Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elaine Kinney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Elaine, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
When it comes to business, finding confidence is just a big learning process. The first year or so was really tough as I honed the craft. I made plenty of mistakes and failed several batches of soap. Because I was so new to my trade, I didn’t understand why some of the soap turned out poorly. I was terrified I would never figure it out and never be able to establish a reliable production process. Every failure felt like the harbinger of the end of my business. I always did find the solutions. However, it took time and a long pattern of failures and solutions to learn to trust myself to figure out any problem–even if I felt lost in the moment. Imposter syndrome is so common, and there is no working around it. I came to a point where I realized I couldn’t magically make that feeling disappear. It left me with a choice. Was I willing to have the feeling while simultaneously taking risks to build my career? Or, was I willing to let that feeling stop me from taking action? I never want to look back and know that I missed an opportunity solely because of my own fear or lack of confidence. Sometimes the only way out is through.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
At White Pine Bath & Brew, I design luxury, vegan skincare with a special focus in soap made from Maine’s craft beers. The amino acids in the hops found in beer can soothe irritation. The brewer’s yeast contains biotin, pantothenic acid, and a number of other essential vitamins. Beer also contributes to a more luxurious lather. Each product is designed with the concepts of quality, transparency, and integrity in mind. I only sell products that I can be proud of, and I am continuously striving for greater sustainability as a business.
I fell in love with Maine’s small business community years ago and knew that I wanted to become a contributing member. This is why I chose to use craft beers exclusively from the state of Maine. I wanted to create a product unique to Maine with a business model that supported other small businesses in the community–and nothing is as unique to Maine as its craft breweries. According to the Maine Brewers’ Guild in 2022, there are 100 separate brands represented in 165 breweries across the state. Why would I use just any old beer in my soap when I can work with my favorite local breweries and develop a symbiotic relationship there?
In the last year I realized the amount of excess beer that is produced in the brewing industry. Examples of this overproduction are things like short pour cans and past code beers. I have since shifted my focus to sourcing more beer from brewery waste to increase sustainability. Since I started White Pine Bath & Brew in 2020 I have used 18 different beers from 12 different breweries to create over 22 variations of soap. My hope is to eventually source all of my beer from industry excess. As my business grows, my positive impact of recycling beer will also grow!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
You have to just dive in. This is how you build confidence and hone skills. You have to be willing to throw yourself at your goals and let it get a little messy. It is easy to let a fear of failure hold you back, but failure is a inevitable part of the process. Even the most successful people will tell you they made mistakes along the way. Failure is the only way to improve. So don’t avoid it, learn to embrace it.
The other thing to remember is to utilize the resources around you. I constantly seek out advice from others in my industry. Chances are that you already know someone who has set up Quickbooks. You already know someone who can weld that specialty piece of machinery you need. You already have an accountant as a relative that could answer that tax question. If you don’t have anyone to ask, there are many organizations such as the Small Business Administration that can set you up with free mentors in your area.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Maintaining a solid work/life balance is so important. Everyone gets overwhelmed, but I find if I try to push through it and keep working past a certain point, the quality of my work suffers. We are programmed to believe that resting is not profitable, but the truth is, rest is very productive. Usually if I am overwhelmed, it means I need to take a break. I set a lot of parameters around the time of day that I work. I use focus mode on my phone to filter out calls and texts during the evening and on weekends. I try not to check my email when I am not working. I also communicate these boundaries with my family so that they can hold me accountable. This isn’t to say that I never break the rules, but I find having the rules in place helps to keep me on track.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.whitepinebathbrew.com
- Instagram: @whitepinebathbrew
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitepinebathbrew
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-a-kinney-119735a8/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7YTjO5pVuXcVlZsMUHkcAw
Image Credits
Ashley Teresse Photography https://ashleyteressephotography.mypixieset.com/
