Founder Spotlight: Heather McDougall (Bogobrush)
Heather McDougall
Company:
Business Description:
Bogobrush is a beautiful, sustainable toothbrush made from either recycled plastic or made from plants. For each brush we sell, we give back to sustainability causes in communities around the world.
Startup Stage:
Post Seed
Location:
Detroit, USA
What led you to where you are today?
My brother and I discovered our shared passion for sustainability while in school, law school for me and automotive design for John, and we decided to use our skills to help bring more awareness to the environmental and social impact of our daily lives. We researched many products and services and kept coming back to the idea of re-imagining a toothbrush: a product we all use twice a day, that can prevent oral and heart diseases, and is currently contributing to more than 800 million toothbrushes polluting the earth each year in the United States. Together, we can create the world of our dreams.
What do you wish you knew before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?
I don't regret anything because it's all led to me to who I am in this moment and I know I will continue to evolve. One thing I am learning now, and if I had learned it sooner it could have saved me from certain burn-out and heartache, is to really tune into my passion and gifts and to look for the support from a team to fill in around that rather than stick to bootstrap mode for as long as I did. Definitely people have helped along the way, this is just me acknowledging that I did not keep up with my internal growth and let outside narratives hold me in place. I know now that there is always a way and asking for help - even asking to "Help me figure out why I feel stuck." The equally important piece is to find support from people who feel good in your gut...it won't always be comfortable, but it will be supportive for who you are. Trust it's out there.
What can you help the VEGPRENEUR community with?
Where do you need help? I have a large community of activists and believers in a sustainable world. They range from food experts to health experts to environmental experts to economy experts. I also can personally help by leading community conversations in sustainability discussions. I've done this for several years and people always leave feeling more empowered about their role in our world. I can help share knowledge and action steps for shifting mindsets.
How can the VEGPRENEUR community help you?
Share the story of Bogobrush, like you're doing, but also I would love to offer my voice to your community for perspective on Sustainability - it's more than the products we use and more than the hype the media puts out. Sustainability requires dismantling the system of guilt of privilege in our minds so we can truly align with the needs of humanity and the lanet. The work is big, but the myths hold us back from true progress. I'm hopeful and empowered and would be happy to have more platforms to help share my method and beliefs. As one part of the collective.
Fun fact about you:
I won a piano writing competition in my home state when I was 12 years old.