We had the good fortune of connecting with Leah Gritton Smolensky and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leah, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I never set out to start my own business. In fact, I knew nothing about founding a business. But I could not get the idea out of my head. It actually started with a google search. With a problem I was trying to solve for myself and my family. I hated putting on lotion, and so did my children. But, living in the desert, I also hated how dry and uncomfortable my skin felt when I neglected to moisturize. So, I searched online for “a lotion for people who hate lotion,” to find a better product. I tried every option out there but never found a body lotion I loved. What I did find in my search was that I was not alone in being dissatisfied with the category. Do many found bottled lotion cold, sticky, and uncomfortable and lotion bars hard to apply and not hydrating. And overall, there was a lack of products that served sensitive skin. I wanted to create a better option that had the eco benefits of a bar form, the skincare and hydrating benefits of bottled lotion, the in-shower experience of wet-skin moisturizers and designed for sensitive skin first. That is what inspired drenchbar.

Once I had the idea, I knew in my bones I had to get the product into the world. I kept telling myself, I’ll take this one step and see where it goes so I would not get paralyzed or overwhelmed. And I launched drenchbar that way: brick by brick.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
drenchbar is a new sustainable body care brand reinventing lotion time. Body lotion is a pretty sticky situation. Think about it: For decades, the process of putting on lotion has remained utterly unchanged. While millions of people crave soft, hydrated skin, only 19% moisturize daily. Why? Traditional lotions are messy, inconvenient, irritating, and difficult to get dressed.

We created a way to moisturize that is unlike anything on the market. drenchbar® is a first-of-its-kind solid moisturizer that transforms into lotion in the shower, delivering deep hydration without the mess, grease, or wait time of traditional lotions. Just glide the bar over damp skin after showering to activate the formula, and walk out of the shower done with your routine.

What excites me is that sustainability is built into our product concept. Our concentrated formula harnesses the shower’s water instead of manufacturing with it. This saves people space (our bars are 4x as concentrated as conventional body lotion), shipping, and each bar saves 1 glass of drinking water. And because we are so small the eco-friendly packaging reduces plastic waste by 94%.

Getting to this place was not easy, not traditional. It took me two and a half years to go from idea to market. I invented a product that did not exist and brought it to life during a pandemic. And I did so while maintaining a demanding full time job and being a full time mother. The mental toughness and stamina required were beyond my expectations, but I’ve been so fortunate to have a massive support system and the right people by my side to get this to market. No matter how hard it got, I could not walk away or let myself believe it might fail. And every step of the way, it has brought me closer to my mother’s memory and my children.

I would love for the world to know that when inspiration comes so deep from within, you have to follow it. And that you are the only one who can define your own success. Don’t measure yourself and your brand based on the wrong measuring stick. Create your own stick.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
New Mexico is one of my favorite places to show off to friends. The food, sights, culture is so magical.

Everything starts with food and coffee in my world. I’d make sure to take them for a really good cup of pinion coffee to start the day. There is no better way to experience New Mexico than walking around and drinking pinion. I would take them to Los Poblanos for brunch and a walk through the lavender farms, to Indigo Crow & Sawmill for dinner, and to all of best New Mexican spots for carne adovada, sopapillas and green chile.

I would take them hiking and for a picnic in the Sandias and up the tram for sunset drinks and views. Tent Rocks is one of my favorite places to visit in the area.

We would go to Santa Fe for the day, to shop, drink, and eat our hearts out. We would ski if it was winter and camp near the river if it is not. We would stroll around Old Town, Madrid and more.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate this to my mother. My story starts long ago with her. Looking back, I would not be where I am today without watching her build her graphic design firm from our basement and without losing her at the young age of 17.

Raising two young daughters, I found myself yearning to bring my children into the creation process, just as my mother did for my sister and me. I remember helping her with design projects in her studio after school, grading assignments with her in her office, and listening to her practice lectures. I remember her passion, grit, and the pride I felt watching her build something from scratch. So to all the moms inspiring young entrepreneurs, this is for you.

Website: https://drenchbar.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drenchbar

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahgritton/

Image Credits
The Prism House for the product photos
Annie Quick for headshot

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