The Success Story Of FlunkkOFF

The estimated net worth of FunkkOFF as of 2023 is $5 million. The founders of the company, Joelle and Sonia are vigorously stressing the growth of the company with a detailed understanding of the growing market size of the toothpaste industry which is valued at $17.75 billion in 2019.

We often want to spend our weekends with our friends over an elegant wine-tasting evening. But the problem begins when your beautiful look becomes dull for the purple teeth. Then most of us ran to the little ladies’ room to pull out the stain.

Does it sound weird?  Just like we often touch up makeup, you may use a compact, portable tool for removing the stains on your teeth very easily.

When Joelle Flynn was out with her friends one evening in 2010 to taste wine, she faced the same problems. That is why she came up with the idea of FunkkOFF.

Joelle set up the company jointly with Sonia Hounsell which has brought a complete change in the touch-up game for teeth stains by incorporating toothpaste and toothbrush in a compact, handy, and portable tool.

With the help of this product, you can get rid of all teeth-related problems when you are out in public. The founders Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell introduced the revolutionary teeth refresher named FunkkOFF in 2015 intending to keep teeth always white. If you use this unique product you do not need to use toothbrushes and toothpaste separately as it provides a portable and convenient solution.

Although they faced some challenges initially, they managed to gain acceleration and got an opportunity to present their innovative product FunkkoFF on Shark Tank season 14, episode 14 to get one of the sharks on board with their conceit for obtaining considerable investment to further sales. So, let’s delve deep into the journey of FunkOFF teeth refresher, exploring its inception, the Shark Tank pitch, and its current standing.

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The Birth of FunkkOFF: A Wine Conundrum Leads to Innovation

The inspiration of Joelle Flynn for inventing FunkkOFF originated from her experiences with wine tasting in Napa. The persistent problem of wine colours smudging teeth, needing lipstick removal alongside. This encouraged Joelle to develop a solution. In 2015 she gave birth to FunkkOFF by incorporating a toothbrush and toothpaste into a compact, portable teeth refresher.

Joelle Flynn invented the initial prototype of the product while returning from a wine tasting in Napa, California. Joelle had been carrying around a whole tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush so that she could use it after each visit.

At that time she understood that she required a teeth refresher in the same compact size while pulling out her lipstick tube.

Somia Hounsell was a close friend of Joelle from 7th grade. She had a lot of experience in introducing new consumer entities and companies. So, when Joelle required an experienced partner to introduce FunkkOFF she called Sonia Hounsell.

Sonia Hounsell and Joelle Flynn set up FunkkOFF! InC. They can fulfil their ambitious plan of providing an easy way to get the ‘Funkk’ ‘OFF!’. It was interesting that they included two ‘ks’ to the brand name to signify both and pay tribute to their lifelong friendship.

FunkkOFF! is an all-in-one product that comes up with inbuilt toothpaste and toothbrush resembling the shape of a compact stationary highlighter that suits in the palm of your hand and is a convenient tool for people looking for a straightforward solution to clean their teeth or retain oral hygiene while travelling, which smoothly suits in your pocket or purse.

Although they launched FunkkOFF in 2010, they later closed it in 2018. They again relaunched the company in 2019. The two founders solved the problem together and reopened FunkkOFF company to make it a lifestyle brand.

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The Backgrounds Of The Founders Of FunkkOFF:  Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsel

Joelle Flynn

Joelle Flynn is not unknown in the game of entrepreneurship. She took her education from the University of Delaware. In 199 She co-founded her first company, Lenders Unlimited which was acquired by FinanceU.com in 2002.

After that, she set up Girls on the Run Orange County which enabled her to arrange, file, and structure the new  501 © (3) in Orange County, California. It managed to join more than 220 Girls on the Run chapters.

The entrepreneur has worked in reputable positions in various companies such as Britches of Georgetowne as Assistant Manager, Bank of America Merrill Lynch as Stock Broker, VP of Investments, and JSF Consulting, Bank of America as Banker, LLC as a Consultant, Manager & Nonprofit Champion.

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Sonia Hounsell

Sonia Hounsell attended Boston College Carroll School of Management to pursue her Master’s in Business. She got her MBA degree in marketing from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Soon after completing her graduation, she started her career in Mondelez International which was formerly known as Cadbury Adams. She worked there continuously for 6 years and 3 months.

Sonia also served in admirable positions in various companies such as Mondelez International (former name Kraft Foods) as the Marketing Direction and Marketing Consultant. After that, she entered McKinsey & Company to serve in the position of Brand Strategy Expert. The entrepreneur is not also new in the game of entrepreneurship because in 2009 she set up her company SLH Consulting and served the role of the CEO till 2018.

Sonia worked as the CEO at an Edutech startup named Acorn for a short time in 2018 till she was co-founder of FunkkOFF teaming up with Joelle. She is now serving as the co-CEO of the company.

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What Are FunkkOFF Teeth Refreshers?

FunkkOFF teeth refreshers are a lifestyle teeth refresher that is advised by dentists. FunkkOFF teeth refresher looks like the size of a lipstick. It is developed by using natural ingredients and it is completely free from BPA, sulphates, dyes, and artificial elements.

You may use one refresher for up to 30 times. For using the amazing FunkkOFF teeth whitening refresher you need to only twist the back cap, then brush and rinse.

The product also contains Natural Peppermint & Vanilla Tooth Gel.  The founders claim that it is fluoride-free, SLS-free, vegan, gluten-free, and BPA-free.

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FunkkOFF: Shark Tank Pitch and Funding Dreams

The founders of FunkkOFF, Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell came up on Shark Tank season 14 episode 14 to get an investment of $250,000 in exchange for a 5% equity stage in their business at a $5 million valuation.

They pointed out the uniqueness and practicality of their product confidently in front of the sharks. They told the sharks that it was a compact solution for retaining clean and fresh teeth without the hassle of conventional oral care products.

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What Was The Final Outcome Of The FunkkOFF Shark Tank Pitch? 

Although the founders gave an outstanding pitch on Shark Tank, all the sharks chose to opt out of the deal. They pointed out different reasons for not making the deal with FunkkOFF such as low sales, a misalignment with their investment interests, etc.

After not getting any funding from the sharks on Shark Tank, the founders, Joelle and Sonia did not give up. They continued to grow and raise funds through crowdfunding campaigns including Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

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FunkkOFF: Post-Shark Tank Success and Challenges

Joelle and Sonia, the Founders of FunkkOFF after Shark Tank experienced incredible success. But on the other hand, after appearing on Shark Tank they also encountered a lot of challenges. The crowdfunding campaigns created by them became successful.

They managed to raise a significant amount of funding from those campaigns and expand the reach of their company, FunkkOFF. Some of the challenges they faced were low sales, the demand for scaling up inventory and business operations.

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Is FunkkOFF Still Active in Business?

Yes, as of 2024, FunkkOFF is still running its business smoothly. The headquarters of the company is situated at Dana Point in California. It is appointing 2 – 10 people. You may mind the product available for purchase at different retail stores all over the United States. The product is also available in the e-commerce store, Amazon.

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The Future Outlook Of FunkkOFF

Although the founders of FunkkOFf, Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell encountered a lot of challenges on Shark Tank they did not lose hope, rather they were committed to their success. The unique proposition of the product associated with ongoing endeavours to address the drawbacks, prepares FunkkOFF for potential growth in the dynamic oral care market.

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What Is The Flagship Product Of FlunkkOFF?

The flagship product of FunkkOFF is the TeethRefreshers, which is designed as a lipstick-sized toothbrush and comes with a built-in toothpaste dispenser. It is all-natural, digestible, and available in vegan peppermint & vanilla flavours. It has a lifespan of nearly 30 days.

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Where to buy FunkkOFF?

If you are willing to purchase FlunkkOFF you need to go to the official website of the company at flunkkoff.com. Besides this, there is a store of the company on Amazon from where you can easily get the products of FlunkkOFF.

The most interesting thing is that the company offers shoppers a chance to get 20% off if they provide their email addresses. If you visit their site you will find that the company offers the products in three colours: white, blue, and black.

The product is also available in multiple packs like one-packs, two-packs, and three-packs. Two packs are the most popular among the three available packs.

The price of one pack is $22 and the two-pack is priced at $39 while the three-pack is available at $57. According to the founders, one of these will last for up to 30 days.

The company also offers a subscription model which enables the buyers to save 10%. You may also buy bundles by spending only $39. The selling price of the gift sets is $42.

The company also sells only toothpaste for $9 in all-natural, whitening, and activated charcoal. Apart from these, there are also $20 gift cards on the site.

You will find that things are a little more pricey on Amazon. If you buy the one-packs on Amazon you need to pay $24. The two-packs and three-packs are priced at $48 and $66 respectively on Amazon.

The advantage of purchasing from Amazon is that it provides prime shipping. But if you buy the product from the official website, there might be a delay in shipping your product.

You can also get one of these convenient items at more than 49 stores all over the nation, including Chick Invitations, The Well Dressed Olive, So Soleil, Sneades, The Painted Cottage, and others.

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 The Current Status Of FlunkkOFF

Joelle Flynn introduced FlunkkOFF in 2010. She was compelled to shut down her business in 2018 for an unknown reason. Then in 2019, she relaunched the company. The founders of the company had to make tough decisions in the initial stages.

The two founders put their best efforts into developing their company. They began a Kickstarter financing campaign on  27 November 2019, which helped them to raise a total funding of $34,045 from 215 investors.

After this, Sonia and Joelle started a successful crowdfunding project on Indiegogo, from which they managed to raise nearly $34,571.

People who are always on the go and looking for how to maintain their teeth’s flawless appearance may choose FlunkkOFF without a second thought.

FunkkOff provides a few more substantial selling edges besides its practical size. The numerously patented FunkkOFF TeethRefreshers are publicized as being the only 2-in-1 toothbrush and toothpaste product that may be used continually to retain a bright smile.

Besides this, it is completely cruelty-free, fluoride-free, BPA-free, and only vegan ingredients are used in developing FunkkOff products. While the tube looks like lipstick, it is 100% Natural and Vegan tooth gel that may be used approximately 30 times.

The gel pushes up through the brush head’s gentle hairs when you twist the bottom of the container like you would a lip balm. The cap is aerated to prevent germs from rising on the hair. There is a mirror on the bottom of the FlunkkOFF TeethRefreshers that would help you check your teeth.

The creators boast of being 110% female possessed and developed. They are aiming to give back to the community, donating a share of their earnings to Girls on the Run, which intends to teach girls to pursue their dreams, and the Smiles for Everyone Foundation, which delivers free dental care for the needy.

Currently, the company has 8 U.S.-issued Patents, 4 issued U.S. Trademarks, and 1 filed PCT International Application. We are eagerly waiting to see how far FlunkkOFF goes and what new products they introduce to the table.

Final Opinion

To conclude we can say that the journey from handling a personal problem to appearing in the national spotlight on Shark Tank reflects the strength and perseverance of the founders of FlunkkOFF. Although the Shark Tank pitch did not bring them funding, the following success of the crowdfunding campaigns and the continued presence of the product in the market price the potential of FlunkkOFF to redefine oral care traditions. As the brand faced and resolved a lot of challenges and explored new ways for development, the story of FlunkkOFF serves as an inspiring instance of entrepreneurial endurance.

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