No longer waiting for perfection
Steph Schertz on taking risks and redefining success
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I love when unexpected moments spark creative journeys. For Steph Schertz, founder of Bushyl, it was her 3-year-old daughter asking to watch a "soap video" on Youtube that led to a thriving handmade bath, body, and home goods business.
Today, Steph takes us behind the scenes of her journey, sharing how she manages her energy, why having a dedicated studio space was transformative, and what she's learning about defining success on her own terms.
Enjoy!
Tell us about your work right now! What fills your days?
I'm always searching for the perfect routine (and then getting bored when I spend too long in one mode) so it's always different. Usually I work on production first, so I look at any upcoming wholesale and website orders to determine what needs to be made.
After a lot of trial and error, I find that it's best for me to designate an entire day for a specific type of product. Meaning: Mondays are for candles, Tuesdays are shower steamers, and so on. It takes a bit more planning but I find that it allows me to be so much more efficient. If I have any energy left after making products and packing up orders, I'll try to work ahead on new products/fragrances or any design work that needs to be done.
Recently, I ordered my first custom packaging and I could kick myself over how long it took me to get those deliverables to my packaging vendor, but unfortunately until I can hire help on the production side, I tend to be pretty worn out by the time I'm done making products and all the future work gets put off. And if it's the one day a month I feel super productive, I might even post to my social media accounts.
How did you come up with this business idea, and what inspired you to say yes?
It was actually my daughter! When she was about 3 years old I was in the thick of COVID lockdown with her and my 1 year old son so we spent a LOT of time watching television and YouTube. One day she randomly asked for a "soap video," and I had no idea what she meant but I just looked up "soap making videos" on YouTube and completely fell down a rabbit hole.
Making soap is a very involved process that can be a little dangerous due to the lye, so I put off actually trying it for about six months. Finally, I realized I was so obsessed with this idea that I just had to give it a go and the minute I made my first batch I knew I was hooked. It's pretty wild because I had never even considered a business like this but it magically combines a lot of things I really love: great smells, pretty packaging, and getting to talk to women (they're my target market, of course.)
What business practices do you use that are "non traditional" but effective? Why have they worked?
I tend to launch new products before I have every detail perfectly figured out. There's elements of that approach that can be very stressful, but I know myself well enough to know that if I wait for perfection I'll just never do it. Sometimes it means I'm wasting money on things that I have to change later, but in my experience it moved this business along much more quickly than if I was playing it safe and waiting for the "perfect" bottle/packaging/fragrance.
I also took a leap early on and signed a lease for a studio space. It was definitely risky because I only had a few months of orders under my belt and no real proof that the business would succeed, but I feel beyond confident that having a space outside my home is the only reason I didn't quit this business in the first year. I know I'm really lucky to have the financial stability and support from my husband to have made that a possibility, so I never take it for granted and I know not everyone has that luxury, but it's the biggest risk I can think of that paid off without a doubt.
What are your priorities in this season of life, and how have you set up your work to make space for those priorities to come to life every day?
Family and mental health are my top priorities in this season of life. The whole point of owning my own business was to give myself flexibility when I need it, so anytime I find myself feeling so overwhelmed by work that I can't be present or happy around my kids, I know it's time to make a change.
At the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025, I was getting so many orders for shower steamers that I just couldn't stay on top of them without overworking myself and it made me really unhappy and stressed out. Although it felt like leaving money on the table, I scaled back how many shower steamers I produced each month and I've been so grateful to have that breathing room.
I definitely have a lot of work to do around efficiency and delegation in my business and I frequently talk with my therapist about redefining success and the expectations I have for myself so that I actually have joy and fulfillment as priorities and not arbitrary numbers and growth.
What advice would you give to someone who's struggling with "standard" or traditional paths and wants to make a change?
I think the primary reason this business is working is because it's a product that my social circle wants/buys. If you can start by figuring out a product or service that your immediate friends/family wouldn't hesitate to buy from you, it can be so helpful to remove that initial friction from the early stages of launching a business.
I wasn't sure where Bushyl would go when I started, but knowing I had dozens of women who would keep buying my soap and sharing it with their friends allowed me to feel the thrill of small wins that kept me motivated and excited to do more.
And keep in mind that wherever you start is just a launching point! You can always incorporate more of your interests down the road, but you can't build on a business that's not making any money month after month.
Steph Schertz is the founder of Bushyl, a handmade fragrance and self-care brand rooted in luxury, craftsmanship, and a deep love of everyday rituals. As a small business owner, creative director, and mother, Steph is passionate about building a life where ambition and personal well-being are equally prioritized. Through thoughtful product design and a very discerning sense of smell, she helps women reconnect with the beauty of slowing down. Steph is currently focused on growing her business with balance at the center, proving that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of joy.
Connect with Steph on Instagram here.
Curious about my (Jenni’s) background? I’m a writer and business coach living in Central Oregon. My goal is to teach everyone who will listen that it’s possible to build a simple, stable, successful business that supports your human needs first. Join my group coaching program, SUSTAIN, for more conversations like this (and a community of people who are all about the path less taken), and follow me on LinkedIn & Instagram.