The drive: what challenges have you overcome?
Figgy just grew and grew – we have never settled into business as usual! I feel like there is always a challenge to overcome – but I love puzzles and problem solving. Even if the solving takes years! When we first started making our castile soap, we made a couple of litres per batch. Then we upgraded to a bigger pot, and then doubled it, making about 35 litres at a time. As demand increased, I was making these 35L batches several times a week and to say it was a pain point was an understatement! We bit the bullet and imported a very expensive 300L soap kettle from the USA. It got caught up in Covid shipping madness, which was eye watering, but we haven’t looked back!
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The pros are your own personal growth and seeing your products being loved by others – happy customers are a massive highlight for me! Turns out there are lots of other mums like me who want to reduce the chemicals in their life and still have a clean and fresh home! The biggest con is the always-ness of your business. It is always on your mind: marketing, production, social media, finances, shipping orders – you might not have anyone else you could hand it all over to and head away on a holiday. Not having a pause can be incredibly draining.
Hopes and dreams: what next?
Spread the word. I’m really passionate about healthy people, homes and ecosystems and the intersection with manmade synthetic chemicals in daily life. It’s an eyes wide open thing, it’s not until you start looking that you are confronted with the realisation of just how many chemicals you are actively using on, in and around your body and where they end up – many of them unnecessary, many of them not tested for safety. Swapping back to simple well-known cleaning agents is an empowering way to call time on modern chemicals in your home. Harnessing control in this area of your life can snowball other meaningful changes – I have had wonderful messages from customers who tell me about big holistic life changes that started with making their own home cleaners! My hope and dream is to take as many people as possible on this journey with me.
Visit the Figgy & Co website to find out more and to browse their range of eco cleaning products. You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
