dr. bronner's magic soaps

Let me take you on a magical ride that is the Dr. Bronner's story.

You may recognize the company’s famous label on their amber liquid “magic soap” that's sold around the world.

In 1948, the company was born in a church.

Emanuel Bronner handed out peppermint-scented soap at his lectures with labels that spelled out his religious beliefs as a way to convert attendees. You can still see the same tenets on their labels today.

The "doctor's" soap sales took off. How pumped was he? So pumped that in working full-time to distribute the stuff, he forgot that he wasn't permitted to apply his church's tax-exempt status to the business. (He was just like us!)

Where did that leave him? Spending his last days in bankruptcy.

He owed the IRS over $1 million in back taxes. Nevermind that his customer service was impeccable – he returned every single phone call even into his final days – his management skills were seriously lacking.

His three sons turned the company around. They recapitalized the company as a for-profit entity and in 2023 reported a record $170 million (!) in revenue.

Not unlike Dr. Bronner, we spend a lot of time knee-deep in the inner workings of our work.

We focus on what we’re good at doing. So we ignore what needs to get done. The excuses we create to avoid dealing with the tough stuff are so convincing that even we believe them.

What have you been ignoring that would move your business forward?

Let me know in the comments below.

See you soon,

jill