(Or rather when Andre met Ellie…)
Our story is probably like many others these days. We met online, talked on the phone enough our phone carriers tried to charge us extra even though we were on unlimited plans. I think part of what brought us together was that we were both searching for something different from our usual comfort zone. I (Ellie) grew up on a ranch (High Plains Drift Inn) in southern Colorado. My family raise and train horses and run a year round Airbnb at the ranch. Andre on the other hand was raised in the city. As you can imagine a lot of things get lost in translation, but it also helps you look at the world in new ways. Eventually we decided we’d like to take a chance on making a life together.
I moved to the city to be with Andre and began searching for a new life direction. Andre had worked over 20 years for the Post Office and while he was/is very thankful for his job, he was restless for a change. I considered getting a job in a cubicle but while I was trying to figure out what to do, I believe God opened a path before us in a round about way.
The first winter Andre and I were together I noticed his skin was getting red and inflamed. He said it was the cold and I left him alone for a while. But it got progressively more and more chapped, to the point where it was bleeding in places. He told me this happened every winter! I couldn’t/can’t believe he put up with this for years. I told him his soap wasn’t helping. He laughed at me since he was using a soap brand well known for its gentleness. So I told him I could make a batch of soap to help if he would try it. He politely rolled his eyes and said what men say to make their girlfriends happy. What he didn’t know was that I had been making soap for a long time before we met and had already seen how much difference the right soap can make. My father had struggled with eczema for years. So I made him a batch of colloidal oats and lanolin soap and kept pestering him until he started using it. I had to hide several of the soap bars he normally used before he gave up and started using the homemade soap regularly. After a couple weeks he told me his skin didn’t hurt as bad. I still remember how he said it, it was like he was in disbelief. His skin is now back to normal, I wish I had before and after pictures.
While this is taking place, I am still looking for a new occupational direction. One that would allow me the freedom to continue working for my family business part time and help pay for the exorbitant cost of living in the beautiful state of Colorado. I don’t know who said it first but one of us was like “well, we could make and sell soap.”
So after much prayer and a lot of trepidation, in the spring of 2023, we received our first shipment of supplies and began making soap. It was like saddling up a wild bronco and getting on for the first time. We have been holding on for dear life as our horse bucks first one way then the other, about the time we get in the rhythm, he stops on his front feet and spins and slams us into a fence. (Forgive the digression into descriptive ranch lingo.)
[Aside; I mentioned that Andre is a Postman? You know the postman motto
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”.
This is no exaggeration. Until I started dating him I had no idea how hard our post people work to deliver our mail. They are often working late nights and always out in the elements. Their vehicles usually do not have A/C and the heating is nominal. If Andre sees this he will want me to edit this out but it’s true and you should thank your delivery men and women today! ]
Due to the relatively low cost of entry, the soap market is highly saturated. Many soap makers enter price wars with each other, trying to have the lowest price to get the most customers. Unfortunately that strategy is simply not sustainable. The turnover in the business is incredible. As soon as one person gives up another starts making soaps. A simple search on craigslist, eBay or Facebook Marketplace will yield dozens of listings of folks selling their equipment or ingredients after they couldn’t make it work. And unfortunately the public has been “conditioned” by this to expect certain prices for soap. It’s not their fault, they have no idea what costs go into the ingredients, packaging, labeling, label making software, and especially the TIME it takes. They can buy a bar of soap for 50 cents at the supermarket, they think 8 bucks is pretty generous. Unfortunately, the only way to make a soap that is that cheap and not go out of business is to either…. 1. Make really simple soap. 2. Buy low quality ingredients or 3. Produce on a massive scale and order your oils from suppliers by the truckload basically manufacturing it. None of these options suited us.
It was important to us from the beginning to use sustainably/ethically sourced ingredients even though these come at a higher cost. We purchase our micas from Mad Mica that is committed to sourcing their mica free from child labor and inhumane working environments. We have chosen to use animal fat bases for most of our soaps (excluding custom batches) as a responsible healthy way to use a by-product of the meat industry that would otherwise be wasted. As much as we know how, we make choices that are kind to other humans and sustainable for our environment.
In view of the guidelines we wished to work between, we thought long and hard and asked ourselves “How can we do this in a way to stand out and still be in business 20 years from now?” We turned to what had attracted each of us to soap in the beginning. For me that is the creative aspect, soap art. For Andre that is having a bar of soap that makes your skin feel amazing. Together you get the most beautiful bar of soap that you love the way it makes your skin feel. Step one of starting a business complete, (2 million steps to go!)
As any entrepreneur quickly learns, starting a business isn’t just having a great product. No one knew we existed or that we could help them. We decided to start off our business by setting up a booth at popular events so that we could meet our customers face to face and learn what was important to them. We had no idea what all that would entail! Both of us have other jobs, me part time and Andre full time.
My mother, her friends and Andre’s Dad head up the “seniors gang”. They have attended so many “labeling parties” I’ve lost count. I really would never have anything ready for sale without these guys. It’s actually gotten to the point that I set up tables and carry the soap over and get out of their way! When I try to help they scold me that I’m doing it wrong!
They want me in the kitchen cooking lunch.
In 2025 we trespassed further on our friends and family rooked them into manning our booth with/for us. Andre’s long suffering mom spent three days in the rain at a disaster of an event. I was afraid she would never speak to me again, but tough little lady that she is, she even helped again (at an indoor event!!!) My poor mother came to the County Fair all 5 days on one of the hottest weeks of the summer and she isn’t a warm weather gal! And my step mom came and helped at the booth while my dad ran around and socialized with the other vendors instead of helping! 🙂 . Both of our families and friends have checked in on us at shows and helped run the booth when we were busy.
My family have been my ever tolerant guinea pigs as I test out new soaps and products. Ask them about the whipped sugar scrub that turned into rubber! Or all the bath bombs I accidentally set out where the sprinkler could reach them! Since our sugar scrubs helped Andre’s sister with her Keratosis pilaris, she has become our number one customer and comes to us for all her soapy needs.
Along the way we have learned and experienced so much…
Braved freezing weather.
Learned to play real life Tetris to pack the car.
Had our tent blow away a an event.
Had to toss products that didn’t work.
Had sleepless nights prepping for events.
Made event friends I can’t wait to see again.
And learned the hard way not to rush pack up or everything wont fit!
Most importantly, through it all we’ve met wonderful people and when it got too much for us to handle on our own, God sent us special people to help.
Robyn is our go to girl that can solve pretty much any problem and learn just about anything. There is no way to describe her position at Mountain Bubbles. The closest I can get is to say she is my right hand and left brain, really and literally.
The most recent individual to come on board Team Bubbles is Kimberly, our shop assistant and sugar scrub making extraordinaire!
Andre and I thank God every day for his kindness to us. He has helped us through the tough times and smiled on us with real blessings. We received our first contract for the National Park gift shop summer of 2024 and we know that without God that could never have happened. We pray each day for God to lead Mountain Bubbles in the right direction.
We invite you to be a part of our story and tell us how Mountain Bubbles can serve you best.
