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Conversations with the Inspiring Jodi Crutchfield

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Jodi Crutchfield.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jodi. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am blessed to have had an amazing journey to where I am today and I know the journey will continue for many more years to come.

Growing up, my mom was such an inspiration for what I am doing now and what I want to achieve. But at the time, I didn’t realize just how amazing she was and how truly talented she was. She sewed my father’s shirts and our clothes and her own when she had time. She grew a garden, she cooked, baked, pickled and loved plants and flowers. Her passions taught my brothers and I to look at what is around us and that we can make anything we want.

I went to school in Texas and as a teenager, sorta wanted to escape, as many teenagers do. I wanted a big adventure in life and felt that the world out there held so much more than my little slice of suburbia USA had. In 8th grade, I discovered all about the Peace Corps when I found a book at the library called At Home in the World which is a publication of essays written by Peace Corps Volunteers around the world. I was so inspired by their stories, the people that they met, the places that they traveled and the work that they tried to do, I decided then that I would join the Peace Corps.

And that is what I did right after college. I was assigned to Peace Corps Nepal and had the most amazing, life-changing experiences that I had ever hoped.

One of the parts of Nepal that I took home with me was how ingenious my host families and the communities were. Most of the people in the villages have very little monetary resources, and everyone was very resourceful with their physical resources. Nothing was wasted. From water & electricity to the land on which they lived, nothing was wasted. A simple plastic cup was never thrown away because it had so much potential. And they made everything. They made their clothes, they grew all their own food and sold and traded at the bazaar only what was extra. They had chickens if they wanted eggs and water buffalo if they wanted milk. They weaved rugs, the kami was the man in the village who was the metalsmith who made their knives and plow tips and the rings around their tungba mugs that would stop them from splitting with age. The father in my family made the plow they used for the fields out of wood. The neighbor was the basket weaver who made the dokus which are the baskets Nepalis use to carry goods on foot. It was amazing to see what they could do. And super inspiring.

After Peace Corps, I went to Kathmandu, Guatemala and eventually back to the US working all the while at different schools as chemistry, science & math teacher. I also married my husband Kraig during this time. I did this for 10 years and realized that teaching wasn’t my passion as much I loved working with kids. I then had my first child, and quit teaching altogether.

When my daughter Addi was a toddler, my buddy needed some accounting help at a marketing consulting company that she worked. I said yes and managed to work in the corporate world doing finance work and learning a lot about accounting for over five years.

I moved to Evergreen during that time and had my 2nd child, Sam. I found it difficult to go “down the hill” as we Evergreenites call it, to work when the children were “up the hill”. Often I would arrive at work in downtown Denver only to be called back up to get the children because one of them had thrown up or developed a fever.

I quit that job but had been scheming for years about different companies I would like to start. I felt like with my teaching background, which requires a person to do so many more things than any other profession from having social skills, leadership skills, computer skills, analytical skills, not to mention mastery of the subjects being taught, along with my accounting skills, I was ready to start a company. As a mom of littles, I knew I couldn’t commit to anything without a flexible schedule, but I also knew that it was the time to start one of my ideas. I do love science and chemistry and working with my hands. I wanted to make something that I could produce on my own and something people used and needed. Something that was good for people. With my chemistry experience, I had dabbled in soap making for some time and then decided that I would start my own Evergreen local soap company.

Currently, I sell my soap at a few local stores, Sundance Gardens and Boone Mountain Sports, and I also have an online store: 7220soap.com

You will see me at some of the local festivals and craft markets as well. I love sharing my products with people and educating others about soap and hygiene as well.

I do have a vision to grow into something more. I have always had a passion for the environment and work with a local non-profit called Evergreen Alliance for Sustainability and You (EASY). The latest initiative is zero waste and this is really resonating with me. I have from the beginning of my company decided not to wrap my soap in plastic and continue to think in this direction. Bar soap is better for the environment and actually is a more effective product than liquid soap. But soap is just one thing about the big picture. I want to bring back the local market idea and the way we used to do things and the way they do things in some countries where you bring your own containers, you buy local, and more crafts people and local farmers and local merchants play significant parts in our communities. I want to open a store that marries basic everyday products like soaps and teas and spices with the zero waste idea where you bring your own containers and fill up on teas and coffees and stop using liquid soaps or things that use single-use plastic when you can buy a bar of soap or a shampoo bar instead. I feel like I am just getting started.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It is not easy starting your own business even when your business is as unobtrusive as being a soap maker where you work at home and still take care of all of the family’s daily needs.

In the beginning, my first challenge was knowing that what I made was what people wanted and what they appreciated. I started by giving gifts of soap and was encouraged by the happiness a nice bar of soap brought people. I worked on my packaging and then people seemed to love it more.

It’s easy to be brought down by the neigh-sayers. I have good friends in my life, particularly Christa, Robin, Lee & Ann who never doubt me and so when I get discouraged I definitely let them know what I’m going through and sometimes just hearing their ideas helps so much to know that my friends believe in me. Having a support group is SUPER important.

My husband too has been supportive as he builds me stuff. Stuff for my fairs, my entire workshop, stuff for my office. And he always supports me when I go to fairs, helping me set up and take down and taking the kids for the day.

Knowing to use what resources you have is the key. You might not have a friend to help you build stuff, but maybe you have a friend who builds websites.

My main challenge is to not get overwhelmed with all that I have to do, with all that there is to be done…

What should we know about 7220 Soap & Mercantile? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
7220 Soap Company is a little soap & pottery company based at elevation 7220. We make wholesome, handmade soaps created with pure, simple ingredients. Every ingredient selected is chosen with the intention of softly nurturing your skin and infusing your spirit with a happy dose of sunshine. Every day, our bodies and skin are bombarded with chemicals, and often we don’t understand the purpose of these chemicals and the side-effects either. For this reason, I use very few ingredients and each ingredient has a purpose. My hope is that people with sensitivities and allergies can use my products because they know every ingredient in the products and can choose the best soap for their needs.

My neighbor Lee Wolff makes the cutest pottery soap dishes which I offer on my website too. I love that we are a completely local company.

I have branched out into other products under the umbrella of 7220 Mercantile. I have started to make salves and teas. I am in the process of producing everyday napkin sets and kitchen towels, to further the zero-waste initiative. And I am constantly reading medicinal herbal books and resources which guide me in my product making as well.

For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
Stay at home parents, women and men, have the opportunity of networking in the community. Granted the majority of stay at home parents are women, so they get the advantage of knowing what’s going on in the community and networking with others.

Pricing:

  • Standard Bar of Small Batch Soap – $7.99
  • Local Pottery Soap Dishes – $9.99 to $19.99
  • Loose Leaf Teas – $12.99

Contact Info:

 Image Credit:
Alima Blackwell

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