Mindy McCutcheon and Tara Garland
“So much of this is managing perceptions. And it's hard to be a female founder and a female leader, because you have to be flawless, at the same time as being vulnerable, and an example for other women. For that reason, I'm all the more excited to be in this role. And if I can share my struggles and what things Mindy and I have overcome to be here individually or together, I'm happy to do that." —Tara Garland
“ ‘Get comfortable with the uncomfortable.’ That has gotten me through some really rough periods. And it's just a good reminder that this is going to pass. Breathe through it. Hang in there. You will come out on the other side.” —Mindy McCutcheon
Mindy McCutcheon (@melindajanemc) and Tara Garland (@tarangarland) are the cofounders of Cascade First Aid (@cascade.1st.aid), an impeccably designed, strategically filled product line. Informed by experience as well as education, Mindy and Tara have designed compact, lightweight packs filled with essentials of wound care and first response. Their goal at Cascade First Aid is to build a growing line of emergency equipment products that will be in the packs of every outdoor enthusiast.
Mindy is an experienced Product and Operations Manager with time spent working in industries ranging from tech to outdoor products to aerospace. She has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused on Management and Strategy.
Tara is an Emergency Physician in Auburn, Washington.
Please enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Mindy McCutcheon (@melindajanemc) and Tara Garland (@tarangarland) and Founded By Women host, Margie Chuang (@margiechuang)!
Subscribe to the show & listen to Episode #008 on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can find the transcript for Episode #008 here (coming soon!). Transcripts for all episodes can be found here.
Show Notes
Mindy’s career path [2:45]
The single, most scariest and liberating thing Mindy did [4:13]
Tara’s career path [6:27]
Orchestrating full time jobs while building Cascade First Aid [10:55]
How Tara prioritizes her time and sets realistic, achievable expectations and goals for herself as an emergency physician and an entrepreneur [13:13]
Mindy’s chaotic, yet structured and productive days and how she focuses on her mental and physical health [15:31]
How Mindy embraces being a natural early bird [17:35]
The story of how Mindy and Tara met and became cofounders [19:41]
Mindy’s and Tara’s cofounder relationship and how they split responsibilities [20:08]
The important and valuable qualities of a phenomenal cofounder [21:53]
The origin story of Cascade First Aid [22:24]
Opposite schedules work for Mindy and Tara [23:50]
How a chat around a campfire, some boxed wine, and an elite athlete’s training run lead to the birth of a company [25:57]
Drafting and creating the first prototypes for Cascade First Aid [26:40]
Tara’s story about how she could have used a product like Cascade First Aid [28:22]
Tara’s thought process when creating prototypes: What are the essential tools? How do you create that in a compact, portable, easy-to-use system? [29:32]
Using a QR code to pair essential supplies with educational content [30:40]
Mindy’s process to find the most durable and safest material and the top manufactures to create Cascade First Aid products [31:48]
Why strong, supportive, talented connections can mean the difference between minutes vs. months for product requests to be completed [33:22]
What Tara looks for in partnerships [34:18]
Elite level athletes’s feedback and recommendations [36:05]
Mindy’s thoughts and pride on being a self-funded startup [37:55]
The story of when Mindy and Tara received their first Cascade First Aid order [38:46]
Professional and personal boundaries [38:46]
Tara on going beyond the product and creating a space for learning [42:10]
Mindy on the power and level of success reached when women support women [46:05]
Lead by example and managing perception as a female founder and leader [50:45]
Mindy’s founder experience [53:17]
Tara’s founder experience [55:00]
Habits & routines [56:00]
Mindy’s non-negotiables and how her physical and mental health contributes to building Cascade First Aid [56:50]
Tara’s non-negotiable and how her mental acuity is linked to how well-rested she is [57:35]
What keeps Mindy motivated to keep building [59:10]
What keeps Tara motivated to keep building [1:00:00]
What’s next for CFA [1:01:01]
Medium fire questions [1:03:15]
Tara on what other women have said or done to empower [1:07:29]
Mindy on what other women have said or done to empower her [1:08:57]
Mindy’s parting thoughts and encouraging words [1:12:05]
Tara’s parting thoughts and encouraging words [1:12:47]
What was your favorite takeaway or quote from this episode? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with Mindy McCutcheon
Connect with Tara Garland
Cascade First Aid:
Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Combining Her Love of Medicine and the Outdoors, this Physician Created the Ultimate Wilderness First-Aid Kit | by Rachel Nuwer
Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow | by Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky
Subscribe to the show & listen to Episode #008 on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Notable Quotes— with Mindy McCutcheon and Tara Garland
“When women are out there supporting each other, it feels like you can conquer the world.”
“It’s so important that women stop competing with each other. And we’ve done this throughout history. Really, we’re so much more powerful when we team up.”
“So much of this is managing perceptions. And it’s hard to be a female founder and a female leader, because you have to be flawless, at the same time as being vulnerable, and an example for other women. For that reason, I’m all the more excited to be in this role. And if I can share my struggles and what things Mindy and I have overcome to be here individually or together, I’m happy to do that.”
“‘Get comfortable with the uncomfortable.’ That has gotten me through some really rough periods. And it’s just a good reminder that this is going to pass. Breathe through it. Hang in there. You will come out on the other side.”
“Even if it’s three seconds, I just think about my breathing and then think about what I know to be true about a situation like go to the objective evidence and then keep making decisions, the best decision that you can.”
“The more people we can touch by putting high quality products in their hands. The more motivated I am to keep building.”