Co-founder Spotlight: Susan McLean
Susan McLean is the VP of Marketing at Uncle Matt’s Organic and heads up the company’s innovation team. What’s more, she’s Uncle Matt’s wife! We hear a lot about Uncle Matt – the company is named after him after all. But he doesn’t do it all alone. It’s time to find out more about the other side of this dynamic founder duo. Let’s peek behind the label (literally, Susan designs those, too!)
Q. How did you and Matt meet and when?
A. We first met in 2003 after meeting online! We used to say we met by a “mutual friend” (our computers!) back in those days, as meeting online was rare, somewhat of a stigma and online dating services were just ramping up. We were both focused and driven with building our individual businesses, so friends encouraged us to try it out. Each of us had a couple of funny “what the heck are we doing” stories from being on a dating site, but we are a success story 20 years later. And now many people meet online!
Q. What was your first impression of his website at the time?
A. Sites developed in the late 90s and 2000s were not as sophisticated as they are today. That being said, it was a good site. It was the branding and the story that were a little all over the place. Matt was wearing many hats running the business with little help, and he relied on agencies to tell him what to do. That wasn’t working so well.
Q. How did Matt feel about your feedback on his brand, website and logo?
A. I remember this moment distinctly… the one where he looked at me and said, “So what do you think of my marketing? The website and logo, and my marketing collateral?” I was honestly very hesitant to go down that road with him, as we had only been on a couple of dates and I really liked him and felt like the feeling was mutual. I paused and asked him if he wanted my honest answer or the sugarcoated version. He quickly rebounded with one word: “Honest.” I carefully crafted an answer – trying to be gentle but helpful – and he sat there taking it all in. Then, he asked me to draft up a creative brief and estimate to work on some of his marketing. In later months, Uncle Matt’s became a client of my agency.
Q. Were you familiar with the citrus industry at all when you met?
A. I knew of Florida citrus and I have always loved grapefruit, but it was eye opening for me to understand the complexities of agriculture, and moreover, organic farming. There is so much that goes into fostering a healthy soil, and in turn, a healthy fruit. It isn’t easy, but the end result is delicious, nutrient-dense and good for you!
Q. What led to you taking this role on the Uncle Matt’s team, and why do you think you were the perfect fit for the position?
A. First of all, many people can do my job, and there are so many talented people who are fantastic at helping evolve and develop brand stories to leverage a unique point of differentiation to the consumer. I have a varied and unique background, which allowed me to see Uncle Matt’s as more than just a one product centered company. My past life owning my own creative boutique agency taught me a lot on common business obstacles as well as how to grow a customer-focused business. Together, Matt and I work tirelessly to create innovation that matters to consumers. Our chief desire is to see our world impacted by organic, and our mission is to grow a healthy generation, pun intended. We see the benefits of this mission in our own kids and family, so we want to share it with others.
Q. What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned in this role but also as a member of very citrus-centric family?
A. Early on, I learned that there are so many varieties of citrus and root stocks… and learning there was such thing as a cocktail tree blew my mind. As far as what’s been most surprising about my role? That’s a hard one. I think consumers can sometimes be difficult and harsh – especially to our customer service team – but we try to surprise and delight them and keep them happy and hope that we earn their loyalty.
Q. Where do you bring your motivation every day to do this job?
A. My motivation comes from wanting to create products that help people live a healthier lifestyle. And to do it well, and be consistently great tasting. I am also supported by a talented and kind marketing team. Everyone is such a pleasure to work with and I believe they all care about our mission as well.
Q. What’s the secret to a successful husband/wife working relationship?
A. Patience and good communication skills. A lot of prayer, ha ha! And, a sense of humor also helps! We’ve been working together since we met, so we really don’t know anything different.