Kari BlockFounder, Inventor &

CEO of:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gailzahtz/2013/11/12/mouse-leads-entrepreneur-mom-to-create-40-million-sustainable-company

http://www.earth-kind.com/

http://demanddesign.net/

In my interview with Kari Block, founder of Earth Kind which makes Fresh Cab Rodent Repellant, I was so inspired, that I took the pictures sent to me, and instead of writing a post, put some of why I became a fan of hers and the company into this slideshow…

The Interview

Click Below to listenMy Interview with Kari Block• They hire 50% disabled

without taking tax credits• They’ve made an accessible

manufacturing plant with Kari’s own designs.

• They help save local farmers.• She does this to help save

the environment and do the next right thing!

What I learned about Earth Kind• She’s built it from the ground

up by growing slow and steady.

• Everyone employee and “partner” distributor has a voice.

• Their products take naturally grown waste and turn it into helping others with both rodents and public health and safety.

Why do I support voting for Earth Kind Fresh Cab for the Mission Main Street Grant? Plans for the $250,000 are to educate the public in issues that affect their health, safety and business. Vote at http://www.earth-kind.com/

VOTES NEEDED THIS WEEK!

The grant will go to help with public education from safe rodent control to the dangers to the public health of rodents and more. So inspiring…

Kari talks about the importance of using social media. Beyond how many people use it, engagement is a part of how she does business- employees, customers, distributor “partners” are all listened to about new ideas.

Vote for Earth-Today and help reach 250 votes before Friday: https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/business/detail/122082

While many people talk about sustainability- Kari’s driving force, what motivated her through ten years of working towards the dream of building the company, getting a college degree in her early 40’s with two kids, and using her earnings from the farmer’s market sales to start building Fresh Cab: being good to the earth. It’s been about passion, patience and persistence for this:

Fresh Cab’s story started while Kari was working at this cosmetic counter- the perfume gave her a headache, which was why she sprayed the mouse that climbed up her leg whileshe was on the farmdating her to-beHusband.

Kari’s scientist father showed them where “away” is- by taking a family trip to the landfill. This left an impression for the rest of her life from making her own shampoos to now creating and packaging Fresh Cab with the earth first.

Family First. Kari learned about the farm while staying with the kids, then they went to the farmer’s market with her, and helped assemble early Fresh Cabs from the kitchen table.

Even down to the packaging- Kari hasn’t wanted plastics that would go back into hurting the environment, so she has had a say in the design of every part of the packaging of the products.

Kari talked during our interview about how she made these beautiful natural flowers and plants to make and sell organic potpourri. When she was a child she started making her own shampoos to keep away from plastic bottles, then during the ten years of building Fresh Cab in her mind, this is just one product she sold at the farmer’s market.

The other framers she met from the farmer’s market were both her first buyers and her constant market research.

Rodents on farms has been a problem forever- doing damage and hurting the crops and the machinery.

She has stuck to her original way of speaking with people directly, and keeping her customers first.

Raising small children, and doing whatever needed to make ends meets- Kari Block started as a true cottage industry making and selling items at the Farmer’s Market.

Kari Block puts thought into the packaging, design and the entire process of manufacturing to working with re-sellers so everyone shares the same values.

Kari Block’s Business Advise:

She keeps a business plan that can be in three pages. The business should be simple, and everyone should be able to understand the values, goals and plans in an easy way.

Tip from Kari: Build the company at the rate that’s good for you- don’t over-grow too fast, and include everyone-

employee to partner- in the process of having a voice.

The value that kept Kari going for ten years of dreaming, educating herself, and trying to get through patents and EPA approval was to be good to the environment.

50% of their employees have a disability, and might not otherwise have work- instead they have a place where their voice matters.

Kari designed part of the plant herself, including having a say in modifications in the line equipment so it could be used by employees of all abilities.

Mimicry is flattery.

While Fresh Cab was the first natural rodent repellent, dozens have hit the shelves since.

When talking about it, Kari said she was excited- it meant that more people were realizing there is an option to toxins, and that more homes and farms will be safe.

Always learning.

Always engaging everyone.

Always trying to do better.

Kari has helped other small businesses get started in North Dakota. She also has kept small family farms in business in the Mid-West by buying from local farmers, and signing contacts a year in advance so the farmers would know their crops would be sold ahead and how much to plant and harvest.

She started with help from her local SBA- Small Business Administration- and then won one of the top Small Businesses of the year nationally.

She’s been marketing and educating all along. The grant education would be a continuation of her goals of letting more people know about the dangers of rodents, toxic pesticides and options that consumers now have to keep a significant public health danger away.

Kari regularly talks with other entrepreneurs giving help and advise on how she’s built her company.

One tip- don’t let others push you to grow too fast, listen to your own company needs and grow accordingly.

Kari talks about the importance of women mentoring other women.

During the interview, Kari Block went over major hurdles that women have in growing larger (over the $1 million in sales) company. By speaking with other women, she works at helping others.

Kari was selected as one of the top ten women entrepreneur’s by Ernst and Young.

During our interview she talked about the importance of women mentoring other women to help them grow.

Vote for Earth-Today and help us reach 250 votes before Friday: https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/business/detail/122082

And this is why I was inspired to spread the message to help others vote for Fresh Cab for the Chase Mission Main Street Grants- I wasn’t paid – I was inspired. – Gail Zahtz www.blogtalkradio.com/gailzahtz