humiliating moment when he dropped his sucker in a public place and had a full-blown fall out on the floor temper tantrum in which everyone stopped and looked at me in disdain. I thought to myself, if only there was a safe and all-natural product that I could simply spray onto the now germ-infested sucker so I could give it back to my now inconsolable son. THAT was my ah-ha moment.
What challenges have you faced as a woman entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?
There are so many challenges that I, and I’m sure many other woman entrepreneurs, have faced as a woman entrepreneur. One moment that really sticks out is a conversation I had with an older gentleman who happened to be a retired television host. He was asking me all sorts of questions about Tasty Clean and seemed genuinely impressed. He then asked me “so, how are you funding this project?” My simple answer to him was that I had bootstrapped it and worked very hard. “Oh, so your husband payed for it?” was his reply and no matter how hard I tried to explain to him that my husband had not paid for the project, he just could not grasp that concept. The idea that a woman could have a business that was not run or paid for by her husband was not something he could comprehend. His head was literally about to explode right in front of my eyes! I find that when dealing with men in manufacturing (and many other business situations), they prefer to speak to a man or think that there is no way I could possibly understand what they are telling me. It’s as if I have to pass a quiz every time I have a conversation with a man in business to prove that I am worthy of a serious conversation.
What advice would you give to other women entrepreneurs?
There will be obstacles, you will get knocked down many times, but it’s ok to feel the feels. The key is to go to bed at night and wake up to a new day and leave the negative behind. Surround yourself with a network of women who are battling the same battles that you are and lean on them for advice. You are not alone, and you do not have to carry the weight by yourself. Take care of you and don’t let anyone make you feel like you can’t do this, because you can!
What three traits define you?
Honesty in everything that I do, Creativity, Empathy
What women inspire you?
My mother inspires me to no end. My mom gave up her dreams to raise her family starting as a young girl taking care of siblings, then raising her own children. Making her proud is my driving force and keeps me going. Another woman that I find inspiring is Suzy Batiz, creator of Poo~Pourri. I feel like she probably conquered many of the obstacles I am facing right now, so she gives me hope for sure!
As a business owner, what keeps you up at night?
My children literally keep me up at night Other than that, I worry about running out of money and letting my children down. I worry about not having the strength to keep this business going and running out of steam. I do my best not to worry as it really just doesn’t help anything, but we all have those days that just test you to your core. One thing I really try to work on is shifting my worry and using that energy to create solutions for whatever problem is weighing most heavily on me that day. They key is to wake up the next morning to a new day full of hope and possibilities!
If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?
I would start by going to the gym more, that’s TOP of the list. I would also love to learn how to golf, take a photography class and do more fun stuff with my kids!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up! As a very small child, I wanted to be a veterinarian, but then I realized you had to do surgery so that was the end of that. In high school I was in the Youth Entrepreneur Program where I just knew I liked to work for myself but hadn’t figured out in what capacity.
How do you unwind after a long workday?
Ah, now this is something I need to work on! I’m wound pretty tight.
Fill in the blank:
When I face a challenge, I... step back, take time to assess the situation rationally, then tackle it.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself…this journey will be a LONG and BUMPY road, but it will be so worth it in the end. Oh, and ALWAYS get it in writing!
The one thing I couldn’t live without is… my family, they mean the world to me.
By this time next year, I will be… in Walmart stores looking at Tasty Clean on the shelves.
The best thing that happened to me last week was… being interviewed by a local TV station to be featured in a Mompreneur series during the morning news, SO cool.
To get my creative juices flowing, I… take a nice warm shower! I always get my best ideas in the shower for some reason.
Tasty Clean
From pacifiers to dentures and everything in-between, Tasty Clean is here to help you keep it clean! Tasty Clean All-Natural Flavored Cleaning Spray cleans the items that go in your mouth without the use of harsh chemicals, just spray and go. Great for pacifiers, bottles, toys, retainers, mouth guards, hands, camping and so much more. Tasty Clean is THE must have travel companion for anyone with an active lifestyle. Dentist and Orthodontist approved and completely safe to ingest.
