We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jenifer Brown. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jenifer below.
Hi Jenifer, thanks for joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
My parents and grandparents taught me the importance of being a self-starter. They emphasized that if I want something, I have to take the initiative to pursue it. They always advised me not to wait for opportunities to come to me, but to actively seek out what I want. My Dad used to tell me, “You can’t wait for others to bring you opportunities, find what you want and go after it.” Their encouragement to carve my path has shown me that with hard work and passion, I can achieve anything.
Jenifer, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Soap-making found me while I was in the middle of my pharmacy career. I worked as a pharmacy technician for 13 years in total, with the last 7 years spent as a hospice pharmacy technician at a corporate level. A few years prior, I started seeking a way to change my life and live at a more fulfilling pace. When I became a pharmacy tech, my goal was to earn as much money as possible and make a significant impact on the world, propelling my life to new heights. However, in 2017, life began to teach me that it’s okay to desire less and that focusing on the quality of life rather than the quantity is more important. Through meaningful conversations with others, I learned that it’s possible to have a great life without a big fancy title.
I started making soap as a hobby without any expectations. I found joy and creativity in it and shared my creations with family and friends. To my surprise, people loved my soap and started offering to buy it. This motivated me to turn my hobby into a small business. In 2021, Apotheca Brown Soaps & Sundries became my full-time endeavor.
Our soap business has always prioritized people, with sales coming second. We love getting to know our customers and supporters and hearing about their lives. I truly believe we were given the gift of having a business because the world needs businesses that still care about people, not the bottom line ultimately. We work hard to make a great product and ensure that people know they are valued when they shop with us.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The way we have grown, both online and in local markets, is by treating people with respect and kindness while offering a great product. Big businesses don’t have the time to connect a name and face with every purchase. Our number one goal is to make each person we encounter feel valued. People always remember how you make them feel; repeat business doesn’t always come from what you sold them. Big businesses have lost the ability to make people feel seen and valued.
Taking time & being genuine with people has grown our business in many ways.
Any advice for managing a team?
I remember the experience of working for someone else and the challenging interactions with bosses on bad days. We are all human and entitled to have bad days and big deadlines to meet. Life and work can get stressful, but it’s rarely a good thing to carry hard times into work with you. I work hard to have an emotional and personal clean slate every day, so that people who encounter me get the best version of myself I can offer. Each day, we owe it to ourselves and others to put our best foot forward; new days mean new possibilities. We can’t move forward without holding on to yesterday’s shortcomings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ApothecaBrownSoaps.com
- Instagram: @APOTHECABROWNSOAPS
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ApothecaBrown
