Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Hanson.
Hi Samantha, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
As a serial side hustler, I have always tested and explored options to create something I believed in that fit my strengths and made a difference. In 2021 I was gifted my first pack of Unpaper towels, and after a year of using them, I decided to try to make a pack myself. I signed up for my first market in July of 2021, completely unprepared but so excited to see what would happen, I sold $35…to a friend, but I was hooked. I started building up my market display and inventory, and in September of that year, I did my next market. I had been to a few refill shops in Denver and loved the idea of being able to refill my own bottles and having a curated shop of eco-friendly items. With the customers requesting more items than towels and a few asking about refills, I slowly started to bring in more items. By January of 2022, I had expanded into offering compostable items and a small number of refills, but my car was filed to the brim, and my market setup was maxed out. I set an emotional goal to open a storefront by the end of the year, but after looking at a few places the timing felt right so I jumped in headfirst!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being a start-up in a space that isn’t mainstream has been more exciting as each new person comes in and says “Omg I have been waiting for one of these to open” but has come with many challenges to reach the ones who don’t know they need us yet. Going through the small business loan process and getting our lease sign tested me in ways I did know but thought me about my strength and perseverance
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a full-service refillery and eco-friendly lifestyle store. We believe in living with the future in mind.
You may be wondering, what is a refillery? Well, we buy in large bulk quantities of over 100 items so that you as an individual, can purchase what you need without buying more plastic. You pay by the weight of the product, and as a whole we reduce the amount of plastic being ‘wishcycled’ or sent to landfills. What do we carry? Well, to name a few: shampoo, body wash, deodorant creams, skincare, lotions, toothpaste tabs, all-purpose cleaner, laundry, floor cleaners, dish soap, pet shampoo, pet wash, and so much more.
We also carry items that can be composted at the end of their life or have an extended life and can replace hundreds of their traditional counterparts. A lot of materials you will see throughout the store are bamboo (compostable), cotton (reusable & washable), and silicone (reusable & washable).
We believe in using less, and what we do use to be able to be disposed of in a way that won’t be around in a waste field or the ocean. Small actions make a huge impact, and we firmly believe that no matter what you are able to do it matters. Only can fill dish soap with us? Please come, and we will welcome you in!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I believe success looks different for everyone, but for us and Green Home & Co. as a brand, it means being able to support a staff at livable wages, to be able to support the community we live in, to support local farmers and makers in our store and to have multiple locations doing these things.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.greenhomeandco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenhomeandco/
Image Credits
Hailey E Photography
