We were honoured to chat to London based entrepreneur Shaun recently - founder and inventor of Tangle Teezer- a brand that is designed and manufactured in the UK with 20 hairbrushes sold every minute globally. It's no secret, i'm a huge fan of this product!
In 2018, Tangle Teezer moved into the pet world launching two grooming brushes under Pet Teezer - one for detangling and one for deshedding. And this came from a very genuine ask from customers across social media who were using the human brushes on their dogs (I should know, I was one of those people!)...
This month we were delighted to be one of the first to try out the new mini brush for small dogs, so good that Teddy fell asleep whilst being groomed - that's got to be the ultimate compliment, right?
We caught up with Shaun to find out more...
HS: Tell us how you came to realise the Tangle Teezer technology could be adapted for dogs. Do you have a dog yourself?
SP: For years we were inundated with consumer feedback telling us they were using their Tangle Teezer hairbrush on their pet, so it seemed only logical to adapt the teeth to suit the needs of dog hair. Funnily enough I have my own dog that doesn’t really need brushing as she’s a short haired breed, a Boston Terrier named Lucy - she’s my reason for living!
How does the brush technically differ from the human brush?
We use the same patented two-tier teeth technology that cannot be copied, the length and strength of the teeth are completely different to the Tangle Teezer teeth, the surface area is larger, and the shape is hollow making them super easy to clean.
What research did you conduct whilst developing the brush for dogs? Did anything surprise you?
We spent almost four years conducting research, we worked with Battersea Dogs Home Ltd and tried and tested lots of prototypes with their dogs of different breeds and sizes. Once we had the final prototypes, we conducted research with an independent research agency called Launchpad Research, and the findings from this were so positive we knew it was time to bring the product to market. What surprised me was how easy and safe our pet brushes were to use, as they don’t contain metal, there is no specific way to use them to get great results.
What have you enjoyed the most about seeing Pet Teezer come to market?
The best part for me has been bringing a non-metal alternative to the market as metal/bladed grooming tools can be dangerous to use if you are unexperienced. Giving the consumer the perfect at home grooming brush that the whole family can use has been extremely rewarding. I’ve also loved receiving all the videos from consumers now using their Pet Teezer instead of their Tangle Teezer!
What are the top three tips you’d give to an entrepreneur?
- Always go with your gut feeling, I’ve always been a natural optimist, but I’ve never let that blind me.
- Hire experts in the fields that you are not familiar with.
- Make sure your invention or idea is viable, too many people run with something that pleases only themselves and not the industry at large.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve learnt from?
In the early days I hired the wrong product designer, but that mistake lead me to find the one I’ve now worked with for the past 10 years, so I must look at it as good thing.
What keeps you inspired?
Life in general, I’ve always had a passion for hair and seeing the emotional wellbeing that good hair gives to women (and men) keeps me going.
What does the future hold for Pet Teezer?
We hope to grow it in a similar way to Tangle Teezer, continuing to encourage people to groom their fury friends as it makes for a happy and healthy pet.
Quick Fire Questions...
- Favourite City - Boston
- Perfect Dinner Guest – Robert Downey Jr or Chris Pratt
- Favourite Holiday Destination – Miami or Provence Town
- Favourite Food – Steak or Chinese
- Downtime is... Coming up with more innovation!
- Biggest Extravagance – Looking after my mum
- Favourite Book – Watching documentaries is my reading so I can’t answer that!
- Biggest Motivator – My mum
- If you were a dog, which breed would you be and why? – A Boston Terrier as we’re very similar in personality, very energetic and a bit left field!
- Thank you so much Shaun, we have loved learning more about Pet Teezer and your top tips too! Pet Teezer is recommended by Battersea Dogs & Cats Homewhere a donation from each brush sold goes to the charity -
You can check out the new small brushes here
Warmest Woofs, Holly & Teddy x
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