This week in our ongoing Meet the Maker series, we’re thrilled to introduce you to Ruth of Sirona Springs Handmade Soap and The Nova Studio, LLC.

 

 

LBC: What inspired you to take the leap as an entrepreneur? 
Ruth: I started making cold process soap for myself because I loved how it made my skin feel. But then I found that it was an artistic medium (as strange as it seemed) that allowed me to be creative in so many ways. Selling my soap allowed me to continue to be creative.

 

LBC: How would you describe what you make?
Ruth: The soap that I create is meant to be a little piece of art that you can interact with everyday. The classes and tutorials that I design as a teacher at The Nova Studio help other creative people make their most beautiful soap.

 

LBC: When you first got started, how did you envision your business would be defined?
Ruth: As a maker of quality products that were a pleasure to use and admire.

 

LBC: Where can we find your products?
Ruth: On our website, at The Nova Studio in Point Richmond, and in Alameda at Modern Mouse, a cute, little gift shop that sells only handmade products. It’s like a brick and mortar Etsy!

 

 

LBC: Walk us through a typical work day.
Ruth: Lately, my main focus has been on teaching and getting ready for the redesign of The Nova Studio website. So most days I start by checking my email for anything that my business partners Lori Nova Endres and Cassie Durant need input with. Then I might write a blog post or touch up some photos. If I have a class coming up, then I’ll plan which recipes I’ll use, and use checklists to gather all my equipment and supplies that I’ll need for class. The best days are the ones when I’m teaching because then I get to spend the day at The Nova Studio sharing my enthusiasm about soap (instead of sitting in front of a computer).

 

LBC: What are 3 things makers should think through when they initially decide to start a business?
Ruth: 1. What part of your business are you willing to delegate to someone else? One person can’t do it all and do it well. Sometimes it’s more efficient to pay an expert rather than try to reinvent the wheel. 2. Who is your audience? Who needs your product? That is the person that you need to speak to, inform and share with. Find out where s/he hangs out and offer your product there. 3. How much support do you have, financially and emotionally? On days when you are feeling defeated (and in the early days when nothing is selling), having someone who can help you keep the faith can really get you over some rough times.

 

 

LBC: When you’re overwhelmed, what brings you back to focus?
Ruth: When I’m feeling overwhelmed, it’s often because I’ve been ignoring my own needs. In those moments I choose to take a step back and think about what would make me feel better. Sometimes it’s just a short break and a bowl of ice cream. Sometimes, it’s more Pilates classes. Whatever it is, I remind myself that taking care of myself also needs to be on my To-do list.

 

LBC: Please share one mistake or obstacle from your business experience. How did you bounce back/overcome it?
Ruth: Early on, I planned on starting up as a home-based business and went to my local city hall to get a business license. In the process, I was told that the Fire Marshall would not allow me to store sodium hydroxide (one of the main ingredients in soapmaking) in my home. Without sodium hydroxide, I couldn’t make soap. And I couldn’t afford to rent a space outside my home to make my soap. I decided to ask Lori Endres if she would let me store my sodium hydroxide in The Nova Studio in exchange for my helping her around the studio. She agreed and that connection eventually evolved into the partnership that we have today. That whole experience has become a life lesson for me: the Fire Marshall’s “no” turned into a big, fat “YES” because it led me to The Nova Studio and an opportunity I never imagined. I try to remember that when it looks like things aren’t going my way.

 

 

LBC: Is there a cause or organization that you contribute to that you’re particularly passionate about?
Ruth:  Clean The World: they take bits of soap (especially from hotels, but also soapmakers) that would normally be thrown away and recycle them into soap bars that are then sent to parts of the world where soap is a luxury and cleanliness is life-saving. We make a habit of sending them flat rate priority boxes of soap – our last shipment was over 100 pounds!

 

LBC: What are a 3 essential resources in your business toolbox you can’t do without?
Ruth: Soapmaker Software – for keeping my recipes and inventory straight. Quickbooks – for keeping the money straight! Facebook – I know it can be a black hole for time, but it really helps me connect with other soapmakers from around the world and share my knowledge with them.

 

LBC: Suppose we had a time machine. If we blasted ourselves forward a few years, where would we see your company?
Ruth: The Nova Studio would be offering more classes, information, products and support in diverse ways, enabling us to reach so many more students and continue to be the “go-to” source for entrepreneurs starting their own bath & body businesses.

 

 

If you could hire someone to do just one thing that you sort of loath doing, what would it be? 
Ruth: Folding laundry. In the meantime, I have to do it while listening to NPR podcasts to keep from dying of boredom.

 

Tell me about a few of the places on your travel “bucket list.” 
Ruth: Fiji, Australia, the Philipines: basically anywhere with great snorkeling.

 

What’s the one thing you would eat, if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life? 
Ruth: Sushi – I only discovered it as an adult when I moved to California, but I try to make up for the years I missed!

 

Thank you, Ruth, for sharing your fabulous talent + soaps with us. We look forward to all the wonderful things ahead for Sirona Springs and The Nova Studio.

 

Want to see your brand featured in our continuing “Meet the Maker Monday” series? Drop us a line: hello@luckybreakconsulting.com. Please use “MEET THE MAKER” as the subject line and be certain to include your web address. We look forward to hearing from you!