About COMPEL
Germ Management On-The-Go
When hand hygiene became front page news, Tricia Ringer was curious as to why simple soap and water worked so well. She loved the complex science behind the simple habit, but was frustrated by the alternative when soap and water aren’t available. She was surprised to learn that hand sanitizer stops working when it dries and started researching longer-lasting options when she came across some research she had done years earlier.
At the time, Tricia was struggling to treat the skin infections her and Chad's boys faced as they transitioned from football season into wrestling. She was aware that every human is a walking petri dish, but this was ridiculous. Strep, staph, athlete’s foot, and ringworm (why modern science still allows a fungus to be named after a parasite, we do not know) followed their kids through three seasons of athletics. After months of battling skin infections common in combat sports, she thought they were out of the woods, when suddenly she noticed a bald spot on one of their dogs…Ringworm strikes again. Through football, wrestling, swimming, summer camp, and locker room floors, only one ingredient worked. Only one ingredient addressed both the fungal and bacterial issues. And once again, that application required a sink.
The Search for a Solution
When Tricia puts her mind to a problem and feel that passion stir, she can’t sleep or think about anything else until she pieces together a solution. Tricia documented case studies and clinical trials. She spoke with a microbiologist, and a chemistry teacher, as well as an IP attorney who specializes in chemical formulations, some executives at a manufacturing laboratory, a formulation chemist, and a surgeon. She bounced ideas off her husband/business partner, Chad. She experimented with products on herself and her family. Most importantly, she talked to God about this obsession, as He knows her best.
Tricia and Chad decided to formulate a response in the form of a germ management solution that is easy to use, moisturizing, and leaves skin feeling soft, safe and protected.
Tricia and Chad's Journey of COMPEL
I (Tricia) am a problem-solver. I am a researcher and life-long learner. I also, admittedly, have a tendency to think almost everything is fascinating. Because it is!
My husband, Chad, is a mechanical engineer that is in denial about his penchant for marketing. When I finally convinced him that COMPEL could really make a difference, he turned his mechanical design talent toward branding COMPEL. As an engineer, he makes things make sense. Turns out that’s exactly what branding accomplishes! He designed the logo and chose the colors. He’s also better at formulations than I am. The number and characteristics of the batches we developed is another story.
The Reason Behind COMPEL
As I looked back over my journal that first week of this journey, I noticed I had written, “I feel compelled” several times. I am compelled to protect my kids, my extended family, and my neighbors. I am compelled to protect our friend working in construction, because I am worried about what he’s bringing home to his family. I am compelled to protect the UPS driver delivering all my experimental supplies, the cashiers at the grocery store, the essential workers on the frontlines, the employees working in or returning to a situation full of uncertainty. I am compelled to provide a solution for millions of athletes that are told that skin infection just comes with the territory. Hence the name COMPEL, and our mission.
COMPEL started as a germ management solution that was strictly for the skin, however we have found that our products can do so much more. We are compelled to provide a solution for every need. This mission has pushed us to find new ways to apply our products to help more communities, allowing us to realize that the effects of our formula are not limited to the skin but can be used on any surface.
“I am compelled to offer a solution to protect the people whose work is essential.” -Tricia Ringer
How about you? Who are you compelled to protect?
#whatareyoucompelledtodo