Watch

Saving Lives One Bar of Soap at a Time

Creator:
Published:
March 27, 2024
May 8, 2021
Watch how this entrepreneur set out to help third world countries by starting a business.|Watch how this entrepreneur set out to help third world countries by starting a business.

David Simnick wanted to improve hygiene in the developing world so he Googled "how to make soap" and set out to build a business.

"We knew it was going to be difficult. I don't think we knew it was going to be this difficult," he shares.But a few years and 6 million bars of donated soap later, he knows they are making a difference.

Video Transcript

Washington, DC

Videographer: You're always picking up litter. What's that about?

David Simnick: Why not? It doesn't cost me anything. I have endless amounts of soap, so I can wash my hands whenever I want. It costs nothing to do it.

The reason we started Soap Box was the mission first. I was an intern/subcontractor for the United States Agency for International Development. What really struck me was back in 2009, there was a lot of focus on the water part, but there wasn't a lot of focus on the hygiene part. So I was like, you know what, I think that we could start a company where every time someone buys one of our products, we're going to donate a bar of soap.

We started making soap in my kitchen — literally Googled how to make soap, total fight-club style. People thought I was absolutely crazy.

Soapbox Soaps HQ

We knew it was going to be difficult. I don't think we knew it was going to be this difficult.

Videographer: What was really hard?

David: About this?

Videographer: Yeah.

David: Practically everything. How do you literally go to war with some of the biggest companies in the world?

Hair care, for example, like shampoos' and conditioners’ ads are 20 percent of the ad market — so print advertising, TV commercials, digital spending. When it comes to negotiating with buyers, they'll come to the buyer and say, "I'm going to put $25,000 or $40,000, just cash, on the table if you don't bring in this brand."

Videographer: Oh, really?

David: Because we know that we're beating them. We're so excited, because this year through our strategic partners, and through these retailers that we have the privilege of selling through, and on Amazon, and on our website — we're getting close to six million bars of soap that we're donating. That's dope. That's awesome.

Statistically speaking, I know for a fact that we're going to save some lives. That also helps in doing what's really hard, because there's people's lives on the line.

Look, faith plays a crucial role in my life, because it's that rock that allows me to do these really scary things. It is incredibly challenging to be the cheerleader for everyone on your team, and be the cheerleader to your investors, and be the cheerleader to all the different sales contacts that you work with, or vendors, or to get through those hard times. But there's moments where just thoughtful prayer and meditation and connecting with God allows me to be that David versus Goliath.

Creators:
Grotto
Published:
March 27, 2024
May 8, 2021
On a related note...
Artist Colors Her City With Vibrant Murals

Artist Colors Her City With Vibrant Murals

Grotto

Giving the Gift of Hope and Healing to Grieving Parents

Giving the Gift of Hope and Healing to Grieving Parents

Grotto

Sculpting an Ecosystem

Sculpting an Ecosystem

Grotto

Gardening: A Practice of Patience, a Place of Connection

Gardening: A Practice of Patience, a Place of Connection

Christina Baker

A reflective narrative by Christina Baker.

What I Learned From Being the First Interracial Couple in My Family

What I Learned From Being the First Interracial Couple in My Family

Clarissa Aljentera

JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis and the Lost Art of Friendship

JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis and the Lost Art of Friendship

Hunter Cates

March Madness Champions and Their ‘Painful Gift’

March Madness Champions and Their ‘Painful Gift’

Grotto Shares

Holy Week Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Holy Week Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

The Ups and Downs of Being a First-Time Foster Mom

The Ups and Downs of Being a First-Time Foster Mom

Manda Carpenter

How To Thrive in Isolation, From a Cancer Survivor

How To Thrive in Isolation, From a Cancer Survivor

Mary Beth May

This Blind Music Teacher Has Perfect Pitch

This Blind Music Teacher Has Perfect Pitch

Grotto

The Small Art Stuck in this War

The Small Art Stuck in this War

Javi Zubizarreta

Walking with the Homeless in Denver | Little Ways: Engage

Walking with the Homeless in Denver | Little Ways: Engage

Grotto

"Too Many Experts"

"Too Many Experts"

Robert Christian

How Solidarity Heals Divisions — And 3 Ways to Practice It

How Solidarity Heals Divisions — And 3 Ways to Practice It

Mike Tenney

"Return to Northwest Hudson"

"Return to Northwest Hudson"

Marty Moran

This School Gives Inner-City Students Corporate Training

This School Gives Inner-City Students Corporate Training

Grotto

The Writings of This Mystic Changed How I See God

The Writings of This Mystic Changed How I See God

Catherine Sullivan

Where to Find Hope in Darkness

Where to Find Hope in Darkness

Julia Weir

Saving Lives One Bar of Soap at a Time

Saving Lives One Bar of Soap at a Time

Grotto

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.