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Below is our recent interview with Brad Locke, the President at Wondercide:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to Wondercide?
A: Wondercide provides effective, plant-powered solutions as an alternative to conventional pest control products and services by harnessing the power of nature to do the job –and it’s safe around the whole family when used as directed. The company was founded by Stephanie Boone, whose dog Luna didn’t do well on conventional flea-and-tick products. Determined that there had to be a better way to protect the ones she loved, Stephanie started her journey to develop the product line that would later become Wondercide and be seen by millions on Shark Tank.
Q: What kind of products do you offer and why?
A: Wondercide offers lab-proven pest protection for pets, families, homes, and yards made with plant-based active ingredients. The most popular product line is Flea & Tick, which includes collars, spot ons, sprays for dogs and cats that can also be used throughout the home, and yard sprays so customers can take care of the bugs at the source. The spray for pets and home comes in four scents including cedarwood, lemongrass, rosemary, and the newest scent, peppermint.
Wondercide also offers pet-safe pest control solutions that are safe around the whole family, including Fruit Fly Trap, Wasp & Hornet long-range aerosol, and our newest product that just launched at the end of October this year: Flying Insect Trap, powered by Blu-V™ technology with zero chemical insecticides.
Q: What is unique about the company?
A: Wondercide’s unique culture is built on protecting those we love, which includes families throughout the U.S. We intentionally develop initiatives and traditions for our team that focus on wellness. This includes Thankful Thursday which promotes gratitude and mindfulness.
And we’re dedicated to Luna’s Legacy, which is the opportunity we all have to see what needs to change in the world and be a part of that. With love, compassion, and a spirit of giving to others, each employee is encouraged to take paid volunteer time off (VTO) to help the community. Wondercide also supports causes like pet rescue through partnerships with amazing organizations like Paws for Life K9 Rescue, Austin Pets Alive!, and the Austin Humane Society.
Q: Who is the ideal Wondercide customer?
A: Wondercide has served almost 3 million families and counting. Our ideal customer is someone who aims to live a more natural life. They try to avoid the types of ingredients in conventional products and are thoughtful about what they put on and around their pets and family. These customers are throughout the U.S., in urban cities, suburban communities, and rural areas. Families of all kinds are looking for breakthrough products like plant-powered Wondercide.
Our customers care about their community and the environment. They’re looking for goodness in their lives.
Q: Wondercide currently serves consumers. Do you plan to serve commercial accounts in the future?
A: Many commercial companies purchase Wondercide products for use in their businesses, including vets, pet daycare centers, pet boarding companies, rescue organizations, pest control operators, gardeners, and event planners. And we’re constantly evaluating new opportunities to extend the brand.
Q: What are Thankful Thursdays?
A: Each Thursday we get together to share what each person is grateful for. This time provides an opportunity to be heard and supported.
Wondercide founder, Stephanie Boone, started Thankful Thursday at the company after she learned about the “21 Days of Gratitude Challenge.” The premise is that it takes 21 days of repeating an action for it to become a habit. So Stephanie set a rule for herself when she was doing the gratitude challenge. She was going to be thankful for 3-5 things every day, and in a week those things could never repeat. So she had to get specific and dig in.
Focusing on so many things to be thankful for over those 21 days rooted Stephanie in the mindset of gratitude and created a shift for her. She realized that gratitude was something that could be more than grounding for her personally, it could also be a foundational value and practice for the company. So she started getting the team together each week, encouraging those open to it to share something that each was grateful for. Stephanie’s wish was to help people believe that life can be beautiful and the power of gratitude can shift our energy in more positive directions.
Q: How does Wondercide conduct Thankful Thursdays every week?
A: Each Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. all of our teammates gather in person and remotely via Zoom. There, we share new announcements and then focus on gratefulness. Sometimes teammates share that they’re thankful for things like coffee and fresh water or the latest movie they love. Sometimes, it’s much more personal and serious than that. The team shares about moments that have affected them, like the loss of a loved one or a challenge they’re having. We laugh. We cry. We’re vulnerable and there for each other. It’s really wonderful.
Q: What are some of the biggest takeaways from Thankful Thursdays that other businesses can use?
A: The power of gratitude is immense. Harvard researchers have found that gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, improves health, strengthens relationships, and helps us deal with adversity in more positive ways. That’s incredibly transformational for each person on the team and for the work we do together.
Thankful Thursdays also build community and strengthen relationships among the Wondercide team. By listening to each other, we’re taking care of people inside of the company in a bigger way. We get to know each other better. Each person can feel heard, cared for, and valued.
Teammates often learn about something going on in a co-worker’s business or personal life that lets them step up to offer added support. From a leadership perspective, we keep a pulse on how the team is doing physically and emotionally, and it helps us see where we could be doing more to help – or reassures us that our team is feeling strong, happy, and engaged.
With a mindset of thankfulness, the team is more positive. We can lean in and see opportunities where others might see challenges. We want to support each other in the solution and we help each other stay focused on the reason for the work we do, which is the love we have for pets and their families.
Q: How do Thankful Thursdays help serve customers?
A: Thankful Thursday helps us feel gratitude for each day as well as empathy. It gives us the energy and the passion we need to take care of the millions of families we protect. Our Customer Love team leads with a caring mindset, and it shows in our happiness scores.
Gratitude also fuels creativity and creative problem-solving, which drives the Wondercide team to continue to improve in all ways for our customers.
Q: What can we expect from Wondercide in the next 6 months?
A: We’re continuing to innovate new pest protection products like Wondercide’s Flying Insect Trap and peppermint-scented collar and spot ons. We’ll share news on what’s next in the coming months.
Wondercide headquarters is moving from Austin, TX to Round Rock, TX which is just a bit north of where we are right now. The new facility will give our team the space to better collaborate and support more customers. And, we’ll be celebrating Wondercide’s 15th anniversary in 2024. We’re thankful for the opportunity we’ve had to protect almost 3 million families and the ones they love.
Q: Tell us something exciting about Wondercide’s future plans.
A: Wondercide will be available at more pet-specialty retailers in 2024. We are excited to ramp up our store presence so we can help more families protect their pets and homes.
Q: What is the best thing about Wondercide that people might not know about?
A: From a product perspective, people might not know that Wondercide meets the same effectiveness standards required for conventional products. So it works in addition to being powered by plants.
I think the best thing about Wondercide as a company is the positive energy that’s palpable among the team. We’re grateful to be able to protect families and each other. There’s a feeling of support and love that I’ve never seen at another company. It’s not unusual to hear employees say “Love you” and that is something I’m thankful for each day.
Q: Anything else that is important for readers to note?
A: Wondercide is available on Wondercide.com, Amazon.com, Chewy.com, and at retailers across the U.S. Our store locator will help people find Wondercide near them.
