By Zolene, Massage Therapist · Updated 5 October 2026
On Friday 2 October 2026 I pitched Muscle Mint to a panel of judges in Larne Town Hall as one of ten finalists in the Mid and East Antrim heat of Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch. We did not win, but I came home with a Certificate of Achievement, a room that smelled of peppermint for the rest of the day, and judges who told us we had come close.
- The Ultimate Pitch is Go Succeed's competition for Northern Ireland businesses under two years old
- Ten local entrepreneurs pitched in the Mid and East Antrim heat on 2 October 2026
- I put Muscle Mint on the judges' arms during the pitch instead of just describing it
- Siobhan Kearney of Menopause NI won the heat and goes on to the regional final on 18 November
- More than 2,000 people have now tried Muscle Mint since we launched in December 2025
In This Article
- What is Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch?
- Why did a massage therapist make her own cream?
- What happened in the pitch?
- Who won the Mid and East Antrim heat?
- What would I tell anyone pitching next year?
- What happens next for Muscle Mint?
What Is Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch?
The Ultimate Pitch is a business pitch competition for start-ups and businesses that have been trading for less than two years. It is run by Go Succeed, the Northern Ireland business support service delivered by the 11 councils and funded by the UK Government. Each council area holds a local heat, and each local winner receives £1,000 and a place in the regional final.
This year the regional final takes place on 18 November at Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy, with a further £5,000 at stake. Love Ballymena named the ten Mid and East Antrim finalists the week before the heat. Bakers, a coffee business, a play café, a stationer, a security product and Muscle Mint were all on the list. That range told me something before I walked in. Whatever the business, the judges wanted people who knew exactly why it should exist.
Why Did a Massage Therapist Make Her Own Cream?
Because I wanted something with that fresh tingle that was made, labelled and assessed for human skin, that I could massage with in the treatment room and that clients could take home.
I have been a massage therapist for more than fifteen years, and the idea came straight out of that room. Turning it into a product took about eighteen months: working out the formula, then the cosmetic safety assessment every cosmetic needs before it can be sold, then packaging and labels. I learned far more about bringing a product to market properly than I ever expected to.
The result is Muscle Mint Soothing Menthol Cream, a peppermint and eucalyptus menthol cream in a sunflower oil base, made in Northern Ireland, UK. It creates a strong, temporary cooling tingle on the skin. I tell the longer version of that story on our story page.
What Happened in the Pitch?
I asked the judges to roll up their sleeves, and I put Muscle Mint on their arms while I talked. A menthol cream is hard to describe and easy to feel, so I let the product make its own case for the next four and a half minutes.
It worked better than I hoped. The judges loved the smell, they loved the tingle, and it clearly stuck with them. When people came back into the room a few hours later, they could still smell the peppermint. I had joked at the end that I did not need a memorable closing line because the room would smell of mint for the rest of the day, and that turned out to be true.
Before we get to answer your questions, I would love to ask you: how's your arms feeling?
Zolene, closing her pitch in Larne Town Hall
Afterwards, some of the judges told us we had been very close. We did not take the heat, and I am fine with that. Standing in front of a panel and having people genuinely enjoy the thing you made with your own hands is worth a great deal on its own.
Who Won the Mid and East Antrim Heat?
Siobhan Kearney of Menopause NI won the 2026 Mid and East Antrim heat. Siobhan pitched her work growing menopause awareness, education and support within organisations across Northern Ireland, built from her own personal experience. She takes the £1,000 local prize and goes forward to the regional final on 18 November.
Congratulations, Siobhan. You deserved it, and the whole room could see how much the work means to you. We will be cheering you on in Bellaghy.
What Would I Tell Anyone Pitching Next Year?
Let the judges experience the product, tell them honestly why you started, show them what you have already built, and only use numbers you can stand behind. Those four things carried our pitch further than any slide did.
| What I did | Why it helped |
|---|---|
| Put the product on the judges' arms | They felt it for the whole pitch and were still talking about it hours later |
| Opened with why I made it | Fifteen years in the treatment room is a reason a panel can believe |
| Showed the systems behind the product | Our trade portal shows stockists can order, pay and track deliveries in one place |
| Kept every number real | Judges ask follow-up questions, and a number you can explain beats a bigger one you cannot |
If you are under two years in and wondering whether to apply next year, do it. Preparing the pitch forced me to explain Muscle Mint in five minutes, and that is a useful thing to be able to do whether or not you win.
What Happens Next for Muscle Mint?
More shelves close to home. Since we launched in December 2025, more than 2,000 people have tried Muscle Mint, and our goal has not changed: Muscle Mint on a local shelf, where people need it. In Mid and East Antrim you can already find it at The Dairy, Gleno, at Glenarm Castle, and at KNA, 5 Riverdale, Larne. Every stockist is listed on our store finder.
If you run a shop, clinic or gym and would like to stock it, our stockist page explains how the trade portal works. And if you were in the room on Friday and your arms still remember it, thank you for rolling your sleeves up.
A peppermint and eucalyptus menthol cream in a sunflower oil base, made in Northern Ireland, UK. It creates a strong, temporary cooling tingle on the skin.
Related Reading
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Muscle Mint?
What is Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch?
Who won the 2026 Mid and East Antrim heat of The Ultimate Pitch?
Where can I buy Muscle Mint in Mid and East Antrim?
What is Muscle Mint?
Written by Zolene
Zolene is a massage therapist with more than fifteen years of hands-on experience. She created Muscle Mint in Northern Ireland, UK, for the minutes after effort.
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