Founder Feature: Steph Nightingale of Stimmie
The Startup CPG Podcast
Startup CPG
4.9 • 642 Ratings
🗓️ 15 August 2025
⏱️ 36 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Caitlin Bricker interviews Steph Nightingale, founder of Stimmie, a premium, reusable toothpick designed to address the gaps traditional floss and toothbrushes leave behind. Drawing on over 13 years of experience in dental care, Steph shares how personal recovery, patient insights, and a commitment to quality led to the creation of Stimmie.
The conversation explores product innovation, early-stage funding, manufacturing partnerships, and the importance of retailer and consumer feedback in building a sustainable brand. Steph also discusses merchandising strategies, scaling challenges, and her vision for high-profile collaborations that could further elevate the brand.
This episode offers valuable lessons in customer-centric product development and the realities of bringing a health-focused consumer product to market.
Listen now to learn how Steph transformed a simple dental tool into a growing brand with national recognition — and why truly listening to customers is key to lasting success.
Listen in as they share about:
- Customer Feedback & Development
- Funding & Business Growth
- Manufacturing & Operations
- Retail Strategy & Merchandising
- Sustainability & Industry Perspective
- Community & Networking
Episode Links:
Website: https://www.shopstimmie.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-nightingale-899b6118/?originalSubdomain=ca
Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.
Show Links:
- Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | A few years back when I ran a beverage company, we had to launch using those plastic sleeves to put our designs on the cans. |
| 0:08.0 | But they looked bad, the sleeves get stretched out, they don't cover the full can, and overall they just look and feel low quality. |
| 0:14.0 | Lucky for you, digital can printing technology has come so far over the last few years that now you can launch your beverage brand or new skews with a fully |
| 0:21.7 | printed look and it's at similar pricing to those plastic sleeves. |
| 0:25.3 | Our friends at CanWorks, which is the largest U.S.-based digital can printer, are happy to work with |
| 0:30.1 | our community at very low minimums, even one palette. |
| 0:32.9 | They've got locations in the East Coast, the West Coast, Texas. |
| 0:36.0 | Get in touch with them through our contact form. |
| 0:38.2 | It's at canworksprinting.com slash startup CPG. |
| 0:42.7 | Thank you. So when I've had patients come to me and say, oh my God, that tool you showed me changed my life. |
| 1:06.9 | And they're not being sarcastic. |
| 1:08.7 | They say, I've lived with my boyfriend for three years. |
| 1:10.9 | I've never been able to share a bathroom with him. |
| 1:13.1 | I've been so embarrassed to spit in the sink, living with him. |
| 1:17.3 | And ever since you showed me that tool, my mouth is healthy. |
| 1:22.6 | Hey, everybody. |
| 1:23.9 | This is Caitlin Bricker editor at Startup CPG. |
| 1:26.9 | We are back with another founder |
| 1:28.6 | feature. Today we're talking with Steph Nightingale, founder of Stimmy, a premium reusable |
| 1:34.2 | toothpick that's modernizing oral care. After 13 plus years working in dental care, Steph turned |
| 1:40.3 | her post-surgery recovery into a business opportunity by creating an ergonomic |
| 1:45.1 | tool that gets around teeth where floss and toothbrushes simply miss. |
... |
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