Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Javier Folgar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Javier, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I’ve always loved to stay active. I swim competitively, play tennis, and compete in triathlons. As with any training program, recovery is just as important as the activity itself. That’s where bubble baths come into play. Part of my ritual for soothing my achy muscles involved taking a nice, warm, bubble bath. Not only does it feel great, but it does wonders for the body.

When COVID-19 hit, I found myself, just like many other people, stuck at home with loads of time on my hands. I remember one evening searching online for “bubble baths” to purchase. That’s when I noticed that every single company out there only offered products that smelled like a bouquet of flowers. That’s when the idea was born.

Steering away from the typically “floral-scented” baths, I developed a unique line of “bold-scented” bubble baths, breaking bathroom stereotypes. Men no longer have to worry about what indulging in a bubble bath will do to their image. And women, whoever said that flowery scents and a side of glitter are all that is appropriate for you? I wanted to start a company that would kick societal notions to the curb and reclaims people’s bathtubs.

TOA Waters was launched in the fall of 2020. Named after the mightiest river in Cuba to honor my heritage – we offer premium bubble baths to individuals who aren’t afraid to relax and rejuvenate their bodies.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a first-generated, US Citizen from a family of immigrants. My mother fled Cuban when she was 9. My father was born and raised in Spain and immigrated to the US when he was only 10. My family embodies the American Dream.

My childhood was spent with my family close by my side. I often joked that my family would travel in herds – siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents – all laughing and experiencing the joys of life with every Sunday BBQ, holiday, or family vacation together. Family was everything.

You can imagine the shock that my relatives experienced when I announced that I was moving from New Jersey to Maryland. Shortly after graduating from college, I packed my bags to start my career in the nonprofit world.

My 8 years working for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), an organization that protects the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, not only grounded my passion for conservation but also helped me find myself. During that time, not only did I establish a successful career, I came out as a gay man and embraced the concept of shattering gender stereotypes.

Then in 2020, the world took a pause. When COVID-19 hit, I decided to make the most of the situation and fulfill a long-term dream that I have always had – starting my own business. Amidst a global pandemic, I launched TOA Waters in the fall of 2020.

Today, I work two jobs. I guess you can say I am a conservationist by day and “soapatier” by night.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

We currently sell our products on our website, Amazon, Etsy, and Faire. Each has its pros and cons.

* TOAwaters.com – As a business, we retain the largest percentage of sales made through our own website. We do not have to give a portion of sales aways to a third party.

We are also able to develop a deeper relationship with customers that purchase products through our website. For instance, we are able to capture their contact information – like their email address – and cultivate a relationship with them over time. This leads to repeat purchases, happier customers, and larger sales.

* Amazon.com – This platform is great for attracting new customers. There is no doubt that Amazon has a vast customer base. Once you are able to get through all the noise and run effective paid advertising campaigns, you will have access to their large customer base.

The downfall is developing relationships with your customers. Amazon does not share the customers’ contact information with small businesses. However, there are ways to combat this. For instance, when we fulfill orders through Amazon, we always include a coupon for 10% off their next purchase on TOAwaters.com. Our hope is that once a customer buys on Amazon, they will use this coupon on our website. We have seen success with this tactic.

Amazon also does have large fees to run effectively on their site. They do take a percentage of sales, and you really need to run paid ads in order to get your product in front of consumers. However, in the grand scheme of things, these extra fees, in my opinion, are worth it to tap into a new customer base. Currently, Amazon is our most profitable platform to sell our bubble baths, even though they take the largest percentage of sales.

Lastly, customers on Amazon love their reviews. Products need to be in tip-top shape. Any issues can result in negative feedback. Reviews are highly regarded for purchasing decisions on this platform. The good news is that positive reviews will lead to an increase in sales.

* Etsy.com – Etsy really supports small businesses. They take a small portion of sales to advertise and post on their platform, but the fees are reasonable. Similar to Amazon, this platform can open the doors to new audiences. However, at times, it can be difficult to get your product noticed.

When TOA Waters first posted our products on Etsy, sales looked promising and were increasing month by month. However, Etsy soon made a change to how the product appeared in search results, and sales went to a grinding halt. We had to invest a lot of time and energy to redo all of our product postings. We added professional photos to all of our listings and revised our keywords. Slowly but surely, sales increased.

* Faire.com – This website focuses on targeting wholesalers. They are aimed at small businesses that handcraft their products. We recently posted our products on this site. It has exposed us to new wholesale clients. While sales are slow, it has much potential. This is our lowest-performing platform, as we just started advertising here a few months ago, but I see it as having the greatest growth opportunity.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Listen to your customers. Feedback is critical.

When we first launched the company, we wanted to create a tagline that stood us apart from the competition. We were a different type of bubble bath company. We didn’t want people to think that our bubble bath products smelled like roses and sliced cucumbers. Our bubble bath scents are unique – nothing that the world has ever seen. We also wanted to showcase that anyone can enjoy a bubble bath – man, woman, or child.

So we can up with the tagline: “Premium bubble baths for the rugged individual.” It showcased that we were a luxury brand that was appealing to a unique audience. While it was a great first step in developing a tagline, we missed the mark, and our customers didn’t hold back on letting us know.

After our company launched, we started selling our products at local events and festivals. Our promotional materials had this tagline written all over them, and the customers did not hold back. Honestly, the reaction from the public was quite comical. In a playful manner, they would say, “I’m not sure I am rugged enough for your bubble bath” or “what is the rugged individual?”. Clearly, our tagline was not resonating with our intended target audience.

After collecting this feedback, we changed our tagline to “Bubble baths for the Bold Bather.” Now, when we attend events and festivals with this tagline, it is much better received by the public. It draws the customer in. Instead of it being a joke, they are curious to see what we are all about.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TOAwaters.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toawaters/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Toa-Waters
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67895313/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/toawaters
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIzMj8Rme38sr-FDddkn9Fg
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/toawaters https://www.tiktok.com/@toawaters

Image Credits
Image Credit: TOA Waters