Meet Sam Scharrer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Scharrer.

Hi Sam, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Ever since I was a kid, my mom and I would make our own little beauty “potions” using simple ingredients from our pantry. Our DIY face masks + salt scrubs were created with such intention and fun and it remains my fondest memory of her to this day. She was the first person to teach me about self-care, self-empowerment, and self-love all the while unintentionally teaching me folk magic in the process. I suppose in a way, I’ve recreated that feeling in my business. I started TOIL + TRBL to tap into my inner magic + help others find theirs.

Childhood beauty potions soon evolved into different crafts. And while I’ve sampled many mediums as an artist, the one that has always remained is soap-making.

T+T was established in 2018 but I’ve been soaping since 2009. Prior to that, I was comfortable creating art for friends and family as gifts but had yet to take myself seriously enough to pursue a business. Or perhaps I was thinking too seriously about it. Because every time I entertained the thought, my inner imposter would report all the reasons I should quit before I even started. I didn’t feel “legit” enough. It wasn’t until a friend pushed me to be in a small creators market that I took the plunge into retail and I haven’t looked back since.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has taken a lot of time and failure to know what I know now. And there’s still plenty to learn! Like any small business owner, I have had my fair share of struggles. However, many at the root had to do with confidence. I used to be so fragile to criticism. I internalized every mistake until it broke me to pieces because I used to believe “mistakes” and “wrongness” were synonymous. And I couldn’t be wrong! That would mean I was bad or unworthy!!! You see where I’m going with this?

When we try, there’s a chance for failure. Therefore many of us won’t even try. The fear of failure is too strong. My best advice is to sit with that fear and listen to what it has to tell you. Mine was telling me my confidence was wrapped into my successes and, conversely, every mistake was evidence of my worthlessness. That pattern of belief was my own worst enemy, creating subconscious, psychic obstacles in my path.

It wasn’t until I shifted my perspective about the nature of failure that I saw progress.

Now I see everything as an experiment. It’s my way of detaching from ego. There can be no “failure” when you’re merely collecting data, right? If I start with a prediction and am met with new data… well, I just learned something, didn’t I? Experiments differ from expectations because there is no attachment to the result. It’s purely an opportunity to learn and try again.

If you are met with challenges, think of them as experiments. I promise you’ll learn so much.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Scientifically formulated, magically crafted… TOIL + TRBL CO. is a nano-soapery + art lab located in Denver, Colorado. — “Nano” in size as this is currently a one-woman operation.

I am known in the industry for my emphasis in sustainability. The first batch of soap I officially sold was made from tallow recycled from the nose-to-tail restaurant I was working in at the time. They butchered their cuts in-house, leaving unsellable remnants of fat and gristle. One day, I asked the head chef if he would be willing to render down the remains so I could transform them into soap. (For the uninitiated, soap is made from lye, water, and a variety of oils/fats.)

I had glorious snow-white sheep tallow the next day.

I’ve adapted my soap recipe to a vegan one so I can best serve people of all lifestyles but my interest in reclaimed materials continues. Turning trash into treasure has always been a knack of mine and a massive component of T+T is making functional works of art by way of secondhand, salvaged, and recycled materials.

A couple of non-soap creations I am currently working on…

– Twisted Ritual Candles | Tapers made from recycled wax; hand-shaped into bendy gestures for a fun decor or altarpiece.

– Reclaimed Glass Lamps | Thrifted glass painted + wired into funky shapes such as mushrooms and UFOs beaming up a specimen.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is what you make it.

In my mind, if I learn something from an experience (or experiment!) then I have succeeded.

Pricing:

• Soaps starting at $10
• Ritual Candles starting at $7
• Reclaimed Glass Lamps starting at #30

Contact Info:

• Website: toilandtrbl.com
• Instagram: @toilandtrbl

Image Credits
Headshot Photography by Friends and Lovers Photography. All else is self-shot.