We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica & Robb Tannan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica & Robb below.

Jessica & Robb, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Thanks for featuring us! We’re excited to share our story. When we first started making our laundry products, the mission was our family’s survival. Literally..

In January of 2020, we faced a huge dilemma. Our laundry service (and sole source of income) was in danger of closing indefinitely due to the Covid 19 outbreak. We couldn’t get the supplies we needed as stores imposed limits on cleaning products, laundry detergent and bleach. In some cases, the shelves on the cleaning aisles were completely bare! It was a pivotal sink or swim moment. We couldn’t watch everything we’d built be washed away. So, we decided to swim like hell.

Robb researched natural cleaning agents and began to formulate his very own laundry soaps using ingredients found in nature. While everyone was making bread from scratch, we were making laundry products to stay afloat and keep our doors open. We began using our products in our laundry service, and the feedback was overwhelming. Our clients appreciated that we were now offering a cleaner, greener option for their laundry. Clients who had previously suffered from skin irritation caused by other detergents, now had an eczema-friendly product that got the job done without the use of harsh toxins. It was also a personal win for our family, as our 3 daughters have always had sensitive skin.

The demand for our products grew more quickly than we could’ve imagined. So again, we pivoted. We learned the ins and outs of product packaging, labeling and shipping while packing, labeling and shipping our products across the US! There were moments of pure chaos (most notably when we were featured on a nationwide news broadcast, and our supply order was delayed by Covid supply chain issues.) But mostly, it’s been an amazing ride! We’ve met some amazing local vendors on the farmers market circuit, connected with some awesome retail stores and even rubbed elbows with a few local celebrities! It’s all been made possible by our amazing customers who continue to support our business. We’re committed to providing a quality product and quality service, and we look forward to serving our community for many more years to come!

Jessica & Robb, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

We are Jessica & Robb Tannan, the husband/wife duo behind Signature Sudz. We make natural laundry & cleaning products that are vegan, eczema-friendly and safe for the whole family. Robb created our product line out of necessity when the pandemic threatened to shut down our laundry service in early 2020. At the time, we were using popular store brand laundry detergent and bleach. Then one day, the shelves were bare, and stores were imposing limits on how much you could purchase. So, Robb did his homework and learned all about natural cleaning agents. He formulated our laundry soap using ingredients from the earth, opting for essential oils over artificial fragrances and avoiding harmful toxins and animal by-products. We worked as a family to choose the essential oil combinations that eventually became Simply Sid (Lavender), Just Jordan (Frankincense/Peppermint), Marie Magic (Lemongrass/Eucalyptus), Sweet Citrus (Orange/Lemon) and Clearly Kayla (Scent-Free). Each scent includes a nod to one of our daughters, (Sidney Marie, Kayla Marie & Jordan Marie).

Our laundry soap solved 2 problems for our family: It allowed us to continue to serve our laundry clients during the pandemic (and pay our mortgage, lol) but it also addressed our daughters’ sensitive skin condition. They’d struggled with eczema since they were babies, and we’d hit a wall after trying nearly everything on the market without much luck. After using our products in our own laundry room, we noticed a huge difference with their skin. No more bumps and rashes after laundry day. We could clean their clothes without harsh chemicals that made them itch! As a parent, there isn’t anything more important than the safety of your children, so this was huge for us!

We wanted more families to feel good about the products they used in their homes around their kids and pets, so we began to expand our line. In addition to our laundry products, (Laundry Soap, In-Wash Scent Booster, Stain Fighter, Chlorine-Free Bleach, and Wool Dryer Balls) we now offer a natural All-Purpose Surface Cleaner, Body Soap Bars, and Hand Soap. We’re always working to create safe alternatives to household products, and we hope to have a natural Signature Sudz option for every item on the cleaning aisle!

We’re proud to offer our products online and at our storefront in North Houston. We’ve also partnered with several local retailers who are now carrying our products in their stores. We recognize the importance of our local community, which is why you’ll usually find us at a local Farmers Market on the weekend! We enjoy sharing our story and getting real feedback from our customers. We’re building our brand one customer at a time and look forward to the day when our products are available on grocery store shelves nationwide!

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Robb and I met while working at a natural grocery store. After a few dates, we decided to “just be friends”. As our friendship continued to grow, Robb realized that he was in love with me, lol!!!! No, but seriously, we just became really good friends first. Then one day, we were more than friends. I’m not sure how/when it happened, but we were both just like “We go together now.” 12 years, 3 kids and 2 businesses later, he’s still my best friend. As business partners, we rely heavily on that friendship, especially on days when we don’t particularly like each other! I’m sure most married couples who run a business together can relate to that. Some days we may only talk to each other about business stuff and nothing else, lol! But at the end of the day, our friendship prevails, and we’ve been successful because of that bond.

As husbands and dads go, Robb is hands down one of the best to ever do it. With 3 daughters, 2 female dogs and a wife, I’m not sure how he does it, but he makes it look easy! I honestly couldn’t ask for a better partner in life, love and business.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

We grew up in the 1900’s, so social media is not our first language, lol! I was able to grow our laundry service mainly through Mom Groups on Facebook. But our product line has been a completely different story. Navigating all the new apps and algorithms has definitely been a challenge. We recently hit 1K followers on IG, and I’ve never worked harder to reach a milestone in my life, lol! I spent hours on YouTube learning from influencers (Erin on Demand is AMAZING) and chatting with other small business owners at farmers markets. Lots of trial and error! My best piece of advice would be to identify your target audience and create content that appeals to them. We’re still working on this with our brand, but we’ve definitely seen a huge difference since we started being more intentional with our content. The other tip is to have a plan and be organized. There’s nothing more overwhelming than creating content on the fly while also running your business. Again, we haven’t fully mastered this yet, but I’m always less stressed when I have content scheduled ahead of time. And that’s not to say that it’s easy. In addition to our businesses, I homeschool our 3 daughters. Our life is CRAZY! So, finding time to schedule social media posts often looks like me up at 3am while the rest of the house snores, lol. I also take full advantage of bathroom time. I mean, you’re on your phone anyway, lol. Might as well draft a quick post for IG. Just be sure to wash your hands (with Signature Sudz Hand Soap) and sanitize your phone when you’re done, lol.

As I said, we’re still learning. I’m no expert. We lean heavily on our younger family members and get inspiration from other business owners who’ve amassed a big following. We’ve recently teamed up with a few micro influencers (shout out to ThePlantBasedBrotha), and that has been super impactful. We look forward to growing our brand organically by being authentic. We’re real people. Our life isn’t a Pinterest board (nothing against Pinterest Boards, lol), but that’s not who we are. We hope to connect with other real people. Other folks born in the 1900s with kids and bad knees, lol! We want to share our product with the world while also being our most genuine selves and building a legacy for our kids. I remind myself of this each time I create content for our page, and it helps guide me towards what to post. I realize it’s not the most profound advice, but hopefully that helps someone.

Contact Info:

• Website: signaturesudzlaundry.com
• Instagram: @signaturesudz
• Facebook: facebook.com/signaturesudz
• Other: Store Front: 12023 Bammel N Houston Rd Houston, TX 77066 Local Retailers: mala market: 1302 W Gray St District Market Green Grocer: 3337 Cypress Creek Parkway Garden Kitchen: 10480 S Main St

Image Credits
Jennifer Walton Jessica Tannan