Great companies don’t get sold. They get bought.
Yeah, it’s early in the game for Jeff McClintic and Shane Cope - a brother-in-law duo that’s teamed up to build what could easily become a 9- or 10-figure brand.
In a sec, you’ll see why our money’s on a pharmaceutical company waving a semi-full of cash at them, asking to buy. (Semis can’t wave? Shush.) They’ve got a huge market with a heretofore unsolved problem called…
XEROSTOMIA
Even the word looks a little scary. Its meaning is enough to send you running for a glass of water. It’s Dry Mouth. As in, you can literally not give a spit. Because you don’t have much. 10% of the general population has it… and a whopping 25-50% of seniors.
Can you imagine? But things could be worse. You could have BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME (good gravy!). “Only” 2% of the population has that one, thank goodness. Still.
Why is this a thing, and why hasn’t anyone fixed this problem yet?
Good question. No real answer for you except that Shane and Jeff are on the job. Shane’s a dentist (a fancy kind - not just drill and fill). Jeff’s a successful digital marketing consultant for contractors. Oh, and some companies have tried to fix it… but their idea of fixing involves getting sufferers to ingest a ton of questionable chemicals to get a teensy bit of relief. WOMP WOMP.
Not on their watch. Jeff and Shane decided to join forces and build a brand that solves this godawful problem for people. They’re in the Capitalism Incubator together as business partners. Also, they were chosen to pitch on a recent Pitch Week. Their product uses essential oils to solve dry mouth in a way that actually works - and is good for your health.
How’d it go?
Well, they’re in talk with investors and a marketing agency… and some influencers. They’ve got their formula sorted, have a manufacturer lined up, and are awaiting samples any day. So, good.
What’s also cool to watch is how Shane and Jeff approach building this brand using the Owner’s Model. They both could have tried to do all the things to get this brand off the ground by themselves. But with day jobs and kids, plus Jeff runs a non-profit as well, they knew they’d need to be very smart with their time.
For those in the back row, here’s a refresher on the Owner’s Model.
Following this strategy, the founder’s most important role is that of visionary. Everything else hinges on that fact - and that fact keeps the founders out of the weeds and focused on doing what only they can do.
What a founder does:
- Cast a vision for the business. (One of the first exercises our students do is to craft a Vivid Vision - worth a Google.)
- Get the right people involved. (Thus, the conversations with investors, marketing agencies, influencers, etc. - these people all have their own zone of genius. Letting them do what they do best enables the founder to stay in visionary mode.)
- Make sure your business never runs out of money. (There’s a reason they’re called Angel Investors. If you skeeve at the idea of sharing equity, answer this… would you rather have one entire GRAPE? Or a big fat slice of watermelon? See?)
Jeff and Shane are asking WHO rather than HOW.
As in, who can help us with marketing? Whose audience could we borrow (influencers)? When who becomes your instinctive question rather than how’m I supposed to do this thing I don’t know how to do things move faster… and you get to keep your sanity. Yay.
Of course, as is the case with probably all of us who are in the grind phase of building million dollar businesses… it’s not going as fast as we’d like.
We all get a timeline that looks great on paper, but then reality hits and things just take longer. When investors are involved, it feels like the clock is ticking even louder. But here’s the secret truth about timelines and other plans: Investors already know that the details are imaginary until they actually happen. Everyone makes their best predictions - but nobody’s great at seeing around corners.
Relax a little. Investors are big kids. They do their due diligence and know that the road ahead isn’t actually paved yet. As Ryan famously said, “You’re responsible TO your investors, not FOR them.”
Takeaway
Jeff shared some parting wisdom…
Just take action. You’re going to get somewhere… and if it’s the wrong action, you’ll learn. Do something today, something that lines up with your vision.
Here’s how to learn more about Jeff and Shane’s brand, Essential Sprays and to hear updates as they happen.
At Capitalism.com, every student success story fuels our ambitious mission: to help create one million millionaires by 2028. The journey of Jeff McClintic and Shane Cope reminds us that this goal is achievable.
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