Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Voggenthaler.
Hi Andy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a long-time product/brand development professional. Working with many blue-chip companies such as: GM, Nabisco, AIG, Hang Ten, and Pebble Beach to name a few. Building several number 1 selling products over the years and even a partner in building a direct-to-consumer life insurance company, ultimately acquired by AIG.
As a long-time endurance athlete and Ironman triathlete, I had seen lots of issues out on the racecourse where there was no one around to help people in distress. I decided to found a revolutionary company in endurance sports called Race Guards that brings in teams of endurance athletes/medical professionals that actually run the races with the participants, keeping an eye out for people that need things along the way – Solving minor, to major, issues such and blisters and cramps to having to do CPR if someone has a cardiac event. Since 2012 Race Gaurds has served millions of race participants and saved numerous people by performing CPR/AED, etc. – Race Guards is still rolling to this day. At our peak before Covid, we were serving over 65 events a year with over 1,300 certified Race Guards across the country.
As I got older, I added yoga and strength training to my mix of exercise, and it really was a game changer. The ah-ha moment for Nonaste (pronounced No-nasty) came from when “Stinky Kevin” rolled into a 6 AM class, and as the room started to heat up there was a stink and stench that was truly unbearable. My co-founder, Juergen Stark, and I said we needed to fix that situation, so off we went with some R&D. The interesting part of this was we knew of a laundry detergent that did a decent job of removing odors from our Race Guards uniforms and medical packs, so we built a web platform and decided to test out the audience, (first just aimed at yoga crowd – hence the play on words on Namaste — Nonaste was off and running). The focus groups were very enlightening of course everyone wanted a laundry detergent that removed odors, but what we found was similar to me: they do other stuff besides yoga and have kids that play sports, stink, etc. — That really opened our eyes and we realized there is a huge audience of people that sweat and stink.
We manufacture best-in-class products designed to keep active people clean and stink-free. Our high-performance laundry detergents and sprays clean and deodorize over 90% better than traditional detergents by leveraging proprietary formulas that lift and remove the odors versus just covering them up with fragrances. Bacteria caused by sweat gets trapped in synthetic fabrics, and our products remove them.
We are off and running with an average 4.7-star rating on Amazon and growing via specialty retailers such as: Fleet Feet, Road Runner Sports, Potomac River Running, CorePower, and Yoga Six to name a few.
Our goal right now is to expand specialty retailers, professional and college sports, DTC, and of course, Amazon.
We are just about to do a capital raise to help us fuel our growth – Juergen and I have put in about $700K to date and don’t have any debt. We have also positioned our manufacturing to be very efficient and can’t wait to spin things up.
Nonaste’s product line includes:
– High-performance laundry detergent
– Odor eliminating spray (for shoes, sports equipment, gym bags, camping gear, yoga mat, etc.)
– Car seat protector – Come back to your car after a sweaty workout? No sweat for the Nonaste sweat-proof, wet-proof, pet-proof seat protector
– Hand sanitizer – best-in-class 80% isopropyl alcohol + lavender oil
– Sanitizing spray – Use instead of wipes – Less waste, more effective at cleaning
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Covid is when we started with our R&D, so it was brutal when it came time for production… Bottles, closures, geez, people actually working… It was rough but also a great time to make sure our formulations were fantastic and our branding was spot on. Distribution is always tough with a new brand, but as we started to make people aware and had them try our products, it started to get easier.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Nonaste, LLC?
Everything we do at Nonaste (no-nasty) is designed/developed to keep active people clean and odor-free. We manage the icky parts of having an active lifestyle.
We specialize in high-performance odor elimination and sweat management products such as: laundry detergent that is extremely effective at lifting and removing odors/bacteria that gets such in activewear. Odor-eliminating spray designed to take the stink of out shoes, boots, sports equipment, camping gear, yoga mats, and more. We also have best-in-class hand sanitizers and sanitizing spray that you can use instead of wasteful wipes. We even have a car seat protector that is sweat, wet, and petproof. It’s ideal for when you come back to your car after a sweaty, sandy, muddy workout. Our travel laundry detergent bottles are ideal for on-the-go cleaning. Camping or hotel travel is no sweat for Nonaste travel laundry detergent. Place your sweaty apparel in a sink or bucket. Fill it with water add 1-2 ounces of product into bowl and let it be for 20 mins. Quick rinse, and you are fresh and ready to go.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
There are so many incredible people I have been surrounded by at every step of my career. I can’t stress this enough… I have been lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing people that work hard, stay humble, and make a difference in people’s lives. I am truly a better person for knowing all of them. I am so grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Nonaste.com
- Instagram: @Nonastelife
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nonasteLife
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-voggenthaler-1645053
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nonasteperformancelaundryd1048
