If you look at Sqwishful’s core product offerings – sustainable cleaning supplies – you would have thought that prior to starting this company, founder Jenn Tsang must have been working in the household product or hospitality industry. Little could one guess that she went on tour with a global event company, did marketing for Japanese streetwear brands, led strategy for creative digital apps, and ended up at a New York based consulting firm, before taking a one-year sabbatical (which she says changed her life) and becoming, in her own words, a “sponge lady”. The “sponge lady”, if I may.
For those who have never come across Sqwishful before, their hero product is a sponge made from natural wood pulp (regular sponges are made from plastic!) which come packed dry and flat. Once you put water on it, it pops up – which makes for a very fun unboxing experience. Sqwishful came about from Jenn’s own plastic cleansing journey, but I wanted to know more about her path starting her own business and what keeps inspiring her to do what she does. Check out our chat below!
What has been inspiring you lately? It could be visual inspiration, a person, a piece of news… anything!
I love how creative plant-based dining is here in Hong Kong! And how you can trace the diaspora of spam and the intersection of Hong Kong’s agricultural and colonial histories in Omnipork luncheon dishes.
What were you working on prior to starting Sqwishful?
I was a consultant for ten years working with startups. I went on tour with a global event company, did marketing for Japanese streetwear brands, led strategy for creative digital apps, and ended up at a New York based consulting firm. In 2015, I took a one-year sabbatical. For my health. I travelled, cooked, and rode my bike for a year. I changed my relationship with things and it changed my life.
After you learned that you had poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, you did your research and learned that women with PCOS have higher amounts of BPA in their bodies, an endocrine-disrupting chemical used to make plastics. How did you go from there to starting Sqwishful and making your own sponges?
It took years to understand how much plastic I used and how to make more sustainable lifestyle choices. Then one day, I needed a new sponge. I went down to the corner store, I was living in Brooklyn at the time, and there was the same sponge in every store – the neon yellow one with green, plastic scrubby side. I love to clean but most cleaning products don’t leave the world cleaner. I started Sqwishful in 2018 to change that. Now, two years later, we’re nationwide at Whole Foods in the US.
I think our momentum speaks to the growing awareness around industries that have put profit over people and planet for too long. A lot of brands that are moving the mindful cleaning movement forward are woman-owned too. I think that says something about us taking ownership of our bodies and helping others and the environment heal in some way.
Sqwishful sponges are plant-based and plastic-free – and they pop-up from a dry thin sheet when you put them under water! What exactly are in them?
Our pop up sponges are made locally in the US from 100% wood pulp sustainably grown in the Pacific Northwest.
Tell me what has been the latest at Sqwishful.
We recently launched two new products, a luffa scrub sponge and bamboo dish brush. We’re also updating our packaging. We treat packaging the same way we treat product and source natural materials that we feel have the lowest environmental impact. With more wildfires each year, we want to preserve forests and limit pulp production to reusable products, which is why we’re switching to tree-free, sugarcane packaging in the new year.
Starting your own biz
So a question I’d like to ask all entrepreneurs I talk to is how they financed the beginning of their startup – I think answers are always helpful to aspiring or fellow entrepreneurs! How did you finance the start of Sqwishful?
I started Sqwishful with leftover savings I had after my sabbatical, and some money I borrowed from family.
My advice to anyone starting anything on their own? A dollar saved is more than a dollar earned. Also, put your relationships first. Always take the call, always make the time, and always try and be of true service to everyone you work with. Your real wealth is in your relationships so invest in the currency you have with people.
My advice to anyone starting anything on their own? A dollar saved is more than a dollar earned. Also, put your relationships first. Always take the call, always make the time, and always try and be of true service to everyone you work with. Your real wealth is in your relationships so invest in the currency you have with people.
– Jenn Tsang, Sqwishful Founder
What has been the most challenging thing about running your own business (and a sustainable one!) so far and how do you navigate that?
Since launching, we’ve survived a material monopoly, trade war, and global pandemic. The most challenging thing about running your own business is that change is your baseline and you have to build to adapt. One of the biggest challenges with running a sustainable business is trust. Consumers have very, high expectations for us to do things differently while suppliers are often resistant to change. Building trust on both sides is an essential part of my work and that starts with listening intentionally. Sometimes your biggest critics and opposition are your best teachers.
As an entrepreneur I am sure you receive good and bad advice all the time. How do you differentiate the good from the bad and vice versa?
There’s no one way to build a business. Every piece of advice has worked in some way for some one, but that doesn’t mean that it will work for you. When someone gives me advice, I ask myself, are our goals and values aligned? If our businesses met at a bar, would they be friends? Good advice starts with trust and understanding your “why”. If your “why”s aren’t aligned, even if the drinks are good, chances are your businesses won’t have much to talk about.
Self-care & Philosophies
Mental health is so important, and perhaps especially challenging when you’re running your own business. How do you relax and practice self-care?
I think in today’s always-on culture we have to actively switch off. I’m passionate about my work and work a lot, but when I’m not working, I value rest. I like to indulge in the art of doing nothing. I get my best ideas and most productive periods after those “in-between” moments when I’m not really here nor there. And maybe I’ll clean something. Cleaning is therapy for me. All it takes to elevate small, routine tasks into ritual is a bit of mindfulness.
A book / film that you’ve been loving lately?
I just rewatched The Big Lebowski for the seventieth time and it’s still one of my favorite films.
What does success look like to you?
Not competing with anyone but myself, bowling a perfect 300, and visiting all of James Turrell’s Skyspaces.
I get my best ideas and most productive periods after those “in-between” moments when I’m not really here nor there. And maybe I’ll clean something. Cleaning is therapy for me.
– Jenn Tsang, Sqwishful Founder