In this week’s Founders Unfiltered, I’m so excited to share my interview with Jessica Donati and Rhaelyn Gillespie, the co-founders behind Mintier! The two met as co-workers at Clearco in Toronto and went on to build Mintier into an overnight beauty brand, with face and mouth tape designed to fit easily into your nighttime routine.

We met as co-workers at Clearco in Toronto. Jess was a senior investment analyst and Rhae was an account director, and we spent long, coffee-fuelled days helping other founders grow their companies. One day in 2019, Jess wanted a better breath mint than the ones in the office, brought Rhae in to dig into it with her, and we realized we wanted to build something of our own together.

It was a lot of trial and error! Jess first tried to make a sugar-free mint in her kitchen, and it just wouldn’t hold together, so we landed on an oil-based formula instead. We joined Arlene Dickinson’s Venture Park Labs accelerator, which helped us turn the idea into a real business, and then our Kickstarter was fully funded in less than 24 hours.

From there, we kept thinking about the little moments people already have, and nighttime felt like the biggest one. Overnight face and mouth tape felt like the same idea we started with: small, simple habits that fit into your routine, just while you sleep.

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Overnight face and mouth tape felt like the same idea we started with: small, simple habits that fit into your routine, just while you sleep.

We think it’s here to stay because it’s such an easy little ritual to add to winding down and to a breathwork practice. The thing people get wrong is thinking it has to feel intense. It should be gentle and comfortable, and peel off easily in the morning. That’s what ours are designed for.

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The thing people get wrong is thinking it has to feel intense. It should be gentle and comfortable.

Phone down. I stop scrolling before 9:00 pm. Then a simple skincare routine: literally just cleanse and tallow, face tape on the forehead and around the eyes, and mouth tape last before lights out. Sometimes I’ll use our strips on my jowls and jawline as a preventative step. It’s honestly the only way to turn our brains off these days and get proper rest.

The best part is that we never carry the hard days alone. When one of us is stuck, the other usually has fresh eyes, and we get to celebrate every win together, from a big new retailer to a sweet note from a customer.

The trickiest part is that we both care about everything! We’ve had to get really clear on who owns what. Jess leads our retail partnerships and Rhae leads product, marketing and launches, and that split has made us a lot faster.

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The best part is that we never carry the hard days alone.

Working at Clearco meant we saw hundreds of growing brands up close, so we learned early how much funding, marketing and timing matter. We both also have entrepreneurship in our blood, so the leap felt like a calling.

It’s a big goal, and it takes more than shipping across the border. We opened a warehouse in the US so American customers get their orders fast, and we’ve grown there through our own site and Ulta Beauty, with more retail on the way next year.

The hardest part is the behind-the-scenes stuff: two warehouses, customs, and making sure the right stock is in the right country at the right time. The best part has been being available to customers everywhere!

Drew Barrymore or Martha Stewart! They embody the exact energy we want to bring to celebrate women.

Our first customers and our families. Our first customers took a chance on two friends with a new idea, and their feedback has shaped every product we’ve made. Our families have cheered us on through every late night and every launch.

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Our first customers took a chance on two friends with a new idea, and their feedback has shaped every product we’ve made.

Facial acupuncture, holistic dentists, daily walks outside, and the occasional Love Is Blind binge!