Meet Dale Ting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dale Ting.

Dale, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was at the Procter and Gamble Company – the makers of products like Tide, Downy, and Bounce – for ten years before leaving on February of 2011 to pursue my own business. I worked on a few things, including a high-end BBQ smoker (breezebbq.com) and a bathroom cleaner which ended up becoming The Bucko Soap Scum and Grime cleaner. I started selling The Bucko, which is named after pet beagle named Bucky (who was named after Bucky the Badger, the mascot for my alma mater), at a few Ace Hardware stores but it started taking off after I put it on Amazon. The Bucko was written up Buzzfeed twice and Business Insider. Since then, I’ve added empty bottles and sprayers to mix, and I’ve started up a couple of other unrelated ventures: Confidence Pool Picks, which helps people win their office football confidence pools, and EntreAsians, a community and resource to help Asian Americans find fulfillment through entrepreneurship. I believe in time, location, and financial freedom – which allows me to work from anywhere, preferably near the ocean!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s definitely has not been a smooth road, but compared to other business stories, it’s been pretty straightforward. Initially, I made the product in a 5-gallon bucket in my apartment complex in Cincinnati, OH, because I didn’t want to commit myself to the 1,000 bottle minimum from a supplier. After leaving my job, I moved back in with my parents in Wisconsin and filled bottles manually in my parent’s basement, using their garage as storage space. Space is a lot cheaper in the Midwest, so there was plenty of room! I went to ACE Hardware stores to have them carry the product, and three stores did take the product in Cincinnati. To this day, I really do appreciate them for even listening to me and carrying this brand new, never been heard of product from this guy who’s never been a salesperson before.

Alright – so let’s talk business. What else should we know about your work?
I have three ventures: The Bucko products, ConfidencePoolPicks.com, and EntreAsians.

The Bucko Soap Scum Cleaner cleans tubs, glass shower doors, chrome fixtures, and other bathroom surfaces and leaves an amazing shine afterward. It has no harsh chemicals, acid, or bleach and has a very light scent. Most of the time you don’t need to scrub, just wipe away. But what I’m most proud of is I try to be a genuine, authentic company that values our customers. It’s something a smaller company has an advantage over a bigger company.

The same can be said for the other two ventures. Many of us got into football confidence pools through our dads. One reader of the website said her dad got her involved, and they would have bonding time each week when they made their picks. She said her dad had passed away recently, and she was using my site to make picks now that he was gone. I definitely gave her a free membership after hearing that story!

For EntreAsians, it’s great to see people find fulfillment in their life, especially if they’re not happy with the jobs. I’m most proud when someone gets up the courage to take the leap out of their corporate jobs and into their own business. It’s scary, and never smooth, but worth the shot.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
It’s hard to pick one, but the first one that comes to my mind is going on family trips with my dad, mom, and younger sister. Many times these family trips were to California, which is probably why I’m here now.

Pricing:

• The Bucko Soap Scum Cleaner is available on Amazon and at TheBucko.com for $18.88
• Confidence Pool Pick memberships are $25 and are available at ConfidencePoolPicks.com
• All the resources for EntreAsians are currently free

Contact Info:

• Website: thebucko.com, confidencepoolpicks.com, entreasians.com
• Email: [email protected], [email protected]
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebuckoproducts/

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.