We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Natassa Wachsman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Natassa below.

Natassa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

When my husband Bryan and I started Rubber Ducky Isopods, we knew it was going to be a challenge. We were both leaving career paths and were venturing off into something new to both of us. Bryan’s background was in cannabis and mine was in science; so we took our knowledge and put it into our company. It was a huge risk, but we were ready for it.

As any entrepreneur knows, the early days can be hard. Balancing work and family life was a huge challenge. It’s hard to ‘turn off’ when you are building something you believe in. We always joke that we work 24/7 so we don’t have to work a 9-to-5—and there’s a lot of truth to that! Early mornings, late nights and long weekends became the norm, but we keep going because it is all worth it to us.

One big turning point was our first convention in May 2021. We went in with ideas of what our customers would want, but we quickly realized our assumptions were off. That experience taught us the importance of being flexible and adapting to what our customers were actually asking for. Listening to them and pivoting our offerings was key to shaping our business model.

Scaling up has been about showing up every day, learning from our mistakes, and making small but meaningful adjustments along the way. That’s how we’ve grown Rubber Ducky Isopods, and that’s how we’ll keep moving forward.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Rubber Ducky Isopods provides high-quality bioactive products, including various species of isopods and springtails, which play a vital role in maintaining clean and healthy environments. These organisms help break down waste and organic material, reducing the need for chemical cleaning solutions. We also support plant terrarium enthusiasts, helping them create thriving ecosystems with the right balance of organisms. Whether you’re setting up a bioactive reptile enclosure, a lush plant terrarium, or simply have a love for creating your own mini-ecosystem, we provide the knowledge and products to help you succeed.

We are committed to quality, consistency, and education. Each product is carefully prepared and delivered with the highest standards in mind, so customers know they’re getting healthy, thriving isopods and springtails every time. What sets us apart is our personal touch—whether it’s through conventions where we provide hands-on education or being available to answer any questions online, we go above and beyond to ensure every customer feels supported. Additionally, we’ve been willing to think outside the box and push forward in a relatively new and niche market.

One of the things I’m most proud of is how far we’ve come since launching the business. We’ve received over 566 five-star reviews so far, and nothing motivates us more than hearing customers tell us how their isopod population has flourished or how their reptile tanks are healthier. It’s a reminder that what we’re doing is helping the reptile community. Another proud moment was making the decision to quit my clinical research job and go all-in on entrepreneurship—it was scary but has proven to be one of the best decisions I’ve made. It’s not the traditional career switch, and I am completely okay with that.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

With www.RubberDuckyIsopods.com, we always knew we wanted to scale it into something big. 2019 was a pivotal moment for us—my husband was traveling between Oklahoma and Colorado for his job in the cannabis industry, while I was finishing my degree at CU Denver and bartending. One morning, he called me and said that change was happening. That is when we both realized we needed to pivot, take control of our lives, and stop relying on traditional jobs to provide for our family.

Fast forward to COVID times, the pandemic fundamentally changed my perspective on my career in medicine. At that point, I had graduated and was working in clinical research. After spending my entire life studying and preparing for work within medicine, my husband Bryan he told me he had an idea for a company. We developed a plan and quickly put plans into motion, committed to the idea of working for ourselves.

The real turning point was when we decided to go “all in.” There is no halfway when you are an entrepreneur. Once we made that full commitment, everything began to align. Every challenge became an opportunity, and that is when we started to see growth. Quitting my clinical research job was probably the biggest milestone. It was bittersweet because of the time, energy, and resources I had invested in my education and career. I always loved healthcare, and never imagined a time when I didn’t work within it.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What helped us build our reputation in the market is our commitment to showing up and giving 100% effort. From day one, we’ve been dedicated to consistency and top-quality products. Our customers always know exactly what they’re getting when they purchase from us.

We also are not afraid to go against the grain and think differently. The bioactive approach is still relatively new in the reptile industry, and there were definitely some people who doubted us or tried to push us out. Instead of backing down, we stayed the course, proving the value of what we offer.

Customer service, product quality, and education are all pillars of our business. We make ourselves available to answer any questions our customers may have, whether it is in person at conventions or online. Bryan, who had years of public speaking experience, brought that skill to our company. At conventions, we provide as much educational material as possible and encourage questions, making sure customers feel confident and comfortable when they leave our booth or purchase from our website.

We currently have over 566 five-star reviews on our website, and each one fuels our motivation. Hearing customers share their success stories—whether their isopod population is thriving or their reptile tank is healthier—reminds us to not be afraid to do things a little unconventionally.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.RubberDuckyIsopods.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubber_ducky_isopods/