3 Moms Organics was started by East Hampton natives and moms, Lisa-Jae Eggert and Kammy Wolf. They developed a natural insect repellant called TickWise, inspired by the desire to keep their active families and communities safe from the growing tick population and increasing risk of Lyme disease on the East End.
Recently, in honor of Women’s History Month, 3 Moms Organics was featured on the new women-owned business storefront on Amazon, and they are gaining wide-reaching recognition for their natural and effective product. With their roots firmly planted on the East End, their products can be found in local places of business like hardware and garden stores, giving customers the opportunity to support multiple small businesses at once!
To celebrate both women-owned businesses and small businesses, along with raising awareness about potential dangers of tick and insect bites, especially in the area we live, Lisa-Jae and Kammy spoke more about their vision and inspiration for 3 Moms Organics.
What is 3 Moms Organics all about?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: 3 Moms Organics focuses on our mission to help educate and protect people from potentially dangerous tick and insect bites. We are a women-owned small business run by hard working moms hoping to keep families, dogs, and horses safe from the life altering dangers of tick-borne diseases. We are proud to say that TickWise is a registered natural repellent in all 50 states.
When was 3 Moms Organics founded and why?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: 3 Moms Organics was founded in 2018. When Lisa-Jae was recovering from neurological Lyme disease, her immune system reacted poorly to repellents with harsh chemicals. After beginning to experiment with essential oils, and through much trial and error, TickWise was born.
Can you talk more about TickWise?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: TickWise is a natural, DEET-, Paraben-, and SLS-free repellent that is 100% effective, smells great, and doesn’t leave that greasy feeling behind. TickWise is EPA compliant and a registered natural repellent in all 50 states (and working for that registration was a huge bureaucratic undertaking!) TickWise is safe for dogs, which serves our customers who are looking to keep their pets and themselves safe, but most importantly, TickWise is safe for kids. As parents of kids who are in the firing line of ticks and their diseases, we were looking for a way to protect them without the use of harsh chemicals.
Do you have plans to launch more products?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: Yes! We are rolling out a Dog Tick Kit. Like our regular Tick Kit, it will include a bottle of TickWise, tweezers, bags for the tick, alcohol swabs, and information on ticks and how to remove them properly. The dog kit will also include a bandana to spray with TickWise and tie onto your dog, which will help stop the ticks from hitching a ride onto your dog, into your house, and ultimately onto you. We are also rolling out WorkHorse, our new 32oz bottle of TickWise to help protect against ticks, mosquitoes, and horse flies for the horse and rider community.
Can you tell us about your backgrounds and what led you to start a business together, and this type of business in particular?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: Lisa-Jae has a background in horticulture and biology and has always had a passion for the outdoors. Finding an effective way to keep herself and her active family protected from ticks was the big motivator for creating TickWise. Kammy has a background in environmental science and a master’s degree in entomology and has spent the last 20 years in sales. When there was an opening to join 3 Moms Organics, Kammy jumped at the chance to be part of a company that cares deeply for the environment and the community where they live.
What has it been like running a successful e-commerce business?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: When we started out, we had a strong regional following in our little tick endemic corner of the world in the Hamptons. Now, for most of the country, tick season lasts all year long. Amazon made it possible for us to have a much greater reach, thus helping to protect more people from dangerous tick and mosquito bites. Joining Amazon was a major turning point in our growth, and we have achieved incredible sales not possible without Amazon.
What makes being a women-owned small business unique and meaningful?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: We have been mentored by amazing women in organizations like the Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and worked with extraordinary businesswomen who have inspired us. Running a small business is tough, but we have found a sense of camaraderie and inspiration through our network of strong women who lift us up, give us strength and make us laugh! We also have been working with some amazing college students in a Social Entrepreneur class for the past 5 years who give us great hope for the future of small businesses like ours.
Are you doing anything special to celebrate Women’s History Month?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: Women’s History Month gives even more reason to highlight and collaborate with like-minded small businesses in our network. We also love to bring attention to hard-working women on our social media channels – we know how hard it is to try and break through that glass ceiling.
What’s your favorite thing about being located in the Hamptons?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: By far, our friends and family are the best part of being located in the Hamptons. Lisa-Jae has lived here since she was in her 20s, and Kammy’s family moved here when she was just two years old. We are so fortunate to have called this wonderful place home for so long. It’s a great community and an exceptionally beautiful corner of the world. One of the only downsides are the ticks, so our love and passion for our community drives our mission to keep people and pets safe one bottle at a time!
Where are your products carried on the East End?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: We sell in many places across the East End, including Riverhead Building Supply, Harbor Pets in Greenport and Montauk, Village Hardware, One Stop Market, and The Corner Store, among others. You can find TickWise in many hardware, garden, pharmacies, and convenience stores across both forks of Long Island. You can also visit 3momsorganics.com to find where TickWise is sold near you.
What about 3 Moms Organics and your product can’t be found or replicated anywhere else?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: Our passion to keep our communities safe and healthy cannot be replicated, and it’s what keeps us focused even on our toughest days. We’ve dealt with several roadblocks throughout the past few years from the pandemic, supply chain issues, as well as inflation, but our mission keeps us pointed in the right direction even in the face of these hardships. The threat of tick-borne diseases is real and life-changing, and we know this firsthand. Our passion goes into every bottle and every order, and we hopefully pass that passion on to every customer.
Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about 3 Moms Organics?
Lisa-Jae & Kammy: We made limeade out of Lyme, and we aim to educate our customers that if you don’t get bit, you won’t get sick. The first step toward a safer and healthier community is protecting yourself with TickWise!
To learn more about 3 Moms Organics’ products and where to find them on the East End, visit 3momsorganics.com.
