We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Danielle Martin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Danielle below.
Danielle, appreciate you joining us today. One of the toughest things about entrepreneurship is that there is almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?
When you’re a small business that reinvests its profits back into its own growth and you lose an account of this size with no notice, it causes a tailspin because you know it’s going to be near impossible to recover those investments. It’s actually why we are currently running a fundraiser and relying on community investments to help my business recover as we still have business to work towards.
The flipside is that we’ve learned SO much by having an account like that, and at the end of the day, it allowed us to serve thousands of consumers across the country. It certainly isn’t all bad, but it sure is tough.
Danielle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Soap Distillery creates quality body and home goods with a focus on responsibly made, refined aromas in eco-forward packaging solutions
We are a sustainably focused full experience fragrance company based right in the heart of the heart of the Midwest. Since 2012, we have developed uniquely fragranced body and home goods using responsibly made refined aromas. Our manufacturing processes are driven by our commitment to sustainability which in turn, helps us offer you quality planet friendly goods with refined, regulatory compliant fragrance.
Soap Distillery was born from a need to see product and owner diversity within the natural body care world. I had a vision to create the fun and sustainable products that we have been known for since 2012. Since then, we have been steadily driven to mindfully manufacture everything we create and to continuously improve upon our message of sustainability as it relates both to our products and our facility.
Our mission is to enhance your personal environment with a journey through fragrance. From the soap in your shower, to the body oil on your skin afterwards, to the lip balm you carry with you, all the way back to the candle you light after you arrive home, our fragrances accompany you through every step in your daily routine.
We pride ourselves on making the luxury of fragrance affordable. Cheap and low quality fragrances are often toxic to humans and wildlife. Every person deserves the luxury of refined fragrance. With prices ranging from $8 – $28, we provide affordable options to a wide range of consumers.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
The lesson we’re often taught as small businesses is not to turn down business/money. I generally stand behind this message, but because we lost a huge account with no notice, it’s not one that I 100% stand by. The business helped us grow, and there are many lessons that I learned by trying to manage this business. But, I have had to turn down business in the past because it wasn’t worth what we would have needed to change to manage it, especially at the expense of the growth and support of my own team.
I always stand behind my team because without them, there is no Soap Distillery. So, managing business that’s bad, that can stress them out and push them away from me, isn’t worth it. It’s a tough balance to bring on whatever you can while also trying to keep your team happy.
A couple of years ago, we were working with a growing CBD company and we were making some really great products for them. But, as they grew, it became clear that they preferred profits over people because their team members always seemed stretched too thin and they always missed their deadlines. When they started experiencing high turn-over, I realized that their working environment was toxic and the stress was beginning to bleed over into my management staff. Once that became clear, when every meeting was a disagreement, when every post meeting became a complaining session, I knew is was time to part ways.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
My entire story and the fact that I am still in business is an illustration of my resilience. I started this company with nothing, and purposefully kept it as a hobby until I had just enough money to support myself. But, because I didn’t start my company with large amounts of my own money to finance my business, every step has been a challenge. I worked a full time job for years while running Soap Distillery mostly full time and I stretched myself so incredibly thin. But, every challenge I have been met with has been dealt with because I truly believe in my business and it’s potential to put pressure on the health/beauty/wellness market.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.soapdistillery.com
- Instagram: @soapdistillery
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/soapdistillery
- Linkedin: @soapdistillery
- Twitter: @soapdistillery