Gratitude Meets Grit: Building a Brand in the Least Sexy Industry on Earth
- Dec 30, 2025
- 2 min read
By Molly McClure
2025 Gold Stevie® Marketing Executive of the Year, 20-Year Corporate Marketing Veteran & Executive Consultant for DrugScreens.com
Let’s be honest: launching a drug-testing company isn’t what little girls dream about. No one grows up saying, “I want to market drop ship toxicology kits when I grow up.” But over this past year I’ve helped build DrugScreens.com, a national provider of toxicology testing kits for employers of all sizes—and it’s been one of the most fulfilling, caffeine-fueled, scrappy adventures of my career.
The industry itself? Hardly glamorous—and hopelessly commoditized. According to Global Market Insights Inc., the global drug-screening market was valued at USD $13.8 billion in 2024, and is projected to soar to USD $52.2 billion by 2034 at a CAGR of ~14.5 %. So why was I still seeing websites that looked like they were built in 2009, slides with font size 10, and copy that ran, “Buy now—compliance solutions”?
Because most competitors treat this like selling paper clips. We decided: not us. We came in to build a brand.
From choosing color palettes that feel trustworthy (but not cold), to designing a logo that says “modern healthcare” rather than “lab supply closet,” every piece was intentional. We landed on “Securing your success, one screen at a time.” Yes—name it, write it, debate it, test it, falls on Monday morning. But we got there.
Here’s where the painful stuff shows up: in construction sites where someone shows up impaired, risking lives. In recovery centers where a relapse means more than a bad day—it means another family hits the wall. In workplaces where safety must be more than a promise—it must be verified. This is not fluff. This is real. Employees abusing substances are reportedly 3.5 times more likely to cause accidents and five times more likely to get injured on the job.
So yes—I’m grateful this industry exists. Grateful for recovery programs that partner with real solutions, and for employers who recognize that a clean screen can mean a safe worksite, a second chance, a stable family.
Building DrugScreens.com from day zero wasn’t glamorous. We launched with a small team, big ambition, and zero guarantee. We’ve traded late nights for logo iterations, spreadsheets for shipping supplies, and endless “What if we…” meetings for “Yes we can.” But gratitude? It’s been the engine. Gratitude for every new customer who trusted a new brand. Gratitude for every partner who said “let’s try that.” Gratitude for the fact that meaningful work can hide behind the label “drug-testing kits.”
Because even in an industry that tests for everything under the sun—gratitude is still the best performance enhancer I know.
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