By: Erica Campbell
Jaime and I both are mega nerds for kitchy handmade goods and all things DIY. Before we created the SOBDL, we both had artisan side hustles (that entrepreneur energy is just in our blood I guess!) Jaime had Sassy Lamb Cupcakes and I canned up a storm with The Argyle Pantry.
It was only natural then for a Womxn’s Makers Market to blossom at our events. I honestly can’t even remember now which event exactly it was that we officially kicked off the Market component but it was a hit from the get-go. Prior to the market, we would always say yes to vendors who e-mailed us asking if they could pop-up at our events (I can remember Broad Lingerie, Guild Eyewear…) but building out an actual market strategy was a cool way to officially foster and support local womxn entrepreneurship and continue to make our events dynamic and interesting spaces that were so much more than a simple beer fest. We knew that if we wanted to bring in a wide range of attendees for years to come, we needed to keep our events fresh, interesting and reach out to folks beyond the craft beer space.
I personally love grabbing my wallet and hitting the Makers Market during our events to snatch up awesome products for myself. It’s so fun seeing the market come alive after months of e-mail correspondence, and it’s great meeting first-time vendors and catching up with regular vendors. The icing on the cake is when, at the end of the night, a vendor stops me to say how well they did during our event and how much additional inquiries they received from attendees for future sales.
And so, when we launched our Beer Squad Mystery Box program back in July, it was only natural to integrate an artisan goods component. I missed connecting with all these interesting womxn makers and wanted to make sure SOBDL continued to support many of these makers. Um, and also for selfish reasons so I could snag goods from some of my fave makers heehee.
While we have invited many of our past makers to participate in the Mystery Box program, it’s also been awesome to forge new partnerships too! For instance, meet Lauren: owner of Scrub & Butter! We haven’t actually met in person yet (damn pandemic!) but she’s been a joy to work with so far. We’ll be putting one of her products into Box 3 (don’t worry you can keep reading ) as her products and branding are awesome.
Check out my Q&A with Lauren and make sure to snag Mystery Box 3 featuring her products! They go on sale Sunday November 15th at 10am and will sell out quick!
Tell us a bit about you!
My name is Lauren Griffith, I am the founder of Scrub & Butter. Scrub & Butter is my baby, and something I do with whatever spare time I can find. In my day-to-day, I am the Manager of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging for a large Canadian organization, and I am focused on creating equitable spaces for our employees. I love what I do, and I love being able to share these skincare products I love so much with the world.
Tell us about your Business!
Scrub & Butter is focused on making hand crafted, and all-natural skincare products that become part of your everyday skincare routine. These products are geared towards women and men of all ages and of all skin types, because everyone deserves quality products and healthy, happy skin.
What got you started?
I got tired of buying products that I didn’t feel really worked for me; so I tried making my own. I found specific, all natural, ingredients that addressed specific issues I was having with my skin, and kept trying different combinations until I found what I liked.
What do you enjoy most about entrepreneurship?
I love the constant challenge of creating new products and finding new and exciting ways to reach out to customers.
How has the pandemic affected Scrub & Butter (positively and/or negatively?)
The pandemic has actually been great for Scrub & Butter. Because people need to wash their hands so often, they’ve found the need to have really great products to relieve the dry skin on their hands. Also, there has been a really wonderful energy around supporting Black businesses and Black business owners, which has also been quite nice.
What are you most proud of with Scrub & Butter?
How far we’ve come! We are small, but mighty and have come such a long way.
What big plans and dreams are on the horizon for 2021?
I would love to release a few more special products – bath bombs and masks!
How can people buy your products? Visit our website www.scrubandbutter.com
