We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vitaliya Strelkova. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vitaliya below.

Vitaliya, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

My approach to growth has never been very planned or intentional—it’s been more reactive than strategic. The business has always grown in response to demand rather than through a structured “scale-up” strategy.

When I first started in 2021 in Canmore, it was really just a creative experiment during a very uncertain period of my life. After being laid off from my job during COVID, I started making bath products at home almost out of curiosity. At that stage, everything was small-scale and very informal—shared mostly with people I knew, with no expectation that it would turn into anything long-term.

For quite a while, things stayed that way. It was only after relocating to Calgary in 2023 that things started to shift noticeably. The increase in exposure and opportunities led to a steady rise in orders, and I quickly realized I could no longer treat production as something occasional.

That was the point where I had to become more intentional in how I operated day-to-day—investing back into tools, materials, and production capacity simply to keep up. Even then, it wasn’t about chasing growth for its own sake, but about maintaining consistency and being able to fulfill what was already coming in.

Now, with a larger customer base, retail stockists, and regular markets, I’ve learned to keep my approach quite grounded. Instead of planning big expansions, I focus on adapting only when it’s needed and keeping the process as flexible and manageable as possible so the business doesn’t outgrow my ability to personally sustain it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My name is Vitaliya, and I am the founder of Bubble Mountain Co., a handmade bath and body brand based in Calgary, Alberta.

I started my business in 2021 in Canmore during the COVID-19 pandemic, after being laid off from my job as a front desk agent at a small hotel. At the time, I honestly didn’t know what direction my life was going in. My routine had disappeared overnight, and I remember feeling like I was just moving through slow, quiet days without much purpose or structure. I tried to fill that space with different hobbies—reading, gardening, knitting—but nothing really stuck or felt creatively fulfilling.

One day, I came across an online course on making bath bombs. I bought it without thinking too much about it, more out of curiosity than intention. I started experimenting in my kitchen with basic ingredients, and my first attempts were far from successful. They were messy, inconsistent, and not something I would have ever imagined turning into a product. But something about the process stayed with me—the trial and error, the sensory experience, and the ability to create something tangible from scratch. I kept going, even when it wasn’t working, because I genuinely enjoyed figuring it out.

Over time, I began improving not only the formulas but also the presentation—adding color, texture, and eventually hand-decorating each piece. Friends and family became my first customers, and slowly, a few early supporters online started following my journey and placing small orders. For a long time, the business remained very small and personal, and I think that foundation is still a core part of Bubble Mountain Co. today.

The brand now focuses on handmade bath and body products such as lip balms, body oils, body scrubs, soaps, and other self-care items designed to bring small, intentional moments of relaxation into everyday life. A big part of my work is centered around scent and the emotional connection people have with fragrance—how something as simple as a body oil or bath product can shift your mood, help you slow down, or create a sense of comfort in your routine.

What sets my work apart is how hands-on and personal it still is. Even as the business has grown into multiple retail locations and a consistent market presence, I continue to make every product myself in small batches. There is no large factory or outsourced production. I am still involved in every step—from mixing ingredients to packaging and quality control.

In 2023, I moved to Calgary, which became a turning point for the business. Demand began to grow more consistently, and I had to adapt quickly from making small, occasional batches to producing more regularly and efficiently. That was the first time I really had to think about production, reinvesting, and scaling in a practical way. I slowly invested back into the business—better equipment, larger ingredient quantities, and more efficient systems—while still being careful not to over-expand before it was truly needed.

As successful as it may look from the outside, building a business is never easy.

At my first market, I only sold one soap. I cried for days afterward because I felt like my products weren’t good enough or worthy of being noticed.

Another moment where I almost gave up was when I accepted a large order of 300 soaps, even though my business—and I—were definitely not ready for it (a reminder that scaling should happen out of necessity, not pressure). I was producing 20–30 soaps a day, sleeping only 3–4 hours a night, and still waking up to go to my full-time job.

But looking back, I believe those moments—when I truly felt like I couldn’t continue and every part of me wanted to quit—are exactly what shaped both me and my business into what they are today.

What I’m most proud of is turning something that started in a very uncertain and emotional period of my life into a business that now exists in retail stores, markets, and homes across Alberta. It still feels surreal sometimes to think it all began with a small kitchen experiment during a difficult time.

At its core, Bubble Mountain Co. is about accessible, everyday self-care. I want people to feel like they don’t need a special occasion to take care of themselves. It can be as simple as a scent that makes you pause for a moment, or a small ritual that helps reset your day. More than anything, I want the brand to feel real, human, and grounded—because that’s exactly how it started.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I didn’t actually start Bubble Mountain Co. with a set amount of capital or outside funding. In the beginning, it was very much self-funded in the most basic way possible—I used a large portion of my income from my full-time job to buy ingredients, packaging, and small tools as I slowly learned and experimented.

Looking back, it definitely wasn’t the most financially strategic approach, but it reflected where I was at the time. I was building something out of curiosity and necessity, and I didn’t have savings or a formal budget set aside for it. Because of that, I had to be very intentional and resourceful from the very start—choosing small batches, reusing materials where I could, and figuring out how to make things work with limited resources.

As the business slowly started generating its own income, I began reinvesting everything back into it. That cycle of reinvesting became the foundation for how the brand grew. It also pushed me to think differently—not just creatively in terms of product development, but practically in terms of how to sustain and scale something without overextending financially.

At the same time, it motivated me to improve my financial stability overall. I made the decision to find a better full-time job so I could continue supporting the business while it was still growing. In many ways, that balance between working and building taught me discipline, patience, and a lot of problem-solving.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend starting a business without any financial buffer, but in my case, it taught me resilience and forced me to be extremely resourceful. Over time, those early challenges shaped how I manage Bubble Mountain Co. today. I’m very proud to say that after all the financial uncertainty and early struggles, the business has become fully self-sustainable and continues to grow on its own.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I truly believe my reputation has been built through a very “soft sales” approach and a strong focus on genuine connection with customers.

From the beginning, I’ve always wanted people to experience my products in a natural way—through smelling, trying, and interacting with them—before making a purchase. I never wanted the buying process to feel rushed or pressured. Instead, I focus on creating an environment where people feel comfortable taking their time, asking questions, and discovering what they actually enjoy.

I also don’t believe in pushing sales or using aggressive tactics. For me, it’s important that customers feel respected and not persuaded into something they’re unsure about. I’d rather someone leave my booth or store still thinking about it and come back because they genuinely connected with the product, rather than making a decision out of pressure.

Over time, I think this approach has helped build trust. People know they can come to me, explore the products freely, and have an honest experience. That trust has been a big part of how my brand has grown within the market, and it’s something I really value and protect.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bubblemountainco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bubblemountainco/