Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Gina Rivisto, owner of Slate Apothecary, located in Renton, WA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My business is Slate Apothecary, a values-driven company making small-batch organic goods that are easy on the skin and the environment too. My customers appreciate brands they can trust in their homes and with their loved ones. We love organic, sustainable offerings that aim to have a light footprint on our Earth. We also may have skin sensitivities and have learned that simple, clean ingredients are the way to go. Slate Apothecary is all organic, all good.

Tell us about yourself

Being born and raised in Seattle, watching a lot of Captain Planet, and attending Environmental Camps in middle school (we would weigh food waste at the end of every meal and aim for zero waste as a group) really instilled an appreciation for our natural planet, resources, and a deep sense of responsibility around being a good steward. Sprinkle in Depression Era grandparents recounting the values of every resource (let's wash that aluminum foil); it seems only natural I came out founding Recycling Clubs in my neighborhood as a kid and many years later stumbling upon soap making as the ultimate recycling magic to truly capture my crafty heart.

While working in operations, I found myself taking classes at North Seattle Community College for fun and geekery. Some cooking classes, a voiceover class, and then the winners arrived- a soap-making class and another one about making your own salves, balms, and lotions. I remember feeling like I had entered a whole new fascinating world as the instructor gently demystified this alchemy in these classes. I was hooked and started making all my own soaps, lotions and focused on perfecting a peppermint lip balm (the one thing I can just never be without.)

Years later, while working for an organic donut company, I came across their used oil from the fryers asking how they disposed of it and if it was something I could take some to see if I could make into soap. Spoiler alert: it works great. I'm currently reviewing other ways we can repurpose oils and even teach others to do it on their own too, but in the interim, I am perfectly happy making it for you.

I am excited to have a small business offering practical goods most anyone can use in their home. But more than that, I am excited to be a business living values around sustainability, recycling, and being a good steward of our Earth.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Overcoming imposter syndrome has been a big one for me. Somehow I can tout all my previous professional accomplishments with ease- speaking about things I've done for other people's businesses and all my strengths at that company, but when it came to selling products I've been making, loving, and using in my home and gifting to everyone in my life, I feared maybe no one would want to buy any of it.

I think a lot of makers and creative types suffer from this imposter syndrome too, so I do not feel unique in this. Once I started to build my network with other makers, I realized that I was not alone, and I have been encouraged in this.

Finding out people loved my soaps, lotion, and balms as much as I did just lit my little maker's heart on fire. You legit should see me when I read the 5 Star Reviews- I blush, I read them to the family, I do a dance, it's a whole thing. Validation is a big deal- hearing that this stuff you're making is cool to other people is just the bee's knees.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I remember when a manager once showed me how to build a schedule for a cafe he ran. He told me his process for setting things up, his framework, and then how he approached the "finishing touches." He told me it was like painting a picture- it may never be perfectly complete, but eventually, as the painter (leader), you have to decide when it's good enough and stop working on it.

I think about that a lot as I evaluate how we measure success as people and as business owners. There are competing priorities all over the map, but especially when it's a one-person show, it's vital to get real with yourself about what success looks like, even from day to day or task to task. There may not be a perfect solution to everything, you may not execute things perfectly or achieve your vision, but it's important to sit back and determine "what does success look like" and go from there.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Get clear about what matters so that you have a basis from which to make decisions. If you want to get really formal, you can write Vision, Mission, and Values down.
  2. Make a plan. I'm a planner, so this speaks to me, but I think Business Plans are critical when determining what you're going after and how. Even if you don't stick to it all 100%, it gives you somewhere to start. Sometimes, when you're riding the waves of being an entrepreneur, that's all you need- a sense of where you are going and what matters most to help guide your decisions.
  3. Get Support. SCORE mentorship program is a great resource available to all small businesses. They pair you with mentors who will help you with whatever you need help with. Whether through them or other formal or informal groups, it is really valuable to build a network of others doing what you're doing in the small business world. It's amazing what it can do for you when your peer group is encouraging you on your journey too. Besides, that support group will help you with that imposter syndrome too. <3

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I ship for free in the US.

Where can people find you and your business?

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/slateapothecary
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slateapothecary
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slateapothecary/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.