Today we’d like to introduce you to Alison Thacker.
Hi Alison, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
In the last 12 years, I have climbed the corporate ladder in the chemical industry, determined to be a progressive voice for a sustainable and authentic generation. I’ve learned the as consumers, we have major influence in the products being produced and marketed to us. Through education, experience, connection, and living in REALity. In choosing better, little by little, until there is a place and a market for a world that can sustain healthy, happy generations to come.
After experiencing a collision of my own worlds — the loss of parents who I felt were failed by our health and food systems to cancer & selling industrial ingredients more regulated than the cosmetic formulas I was applying on my body (!!!) — I started The Cheeky Clean, determined to take what I was learning behind the scenes of mass manufacturing and my own personal studies to help consumers live different and regain hope through connected experience and daily choices.
Long story short — together, we are a real FORCE. In this money-hungry world, our currency is staying informed. The POWER to intuitively choose instead of blindly assume. The Cheeky Clean is a “real source” where I combine industry knowledge with the marriage of the modern consumers’ needs to help us choose the brands and products that promote health and longevity, or at least help us not purchase blindly. Empowering consumers and our community, one informed choice at a time.
As I help consumers read the foreign language of ingredients, find TCC-approved product swaps, and share authentic raw experiences, we are slowly and surely changing the modern US market from cheap and convenient products to demanding those that won’t give us diseases. The community I have created is comprised of the ‘Cheekies’,- the next generation of consumers who are creating a space for healing, local consumption that promotes happiness and longevity.
After moving from Laguna Beach, California, back to Cleveland, Ohio, I have been fueled by the need for change and connecting with the local brands and like minds, creating safer, more sustainable products in our community. The energy and momentum for better availability of toxic-free options are staggering, and I have started giving local workshops and consulting for both consumers and manufacturers on ingredient safety and clean living. Recently, I launched a daily detox drink, Cheeky Aid, formulated to fill the gap in the marketplace for a truly hydrating, detoxifying, healing beverage. Locals are loving adding this badass addition to their day, and the sellout success on the launch is the illustration of our desire to feel and heal in our midwest community.
I’m working on growing the reach of like minds and continuing the expand the knowledge and passion I have for living clean and helping consumers everywhere choose safer products easily and live more in alignment with their bodies. It’s a new wave, and we won’t stop until our formulas are equal to other nations and our schools and hospitals are no longer serving poison as fuel. Keep an eye out for the peach logo- the stamp of Cheeky Approval
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Taking my first corporate job at 23 as I was simultaneously becoming the caregiver for my 2 sick parents. I will never forget how helpless I felt at countless doctors’ appointments and limited care or options to watch my parents suffer. When I lost them in 2013 and 2016, I was encouraged to get the BRCAA gene test by my doctor, and when it came back negative, I found a glimmer of hope. I researched incessantly and became determined to live different in the world and try my best to not invite this cancer in, like it took my parents from me. I learned that the toxins we are living in are growing by the day, while also seeing first-hand the correlation between industrial chemicals and the underregulated consumer brands. The mission and passion I have is just at the beginning, as my community in Cleveland continues to suffer, we want healing. Attending funerals for girls younger than age 35 too often in the Midwest to cancer, we must find better ways to live and that comes in the form of choices. Sharing and connecting is healing and creating movement towards better quality products. My mission is to help empower consumers daily to make small additions to their lifestyle to significantly reduce our toxic loads. Now that I am doing consulting and launched product, it has been a whirlwind in the best way. I feel like I am turning this pain into purpose, and together, we are a force in our evolving community, majorly.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am most proud of the unique message I am spreading and the passion I have to help other consumers avoid a similar fate as my parents. Every day I get the opportunity to help someone make an informed choice or feel less alone and it is worth it all.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Being an orphan, I have a very small personal circle. I have found growing a side business is a steep learning curve, and I have been leaning heavily on the resources I have gained through the process. I am connecting with other business owners I can learn from, asking questions, investing in help, and finding my way. I am even hosting an upcoming event on the west side of Cleveland in late April to further connect with the “cheeky” brands in our community with the intent to elevate together. What I have learned most, is together we are more of a force and that includes business ventures also. I highly suggest starting and figuring it out as you go while also not being afraid to ask for support from those who have walked in a similar path ahead of you.
Pricing:
- Cheeky Aid is sold locally- $6 for a single and $20 for a 4-pack case
- Crewnecks: $54
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thecheekyclean.com
- Instagram: @thecheekyclean
- Facebook: the cheeky clean
Image Credits
Simplicity Photography
