Brand Spotlight: BRIDE BRITE

August 24, 2022By Sydney Frietsch

HELLO! WHO ARE YOU AND TELL ME ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?

Hi! My name is Erica and I am the co-founder and CEO of Bride Brite. Thank you for taking your time to read this interview to learn more about Bride Brite and our story!

A little bit about me: I’m originally from Atlanta and currently live in Nashville with my husband and co-founder, Ryan Chaliff, MD. DDS. Ryan and I knew each other in high school and reconnected 10 years later at Columbia University in New York. The rest is history…

When I’m not in work mode, I stay busy! This past year has been full of marathon training (you bet I wore my Original Bandits crossing the finish line at the Boston Marathon) and dog loving (adopting our dog, Flash, brought us so much happiness) + and a lot of traveling (it’s been the year for all of our friends’ wedding-related festivities)!

WHAT MAKES THIS BRAND SOMETHING SPECIAL?

We turned our original wedding day into the launch day of our company, Bride Brite!

My mantra in life is to “be positive”. The fact that we had to cancel our wedding two months out, was no exception from my rule. This was an opportunity to #stayBRITE and do something special. Our slogan #StayBRITE truly encompasses our brand, our products, and our story.

In addition, our brand is unique because Bride Brite was created by a dentist for his bride. Let’s be honest, I’m the real face of the company but Ryan is the reason our teeth whitening gel is the perfect combination of sensitivity-free and effective.

We stand behind our products and we love connecting with our customers.

WHAT VALUE DOES YOUR PRODUCT PROVIDE FOR OTHERS?

I truly believe that a smile is the prettiest thing you can wear. With our line of products, we want to give you the confidence to show off that beautiful smile- whether you are smiling with your new BRITE smile, you are smiling after you spend 10 minutes of self-care whitening with your S.O (check out our Couple’s Bundle) or you are smiling at the convenience of our on-the-go products: StayBRITE on-the-go teeth wipes and BlingBRITE on-the-go ring cleaner.

Here's a quick run-down of our current product line and what they can provide for you!

Advanced Teeth Whitening Kits: Bride Brite + Groom Glow + BRITEN

Sensitivity-free at-home teeth whitening kit that guarantees results in 10 days

The Couple’s Bundle

This option comes with 2 Advanced Teeth Whitening Kits of your choice at a discounted rate! Besides providing you and your S.O. a chance at whiter teeth, the couple’s bundle promotes self-care (and wedding prep) together.

BRITEN: All-In-One Bundle

For the individual who wants the full oral health care package, this one’s for you! The revolutionary dentist-designed bundle features the most effective at-home teeth whitening kit and sonic electric toothbrush. You get everything included in the BRITEN Advanced Teeth Whitening kit and our superior electric toothbrush that lifts stains and promotes gum health with advanced vibration technology and blue light technology.

StayBRITE on-the-go teeth wipes

Any wine lovers out there? StayBRITE wipes are convenient and effective on-the-go teeth whitening wipes for everyday use. Our convenient, pocket sized packaging is the perfect teeth cleaning solution on the go!

BlingBRITE on-the-go ring cleaner

Designed with quality and convenience in mind, our compact ring cleaner restores brilliance to jewelry that has dulled from everyday wear.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bride Brite | Teeth Whitening (@bridebrite)

WHAT'S YOUR BACKSTORY AND HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA?

I was a bride-to-be marrying a dentist. Having that perfect smile was something I valued. Yet, my favorite drinks included coffee and red wine- not the best for maintaining a white, BRITE smile. I attempted whitening strips; however, I could not tolerate the pain associated with them. I knew that I wasn’t alone. That’s when I encouraged Ryan to create a product that would be the go-to teeth whitening kit for the bride-to-be seeking Wedding White Teeth. Ryan met with the world’s leading experts in teeth whitening to create the perfect solution to sensitivity free, effective, affordable and convenient at-home teeth whitening. This was just the beginning of Bride Brite.

From there, we received an immense amount of positive feedback from brides. We realized we were on to something. Our brides loved the easy and seamless process with the incredible results. We had one bride tell us that she would make her fiancé use her teeth whitening kit … that’s when we created the next generation of the Advanced Teeth Whitening Kit: cue Groom Glow.

From there, we wanted to continue to expand our product line. We were now offering a Couple’s Bundle deal (choose 2 kits of your choice for a discounted rate), we rebranded a more generic model (meet BRITEN) and we also created the all-in-one bundle (the first advanced teeth whitening kit and sonic electric toothbrush bundle).

As the face of Bride Brite, I realized that I wasn’t drinking red wine in public anymore because my teeth and lips were holding on to the stains. I would smile for a picture and just see purple within the crevasses of my teeth. Back to our original mission, we wanted to restore confidence in the everyday smile. Even with teeth whitening, you are constantly picking up new strains on-the-go. StayBRITE wipes are with me in my purse constantly. Whether I need to freshen up after a meal or drink, or I accidentally get lipstick on my tooth, I know that StayBRITE has changed my life and it will change yours too!

Finally, our most recent product became another solution for convenience on-the-go. I have always been a proud Ring Bandits customer. I have 3 of the Original Bandits and it is one of my go-to gifts for my friends as they get engaged. Now, as an entrepreneur, I was offering a product line that would BRITEN your teeth. Back to our original why… we want to bring smiles and #stayBRITE moments to individuals everyday. Our rings are no exception. When my ring is not secured in my ring bandit while running or working out, I want to make sure it is shining BRITE wherever I go. This is the story behind BlingBRITE. Your ring should #StayBRITE too!

DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF LAUNCHING THE ONLINE STORE/BUSINESS.

There was a lot of self-learning involved. We googled everything from creating an LLC to launching our website. You’d be surprised how much you can learn on YouTube.

We had a lot of trial and error as well. We discovered a better platform for our website, for our shipping, to creating our brand/logo etc with a few revisions required along the way.

Though neither of us have a background in business, lucky for us, we both come from families who do. We have seen the value of hard work and perseverance. Our families have also become great role models in the business and entrepreneurial world.

THROUGH STARTING THE BUSINESS, HAVE YOU LEARNED ANYTHING PARTICULARLY HELPFUL OR ADVANTAGEOUS?

Hire talent. If you are unable to do something yourself, hire a professional in the field. We have a team who supports our social media, ads and retail strategy. I cannot thank our incredible team enough for taking our company to new heights and towards so many new directions. We are doing things that I would have never been able to do alone. One of the strongest qualities of an entrepreneur and leader is delegation. I’m not afraid to admit when I need help, need direction or need new talent.

WHAT’S NEXT, WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL GOALS FOR BRIDE BRITE?

I want to continue enhancing the company we already have. Through social media, I want to connect to more of our customers. The power of social media is connection. I’d love to see more collaborations with other incredible female entrepreneurs (hello Sydney and hello Ring Bandits!) In the e-commerce space, I want to continue to see a steady growth. In the retail space, this expansion has been exciting to see! My goal is that our current retailers choose to re-order from us and place larger P.O.s. I want you to see our products on the shelves of so many more amazing stores nationwide. Finally, I hope to be able to hire some new talent and do some rebranding this year Stay tuned and #StayBRITE for all that’s to come!