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Last Update: Wednesday September 23, 2020

St. Claire's Mints Are Organic Sweets

If you're passionate, cause marketing works.

Debra St. Claire

Boulder, Colorado: Debra St. Claire started this business in 1993 because she could see how to merge her two loves together in a new way. She decided to make her own peppermint; she was willing to compete with the industry's giants to help further her cause to preserve a very special part of the earth, the Ethno-Medicine Preservation Project in the Amazon Basin. Medicinals from those rain forests have a chemistry that heals in ways that pharmeceuticals do not.

With vegetarian sensitivities, Debra St.Claire was so disappointed when she discovered that there was beef gelatin in her favorite peppermints, she said, "I'll make my own!"

Out of one of America's hotbeds for creativity, Boulder, Colorado, comes the story of St.Claire's Organic Sweets. Now on hundreds of store shelves, Debra has wittingly and unwittingly involved hundreds of thousands of people (her customers) in a very important preservation project. Also, she loves poetry and every time somebody opens one of her peppermint (or, is it a breathmint?) tins, she gives them a little universal truth like the poetry from the heart of people like Mahatma Gandhi. 

Go to all the key ideas and videos of this episode...

Integrity, Courage, Tenacity and a Bit of Genius

Pay Attention To Spot Opportunity

4:05 | Play Now | Debra found Altoids in a health food store and a lightbulb went on in her head that there should be a strong breath mint for the health-food conscious.

Start A Business To Fund A Cause

1:51 | Play Now | Debra St. Claire shows that customers will buy from you when they know they are helping a good cause.  She is helping to fund the Ethno-Medicine Preservation Project.

Find Like-Minded People

1:48 | Play Now | With a clearly defined mission, it is easy to find others who think like you think.

Make The Banker Say Yes

1:31 | Play Now | Bankers don't take risk so you must demonstrate how you will repay a loan.

Pre-Sell A New Product

2:46 | Play Now | When your idea is simple, people can buy it.

Choose A Meaningful Name

2:07 | Play Now | Names make a difference and they should telegraph some intangible value.

Attract Others With Your Vision

4:25 | Play Now | With a startup, sometimes the idea of being part of something new is all the founder has to offer.

Build On Your Past Experience

1:50 | Play Now | The most efficient way to find the next opportunity for a new business or for growing your current business is to look inside yourself and your industry.

Give Customers More Than They Expect

1:45 | Play Now | From the beginning, Debra added a service to her very simple product.


About The Many Stars of this Television Show

All the people who appear as the stars of this television show are recommended (1) by their community for their integrity and (2) by their industry for their creativity and courage. Our national sponsors -- from IBM, USPS, Verizon, Microsoft, D&B, Travelers, Business Week, and many others -- have paid for everything.

Nobody can pay or has ever paid to be on this television show.

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