Inventing the Future of Restrooms | E13 – Hard Refresh – An ISSA Podcast

🚽 Toilet talk—elevated. In this episode of Hard Refresh, hosts Karina Neff and Caden Hutchens dive deep (pun intended) into bathroom tech and brand psychology with Rob Poleki, Founder & CEO of Washie and self-proclaimed restroom revolutionary.From his roots in government to a viral Shark Tank momentthat never aired, Rob shares how he turned a seemingly “crappy” problem into a category-defining smart toilet seat—and a cultural movement around restroom dignity.In This Episode:🔹 Clear Cache:• The absorbent lie about toilet seat covers—and what we’ve all been doing wrong• Washie’s origin story: from elected official to inventor of the first smart public toilet seat• Delta Sky Club’s 5-star restroom experience and how it started with a single customer complaint• The psychology of public restrooms (stall 3 is not the move)• How Washie is using data and IoT to reinvent cleaning operations, reduce waste, and boost customer confidence• The secret to sustainable restroom design—and why “sharticles” might be Rob’s greatest marketing moment• 🚨 Washie Home is coming. Yes, for residential use.🔹 Quick Control:• Washie’s Free Trial Offer – For the month of June, facilities can try Washie free for 30 days• ISSA Business Growth Strategies – June 10–11 in Chicago Register hereUse code BGS10! for 10% off• CLX: Robotics & Automation – June 24Register here• Last episode: AI, Autonomy & Robots with Brain Corp’s David Pinn💡 Whether you're a facility manager, real estate operator, janitorial provider—or just a parent of teenage boys—this episode is for anyone who’s ready to rethink what clean really means in 2025. 🎧 Subscribe & Follow Hard Refresh on Spotify, YouTube, and your favorite podcast platform.Connect with the Hosts & Guest:Karina Neff – https://www.linkedin.com/in/karina-neff-01b0782a/Caden Hutchens – https://www.linkedin.com/in/caden-hutchens/Rob Poleki – https://www.linkedin.com/in/robpoleki/