Amy Harmon, Owner of SOAP Refill Station Santa Fe
How did you get started with SOAP Santa Fe?
The concept was gifted to me through my friend and creative partner, Anne Dezort. She managed a refillery in California, and fell in love with the business. When she moved back to Missouri to open her own shop, I was fascinated by what she was doing. I joined her team and absorbed as much information as possible. During my time at her shop, my family and I decided to move to Santa Fe. When I saw there was not a refillery here, it was an opportunity to open one.
What was your professional journey before working in this field?
My professional life started in a kitchen. I struggled through more than one college, and felt guilty for the time and money wasted. My family strongly suggested I immediately find a full-time job, so I started working in a kitchen. I was lucky—that particular environment was exactly what was needed. I discovered adrenaline and hard, physical work didn’t allow time for doubt. My creativity thrived, and I started to focus on culinary success. I moved to New York City, went to culinary school, and started a career in fine-dining.
This was 20 years ago, and the working conditions were brutal. With hindsight, I see exactly how sexist the industry was, but at the time I just thought I should be tougher. Eventually in that environment, my physical and mental health were at risk, and I had to make a change.
I moved back to Missouri, and the next phase of my professional journey started with food, but morphed into marketing and design. I taught cooking classes and developed recipes for a locally-owned natural market. I learned photography and graphic design so I could promote what we were creating. That grew into a larger communications and management role within the rapidly growing company. It was an invaluable experience that sparked my interest in small business and entrepreneurship.
What do your days typically look like?
I wake up around 6:30 and have coffee with my husband. I do a minimum amount of cardio and stretching. I enjoy breakfast with my kid, make sure his day is organized, then go to the shop.
My days there are filled with customer service, ordering supplies, researching new products, bookwork, cleaning, marketing—all the elements that go into running a small business.
I head home soon after closing to make dinner, and enjoy my family. Sometimes I’ll work from home - checking emails and working on the website. I try to be disciplined and shut it all down before 8:00 p.m. Electronics at night disrupt my sleeping patterns. Adapting habits to maintain a needed work/life balance has been a challenge.
What makes your work special?
We provide a better, personal shopping experience. Unlike a big box retailer, I can help you find exactly what you’re looking for in the amount that suits you, whether you want to stock up or just get a small amount to make sure you like something. I know that the world’s plastic waste problem isn’t going to be solved by a single refill store, but it allows us, as consumers, to make responsible choices and keep more trash out of the landfill. Retail has to change, and small, locally-owned businesses offer a fairer and more sustainable pathway forward.
What is your future vision for your business?
I did have a clear vision for what I wanted SOAP to be in 5 years, but then a global pandemic hit. While I wish that our economy would quickly return to what we considered normal, I just don’t think that will happen. Covid-19 will continue to disrupt, and it feels prudent to slow down big picture plans, pay attention to the changing landscape, and be ready to adapt.
What's your favorite thing about your work?
The people I meet. Santa Fe is full of smart, creative, interesting people, and many of them choose to refill at SOAP. I am an introvert by nature, and making personal connections does not come easy. As someone who has lived in Santa Fe just one year, I am grateful for the conversations I have daily with a wide range of personalities. The business gives me a means to contribute and connect to the community.
What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
Covid-19. Every day for the past two months, I’ve questioned whether or not I am doing what is right for myself, my family, my customers, and the business I am trying to build.
I believe we made the best choices we could. Once the state effectively shut down, we immediately cut hours to 4 days a week. We adopted a full-service refill model, limiting it to one customer inside at a time. We launched our bottle exchange program with email ordering to give people more and easier options for safe and convenient shopping.
Logic dictated that soap was essential for personal health, and our mission of plastic waste reduction should not be abandoned. However, the emotion that comes with being responsible for the safety and well-being of others is heavy, and at times overwhelming.
Who do you go to for professional advice, and what's the best advice they've given you?
I don't have one go-to Jack Donaghy-like figure for professional advice. I do have a family full of entrepreneurs who will always answer my questions from their unique perspectives. I also have over 20 years experience working for small businesses, and learned from the many ups and downs that those places faced. I reference those experiences daily as I develop SOAP.
I do have an incredible resource for personal advice—my grandmother. It was advice she gave me almost two years ago that changed the trajectory of my professional career. I was dealing with an unsustainable work situation. I knew I should quit, but I couldn't let go of the idea you never leave employment without something else lined up. After one day where it finally got to be too much, I went to my grandmother's house, told her everything, and she said, “Be at peace with your decision.” That simple statement had a profound effect. It allowed me to trust my inner voice, and accept what I knew to be true. I quit the next day.
What advice can you give to budding creatives and entrepreneurs in Santa Fe?
Surround yourself with positive people. Cultivate an environment where you can access your own guiding instincts. Don’t be afraid of calculated risk.
When and why did you decide to move to Santa Fe?
My husband’s career brought us here in 2019. We had often visited northern New Mexico, and loved spending time here. When an opportunity arrived to relocate, it wasn't hard to say yes.
What makes Santa Fe special to you? What is your favorite thing about this place?
This is the first place I’ve lived where I look outside every day and think about how beautiful it is.
If you could change one thing about Santa Fe, what would it be?
The lack of affordable housing. Also, I’m still a little shocked by what seems to be a disregard for driving rules.
What are you passionate about outside of your business?
Currently nothing. I used to pour creative energy into photography, but I haven't picked up my camera since the shop opened. Maybe it’s all the time and energy needed to grow a business? I’m not sure.
I’ve had periods in the past without an active creative outlet, and I found it’s best to spend that time absorbing the creativity of others. I read science fiction and graphic novels, and watch classic movies.
At the end of the day, why do you do what you do?
At this stage in my life and career, I had to stop selling my ideas and problem solving skills to others. It was time to bet on myself. Opening SOAP Refill Station gave me that opportunity.