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“If your why is greater than making money, you'll be more inspired to move forward.”
Have you ever stayed up wondering what happens to used soap in hotel rooms — after a bar is used just once? For account manager Tristan Corriveau, that question kept him awake in his hotel one night about three years ago. Rather than let it wash away, he spent time researching it, and learned that something like two million bars of soap are thrown out every single day. The figure blew his mind, and he decided to do something about it.
His first thought was to make something new out of the soap — but why, when you can use it as intended? He contacted the hotel where he was staying in Portland, Maine, and asked if they'd donate their used soap for a project. To his surprise, the hotel had been wanting to do something with it but didn't have a good idea.
So Tristan began working with local university students and their professors, developing a process to sterilize partially used bars using an autoclave — a heated container that uses steam sterilization. Once sterilized, the soap is repurposed into liquid hand soap and packed in one-gallon glass bottles. Why glass? Because over eight million tons of plastic reach the ocean each year, and he wanted to cut down on it. The testing was slippery at first, taking months of trial and error before he landed on a simple formula of soap, water, and baking soda — and The One Gallon Soap Company was born.
He started small, testing the product with his community, then built a website that became his main sales channel. Startup costs were about $5,000, but he believed in the mission — and today the company is profitable at a low but sustainable level, growing through his website, Instagram, and word of mouth as he adds more hotels to his roster of suppliers.
The most rewarding part is the sustainability of it: he found a problem and created a solution that helps everyone involved, including the hotels. He even runs a monthly contest with partner hotels' housekeepers — hit the soap-collection goal, and it's a pizza party. He's since turned it into a full-time endeavor after taking some time to travel around Asia with his wife.
For anyone selling a product as a side hustle, Tristan recommends asking lots of questions: Why does this product matter to you? Where will you get your materials? Who will you sell to? Those questions push you to take action — and if you ever feel like quitting, go back to your why. If it's greater than making money, you'll be more inspired to keep going.
