Soapsmith has trickled in on shelves in boutique stores across London and on the online shelves at Yogamatters. People are buzzing about the signature London-inspired scents, lovely packaging and especially about its founder, Samantha Jameson.
We chat with her about her experience as a black business owner, the ways she stays creative and grounded and how mindfulness can be found in making.
What does creativity mean to you? What inspires you to be creative?
“From a young age, the process of making, creating and experimenting has been a real source of pleasure. Always a hobby, it was something I just did in my downtime. When I founded Soapsmith, my biggest challenge was creating a commercially viable business, without losing the quality, crafted, hands-on nature that sparked the idea in the first place. Without creativity, we’re just another bath and body care brand. With it, we deliver sensorial, emotive, energising moments and experiences- from visual to touch and of course, to smell. So the answer is blatantly simple to us: put creativity at the heart of what you do- whether that be the creativity energy that goes into developing unique products, the creative thinking that goes into developing an impactful, ownable brand identity, or the creative planning that delivers an operational plan that is both time and cost efficient! For me (and the Soapsmith team) creativity drives our passion, our excellence and our quality.”
What does London offer to you as a maker?
“London is my home, it is where I was born, where I grew up, and where I have settled. From an early age London provided me with so much content, especially as it never seems to sit still- it’s forever changing and offering new perspectives and ideas. Be that through the richly diverse communities, the extensive histories and the never-ending development and evolutions of places – especially in my home borough Hackney – even the hospital I was born in is now luxury flats! My London memories are weaved into my Soapsmith scents, in the hope that these memories will evoke my customer’s memories or experiences of this iconic, on-of-a-kind city. Our scents and products remind people of why they love London. They take them back to their own happy memories of the place. There are other places in the world that inspire and intrigue me, and they will most certainly shape how we expand and grow our scent and product range in the future. But it was important to me to start and focus initially on the place where Soapsmith (and I) was born- before it spreads it’s wings elsewhere.”
How did you get into this industry?
“My Soapsmith journey started back in 2010, when one day I was listening to an interview on talk radio that said UK manufacturing was “dying a death” and that craftsmanship and handmade quality were being replaced by the efficiencies of mass-produced goods. It played on my mind for weeks- thinking how sad it was that we were losing the very essence that is UK craftmanship. My mum always instilled in me ‘build or buy something well and it will last.’ It was crying shame that the UK was losing this part of its identity. At the time I had a successful events company and chocolate fountain business, but I was ready for a change of scene and a change of industry. I wanted to create the forever job for myself- I wanted to create something that became part of the core me- not just an accessory. Crafting had always been a hobby of mine- and soap and fragrance making were my main culprits! I taught myself how to make soaps and dissect fragrances from Library books (the good ol’ days). Long story short, I sold the events and chocolate fountain business, sold a few personal items and used the combined capital to make my Soap making hobby into my dream job. I spent two whole years developing and honing my craft and product line, before I launched the brand in 2012.”
Why is it important for consumers to continue to seek out diverse and inclusive brands? What can they do to further support?
“Above all, I think it’s important for consumers to seek out brands of quality- where they get authentic, honest products that are worth their price tag (whatever it is). In my experience, businesses with passionate founders at the helm tend to deliver this. My customers buy Soapsmith because they love what I have created with my team. They don’t buy me just because I’m a woman or a person of colour- because in my opinion that’s not enough of a reason. I think it’s extremely important that we shine a light on all owners and founders, and especially ones that have worked from the ground up with very little support. It has taken me nearly 10 years to get to where we are today- and we have a huge job to do, a job that is becoming easier with the amazing, diverse team that we are building. The more people with different experiences and walks of life you bring into a business, the better the output, the better the product, the better the value for the customer.”
As a BIPOC business leader, what has been your experience so far in entering the product development space? What have you noticed?
“It takes nerves of steel to plough on and maintain belief in what you’re trying to achieve- especially as it can take a thousand ‘no’s’ to every ‘yes.’ But I think this is the case for every founder- perhaps in particular females. I’d being an African woman has only been advantageous in product development- my skin profile is that of dry one, and so when I create products, they have to be ultra-nourishing- as otherwise they’ll be no good for me and other black women. Similarly, I can’t stand oiliness. So all in all, I’ve used my genetic and cultural routes as an advantage.”
Why is mindful and sustainable manufacturing important?
“It’s a simple fact of life that the environment is at great risk if we humans don’t do something to protect it. We all have a responsibility to do our bit. Businesses, especially manufacturing businesses must consider the long term impacts of their practices- as they too will suffer the consequences if they don’t find ways to improve the way they do things. Businesses, especially big corporates, need to stop focusing on the short term economic gain, and think about the big picture- investing for the long term. We also believe that the small things will make a difference- for example we endeavour to source all our materials from the UK to minimise our global carbon footprint. Yes it costs a bit more, but the short term cost will make for a long term saving- environmentally AND economically. We’ve also found that working with mindful suppliers is an easy way of doing the right thing- for example, our PET suppliers use post consumer recycled goods. Our postal packaging supplier supply 100% recyclable packaging- even the bubble wrap.”
Finish these sentences: “Always …” and “Never …”
“Always double check – measure twice and cut once is something I swear by, it has saved me lots of headache and time. Never compromise– it is better to take your time and get it right than to rush ahead and make a mistake. Slow living and being mindful is really important. You can get more do by being measured than to rush ahead without preparation.”
What does yoga mean to you? Do you practice and if so, what is your favourite pose?
“I must confess I don’t do enough- especially since, as well as running Soapsmith, I’m raising a small, very busy little girl. But I do try and grab even 20 minutes every so often- even if it’s a more restorative practice. I know I should say my favourite pose is crow or wheel, but really I just love a Child’s Pose!”
Favourite Yogamatters product(s)? Why?
“I enjoy the yoga brick as it supports certain postures. Ella, my partner in crime, swears by her buckwheat bolster.”
What’s your work uniform? What do you wear when you’re not at work?
“I am forever in jeans and a hoody, except if I’m working on products in which case it’s a lab coat (although jeans and hoody underneath!) Especially in the last year, I haven’t really gone anywhere and tend to spend my most of my spare time in comfy clothing be it sweat pants and loose top. BUT, I am partial to a jumpsuit (I have over 30!) from denim to organic cotton. I also swear by bamboo cotton t-shirts! I wear one under my work wear and around the house, nice and soft to touch. As well as being sustainable.”
What gets you energised and keeps you recharged?
“Taking a long walk to clear my head and put fresh ideas inside. Also spending time with my daughter – not only does keeping up with her mean there’s no time not to be energised, she also always makes me laugh. She is forever making presents for people and watching her put it together and decorate them I find so humbling and uplifting (I see a lot of me in her). I also have to include work in here- oddly, it’s the thing I find the most re-charge! Likely because these days I spend a lot of my work day being creative, exploring new ideas and coming up with new or improved formulas. It honestly doesn’t feel like work to me, I really enjoy coming in and I love what I do!”
Favourite movie, book, app, podcast, game at the moment?
“At the moment I’m reading a lot of cosmetic books, online blogs and chatting on forums as I’m in a bit of a learning and development mode. I do really love watching meaty TV series -it’s a great way to switch off . My fav series is Better Call Saul- so gripping and I can’t wait for the next season! Podcast wise, I’m a bit late to the party with podcasts but I dabble in Elizabeth Day’s How to Fail and also Holly Tucker’s conversations of inspiration.”
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