We had the pleasure to talk with Jessica Sheppard and Rhaelyn Gillespie, co-founders of Mintier, about The World’s First Oil-based Breath Mint.
What is your business called and what does it do?
Mintier is a first-of-its-kind product because we truly couldn’t find anything to keep our breath feeling fresh all day long. Think about it, when’s the last time you had mints or gum and it lasted past a few minutes?
Sick of stale, bad breath we questioned why haven’t these traditional products worked in the past. One random day in 2019 moved our cofounder Jessica to look at the ingredients on her pack of mints, and there it was. The culprit had been sugar this whole time. Sugar literally feeds the oral bacteria in your mouth and causes bad breath. Jessica brought on our cofounder Rhaelyn to help research, and it turns out that one mint happens to be two-thirds sugar. We learned that the mints we were having literally accelerate how bad your breath gets.
That was the big “aha” moment to create Mintier. There was only one way to leave out sugar and sugar alcohols, and it led us to make the world’s first oil-based breath mint. The taste of Mintier leaves you with fresh breath for up to an hour- unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. This 30 ml tincture bottle is your go-to after coffee, tasty meals, in the office, and at-home with over 120 servings per bottle. Finally, a natural alternative with simple ingredients to give you a game-changing fresh breath.
As the founders of Mintier, we’re proud to say it’s completely vegan, keto-friendly, Made in Canada, and women-owned. Coming from a background of health & wellness businesses, we’re excited to bring this invention to life, and we cannot wait for you to try Mintier.
What made you want to do this work?
The idea was based on our own struggle, but we had the opportunity to be a part of Cohort 11 for Venturepark Labs accelerator program, founded by Arlene Dickinson, which really took our sugar-free mint idea and helped us turn it into a business. We spent 6 months laying the foundation for Mintier to be a business ready to scale and get into your hands this fall!
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
We were so shocked to learn that traditional breath mints and gum are basically just sugar, because sugar is the binding ingredient. On top of that, sugar is a leading cause of bad breath as it feeds the oral bacteria in your mouth, making your breath way worse at an accelerated rate. Pretty counterintuitive we thought. This category is tired, with not a lot of innovation, and we are finally solving the problem of why we all take mints and gum in the first place. Once you taste Mintier, you finally know what fresh breath really is.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Our customer is literally anyone facing coffee breath, stale breath or any sort of bad breath all around. Don’t worry, we’re human and it happens to all of us. We finally created something that works, and we cannot wait for you to try Mintier.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
We currently are offering pre-sales of Mintier for October through our Kickstarter page. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shopmintier/mintier-oil-based-breath-mint/
Where in the city can we find your profession?
We have been exploring Toronto looking for the perfect spots to bring Mintier. Right now, we’re looking at some awesome health food stores, cafe’s, as well as select Sobey’s stores in October of 2020. Plus, you will always be able to order us through shopmintier.com.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
Customers ask us how it’s possible to create a mint without sugar or sugar alcohols since they are always used? Our answer is simple. We comprised 6 natural ingredients to make a first-of-its-kind oil-based breath mint.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part is seeing people’s reactions. We gave out samples this weekend and just simply said let us know what you think. Right away, people from all different ages and backgrounds asked us, “Where can I buy this?!” It is humbling to see people as obsessed with Mintier as we are.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
We created a company based on our own struggle with bad breath, but hey! We are human! Look at us now, fresh breath up to an hour at a time thanks to Mintier. Goodbye coffee breath!
Where can we follow you?
Our kickstarter has an awesome 3-minute explainer video about Mintier, and you can also follow us on TikTok and Instagram. Our waitlist is ready too!
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
We have to shout out our fellow VenturePark Labs Cohort 11 members!
More Granola, Sachili, Sacred Foods, Secret Foods, Justo’s Craft Dips, Thrive Provisions, Elate Cosmetics, Aura Nutrition and Barnyard Biscuits
