It Shouldn’t Take Sickness to Get Well with Mat Franken, Founder of Aunt Fannie’s

What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw

Mat Franken and his wife thought they had parenting all figured out. Having their first child was a breeze. Their second, however, had multiple health issues. Faced with an uncertain diagnosis about the causes of their son’s ailments and unclear direction about how to help, a doctor suggested the Frankens look at chemicals used around their home.

Their research revealed two alarming statistics: the air inside a home is up to 500% more polluted than the air outside simply because of products used to keep it clean. And more than half of children have some form of chronic illness, many of which are autoimmune driven. Those individuals may be especially vulnerable to chemical sensitivities. “At that point, I couldn’t unlearn what I had discovered. I had to do something.”

Franken set off to find or create products that addressed the very issues faced by his own family. “We were already buyers of natural products but that wasn’t enough.” Trouble was, Franken isn’t a chemist and doesn’t have the typical background one might expect of a founder of a cleaning company. But he did have something – a superpower, really – that many people lack: humility. “I know that there was a lot I didn’t know.”

He built a network of subject matter experts, friends, and experienced leaders to guide him on a circuitous journey. His work resulted in the creation of Aunt Fannie’s, a national brand of people and pet friendly cleaners, soaps, and pest solutions.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Mat shares how a personal quest turned into a business, the power of humility, and keys to engaging others to join the cause.

What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw...

Life and career rarely go to plan. Breakthroughs happen on the ragged edge when things aren't quite going as expected. What I Wish I Knew podcast hosts Mike Irwin and Simon Daw explore lessons learned by leading athletes, creators, entrepreneurs, leaders, and difference makers. They all have three things in common: none are perfect, all are humble, and they've learned a few things along the way. In What I Wish I Knew, they share their lessons with you.