Meet Jaime Alford

 

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jaime Alford. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jaime, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

The ability to envision, depict and communicate what an optimistic future can look like. Then, making it happen. My mom used to say to me, ‘you create your own reality’… I’ve learned, this is my superpower.

My optimism is expressed in the concept and design of the Yardley Refillery an “eco-lifestyle” and refill shop, it’s meant to show people there is a better way. A better way to shop at the most basic level, but more deeply, a simpler, more sustainable way to live. My optimism has been reinforced by our customers who walk in the door, experience the store, fall in love and ‘get it’.

These days, optimism seems hard to come by and I believe this is squarely driven by digital connectivity. When you take yourself out of it, and focus instead on what’s close to you, in the physical world – your family, your backyard garden, your community, the harshness melts away and you realize people are good, the real world is physical and you can make a difference here.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I left my corporate fragrance house job of 22 years last September to immerse fully into our new business, the Yardley Refillery, 5 minutes away from home. My corporate job was actually wonderful for many, many years. I had a lot of creative freedom to explore and observe new ideas and nascent business concepts. It was in this role, Global Creative Director of Foresight and Trends, where I learned much about how the world was being shaped in niche areas, and what the future could look like if these ideas actually took hold. My job was to report on these trends then present my findings to clients in the mass Consumer Packaged Goods space (think P&G, Colgate, Unilever.)

At a certain stage I said to myself, why do I keep making Power Points to present these future scenarios instead of actually living and breathing them?

And so, with my talented business partners, the Yardley Refillery was born. It is truly a convergence of the many scenarios I had seen, written about or created over the years: Post-Plastic, Materials Matter, Clean Life, Eco-Lifestyle, Re-Touch, Community, Re-Local. The refill shop business model is not unique to us – there are many popping up every year around the US. Basic idea is, you bring your own container to refill daily essentials from healthier brands – laundry detergent, shampoo, coffee, cleaners, honey, etc. thereby eliminating single use plastic in this new shopping behavior.

The exciting part is that our community here in Bucks County PA is responding to this new concept very positively. We offer our customers a new way to shop that can lead to a simpler, more streamlined life, that can eliminate the burden of throwing things away (that they know deep down won’t get recycled), and that can offer products that are better for their health and for the planet.

We’re almost a year in, and I feel like we’re just getting started. Right now, we only have one brick and mortar shop. No online sales, no delivery, nothing mobile. Yet. Our newest news is that we will be a part of the Princeton University Farmer’s Market in the fall. This is significant for us because it will be an excellent opportunity to share this concept with brilliant young minds and get their feedback!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1) Know your personal strengths and weaknesses, be honest with yourself about what they are, then have a plan to drive with your strengths and supplement your weaknesses. Running a business is multifaceted and no one can do everything well, alone. Our partnership model is excellent because we have complementary skill sets.

2) Understand your market and customer. You may be passionate about your idea or business but if you launch in the wrong place, the wrong time or in the wrong market, it will be difficult to succeed. Define your market carefully and back it with data or strong observation.

3) Knowledge is power. We have deep experience around all aspects of the products we sell. This adds a lot of credibility and ensures we choose the absolute best quality and value for our customers. I wouldn’t spend 22 years in fragrance, products, health, marketing and design then go and open a restaurant. This was the right direction and right business that flowed naturally from my knowledge base.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

I love this question because I felt some overwhelm coming on towards the end of my vacation last week.

I am typically a very low key, stress-less person, but I know when overwhelm begins to creep in when, during the wee hours of the morning, 75% awake at 6 AM – I ruminate about all the things I haven’t yet addressed. These things float around in my brain. They’re there, but I haven’t quite captured them.

My ‘butterfly net’ to capture these overwhelm thoughts is: LISTS. I always have physical to-do lists, not digital. I have to experience the exercise of getting these thoughts out through a ball point pen onto paper. It’s almost as if they leave my brain and flow down through the pen. Then I can rest, because I’ve cleared out my brain and now I can be on auto pilot and just do.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Personal Photo: Bill Cardoni

YR1, YR2, YR3, YR4: Jenn Ceriale, Studio Starling

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