Monica Nassif
Monica Nassif founded Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day in 2002, naming it after her mother. A former nurse and retail worker who lost $75,000 on a prior startup, she built the company before selling to S.C. Johnson in 2008. She graduated from the University of Iowa and authored "I Bottled My Mother."
Monica Nassif's Bio
Monica Nassif is the founder of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, the category-creating line of aromatherapeutic household cleaners found in Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, and beyond. The brand's name and identity come from her mother, Thelma Meyer - a no-nonsense Iowa homemaker who raised nine children and taught Monica the most important lesson of all: what it meant to have nothing.
Born Monica Meyer in the small town of Granger, Iowa, she graduated from the University of Iowa in 1979. Before launching her own brands, she apprenticed in the 1980s working closely with Boake Sells, then president of Dayton Hudson, absorbing the mechanics of retail and brand building from the inside.
Her first brand, Caldrea, launched in 2000 as an upscale cleaning line - too expensive for the shoppers she wanted to reach. Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day was her answer. She started it in 2002 with a different bet: great-smelling, effective products at prices regular families could afford. The brand grew into a household name, landing on shelves across the country.
Nassif launched four businesses in total and built a reputation as a fearless operator with a hands-on approach. She retired at 53, selling the business after scaling challenges made exit the right call. Her memoir, I Bottled My Mother, arrived in 2026, telling the full origin story behind the brand and the woman who inspired it.
Career Timeline
1979 — Graduated University of Iowa
Bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa
1985 — Mentored under Boake Sells at Dayton Hudson
Worked closely with Dayton Hudson president, learning retail and brand-building fundamentals
2000 — Founded Caldrea
Launched upscale cleaning brand - too premium for mass market, paving the way for Mrs. Meyer's
2002 — Founded Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day
Started the brand named after her mother, Thelma Meyer - a no-nonsense Iowa homemaker who raised nine children
2010 — Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day reaches national retail
Brand expanded into Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, and beyond, becoming a household name
2026 — Published I Bottled My Mother
Released memoir telling the origin story behind Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day and the woman who inspired it
