Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to April Robbins. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have April with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I get my work ethic from my family. My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were all hard workers and had a great work ethic.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Skitopel® is a brand that’s just as unique as its name! Skitopel (pronounced Skeetopel) is the combination of the words mosquito and repel. Our goal is to get people back outdoors to enjoy everything it has to offer and to do it both bug free and chemical free.
I have been gardening since I was a toddler and continued as an adult planting a wide variety of herbs all around. That’s when we noticed we never had any problems with any bugs until we were away from home. I did a lot of research and found that even the Egyptians used herbs such as mint to repel bugs.
We knew we needed to something so that everyone else could enjoy the outdoors the same as us. We also knew it needed to be unique, stand out, work and be effective. We decided the best way to that was to incorporate the herb into each product. By using the entire herb, we are getting the most out of it which makes our repellents stronger. We had our sprays scientifically tested and they came back even at 2 hours still 100% repellent. They are safe for everyone including babies and anyone with sensitive skin such as eczema or dermatitis. Even better is the fact that Skitopel® not only repels mosquitos but also gnats, buffalo gnats, no-seeums, biting flies, sweat bees, chiggers, ticks, etc.
We are expanding all of the time. Our products can be purchased online and now throughout the Midwest in IL, MO, IA, MI, MN, WI. We are continuing to add states all the time. We want everyone throughout the entire US to enjoy the outdoors both bug free and chemical free.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
In order to get seen and heard you definitely need persistence, patience, and not be afraid to ask questions or for help.
The best way to achieve this is to keep moving forward. In one day, you may receive 10 no’s from businesses but the very next day you may receive one yes which is why you should not quit. When you ask questions, you can learn what you need to do differently for the next time so you will improve and be better.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
We would love to partner or collaborate with people who love the outdoors! Campers, gardeners, outdoorsmen including hunters and fisherman, ball players including golf, baseball, soccer, football and anyone who enjoys being outside doing anything or nothing at all who do not want to use chemicals to keep bugs away.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.skitopel.org
- Instagram: Skitopel
- Facebook: Skitopel
- Youtube: Skitopel
- Other: TikTok: Skitopel;
Pinterest: Skitopel
