Rocky Mountain Soap Company
Karina Birch (Photo courtesy Rocky Mountain Soap Company)
Interview with Karina Birch, CEO
NCC: Tell us about Rocky Mountain Soap Company. You’ve been creating high-quality products with natural ingredients since 1995. What sparked this journey for you?
KB: My husband, Cam, and I bought the company in January 2000 from a woman who started it out of her home and had opened the retail store the same year we purchased the business. I was just out of university and we scrounged our dollars, took a small loan from ATB and off we went. We loved the quality of the soap and natural ingredients and noticed that people who tried it wanted to come back and get more. Thus began our journey as twenty-somethings into the world of soap but also a wide range of natural personal care products using simple ingredients.
NCC: What is your favourite nature activity or memory?
KB: We try to spend as much time as we can in the mountains. My favourite memories are backcountry camping trips with the kids, making our own tea from wild yarrow, buffalo berries, juniper and white spruce. It’s common to run into bears and elk, but last year we had a rare encounter with a cougar while camping along Lake Minnewanka. My favourite hiking trail is Helen Lake during wildflower season.
NCC: Rocky Mountain Soap Company has been a partner of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) since 2017. How did you learn about NCC and what made you choose NCC as one of the organizations supported by your Community Bar Program?
KB: We had known about NCC for many years and finally had the opportunity to partner. For us, connecting to nature, respecting and preserving the pristine outdoors we enjoy is a top priority for us, both personally and as a business. Nature is our inspiration, our stress release and our happy place, and we are always looking for ways in which we can support in these areas.
NCC: Is there anything special and unique about Rocky Mountain Soap Company that many people might not know?
KB: We have been researching and playing with local, native plants. Studying their skin benefits, learning about their habitat and growing seasons. We have purchased equipment to be able to extract local plants and use them in products. This is our passion project and playtime!
Birch family (Photo courtesy Rocky Mountain Soap Company)
We also do yoga twice a week in the workshop and a weekly spin class.
NCC: What’s a goal that you’ve made for yourself during this time of physical distancing?
KB: To get through home schooling! All kidding aside, it’s to get outside every day and keep a positive mindset. A positive attitude requires practice.
NCC: Is there anything else that you would like to tell everyone?
KB: I’m reading Gentlemen Bankers, The World of JP Morgan. I am a history nerd and I’m curious about historical figures, successful nations and large companies that have survived hundreds of years. As a family, we love board games and are working on our second 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle.
To learn more about Rocky Mountain Soap Company and shop their products, visit their website.
