A local businesswoman’s baby teething products recently made a brief appearance on the reality TV series “Shark Tank.”
While the March 5 episode featured Minnesota entrepreneur Beth Fynbo’s Busy Baby Mat, she included some of Inkom resident Sandra Phillips’ flexible toothbrushes and teethers, which could be seen tethered to the mats, in her demonstration.
Phillips wasn’t looking for any investment deals of her own on the show — she already has a successful, family-run business — but she was still excited to get some additional exposure through the episode.
“We’ve been asked many times over the years about whether we would ever appear on ‘Shark Tank,’” Phillips said. “We were never in a position where we needed to do it, but we are grateful that our friend did a great job in her appearance and for the extra exposure it created for our products.”
Phillips started the company Live-Right, which does business as Baby Banana Brush, in 2001 after her grandson received a serious, but thankfully non-fatal, injury.
“My grandson fell on a hard-handled toothbrush and it penetrated the soft palate of the roof of his mouth and went into his brain,” Phillips said. “I felt there should be a soft, bendable toothbrush, and I wanted to be the one to develop it so children could brush their teeth more safely and risk of injury was reduced.”
Today, Phillips’ company sells 12 products, including toothbrushes in the shape of bananas, unicorns, dragons, corn cobs and sharks — several of which were shown during the “Shark Tank” episode.
The toothbrushes, which come in infant and toddler sizes, are made of 100 percent food-grade silicone, according to the business’s website.
“We are set apart from other toothbrushes because we are bendable, flexible, safe (and) specially designed for small hands and mouths,” Phillips said.
The company also makes the Octo Teether, Grape Teether and Lil’ Squish Jellyfish, a sensory rattle and teething toy.
Phillips is proud of what they’ve accomplished over the last 20 years, especially when it comes to fulfilling their original mission.
“I am most excited to think that we are saving children from some mouth injuries,” she said.
Baby Banana Brush is currently based in Sandy, Utah, and has production facilities in Albany, New York, and Taipei, Taiwan. It’s a family business, with Phillips’ son, Ryan Phillips, serving as the CEO and her daughter, Natalee Pykles, working as the marketing executive.
“I am grateful to my family members for their dedication and expertise in growing the company,” Phillips said.
Their products are currently available in 20 foreign countries, including China, and throughout the U.S.
Phillips says their growth has been unexpected and staggering. They’ve sold more than 7 million products to date.
“We grew from selling several hundred products to a handful of customers and baby boutiques,” she said. “Today we are in Walmart, Target, grocery stores, Amazon and others.”
Phillips said she was in her 50s when she started the business and never imagined it would turn into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. She hopes other older women will consider entrepreneurship in their future.
“It has been a wonderful way to ‘retire,’” she said. “I use all of my extra revenue to develop new products or enhance other people’s lives. It is very fulfilling.”
For more information about the business and its products, visit baby-banana.com.