Seven Nosy Questions with Amy Hall (Founder and CEO of Goldilocks)
Amy Hall is saving the world, one piece of single use plastic at a time. It’s the kind of daily pursuit that makes her seem a bit untouchable in a superhero kind of way. But between her perfectly ironed cape and her heart of gold, is she made of the same messy squishy humanity as the rest of us? We asked her seven nosy questions to find out.
1. What's your origin story?I’m originally from Ontario, but I currently reside in Victoria, BC. After receiving my Master’s Degree in Art History from Queen’s University I went on to work as a Wedding and Event Coordinator, where I was featured on the series Taste of the Country on Netflix. Growing up in lake country instilled a deep appreciation for the water at an early age (in my teen years I was a lifeguard and swimming instructor) which eventually turned into a love of the ocean.
A few years ago I was volunteering with a shark conservation project in Fiji where I saw first-hand the impact plastic pollution was having on marine life. Once you see the waste we as humans are leaving behind in such a personal way, there’s no going back. Out of sight, out of mind, was no longer an option. I vowed to reduce plastic consumption in my own life, which is how I started making beeswax wraps from home—Goldilocks’ first product was born! I wanted to give people an accessible, easy swap for a commonly used plastic. My goal was to create something that was beautiful, practical and inspired educational conversations.
Four years after founding Goldilocks, I am happy to say that more than 50,000 people have made the switch from plastic wrap to our all-natural, reusable, compostable and beautiful beeswax wraps! We’ve also introduced a few new products to our Goldilocks line—including Swedish Dishcloths—and have some exciting new products on the horizon that will further help people eliminate plastic from their lives.
2. What does your daily routine look like—and how much sleep do you get?
In the morning I wake up around 6-7:30 (I don’t use an alarm, which is why there’s a range). I resist the urge to hop on my phone and instead try to listen to a quick 15 minute morning meditation. On an ideal day I will do a little stretching before heading to the bathroom for my morning routine (hair, makeup, etc.)
If I have any Instagram stories to film, I usually do that first (while the lighting is still good!), followed by checking for any pressing emails. Once that’s taken care of, I try to focus on creative pursuits like photography, design, etc. I like to wrap up at a reasonable hour and head out for a walk or go to the driving range. I don’t do much socially throughout the week (even when we’re allowed!) and spend most nights winding down and going to bed early. I try to get about 7 hours of sleep each night.
3. Best advice you've ever been given.
There are two pieces of advice that have really stuck with me. The first was when I was in university, before any notion of founding a business had even been on my radar. I was finishing my Master’s and deciding whether or not I wanted to apply for PhD programs in my field. I’m a bit of a nerd and love learning (research specifically) and at the time was seriously considering being an art history professor. Honestly, it’s something I know I would still enjoy to this day. In my mid-twenties, another four years of school felt a little daunting. I made a comment to my dad about how I would be 30 before I could even start to apply for jobs! To which he replied, “you’re going to turn 30 regardless, so you might as well spend the time in between doing something you love.” While I didn’t end up finishing a PhD, the advice has been applicable to so many other facets of life.
The second piece of advice that I think is worth sharing came from my business partner, Brett. As you grow a business, there are a lot of people you will cross paths with, and it can be difficult or overwhelming at times when making major decisions (hiring staff, partnerships, etc.) It’s easy to overthink things. We were going through this experience, weighing pros and cons, and so on and so forth, and ultimately Brett said, “I don’t want to work closely with anyone that I don’t feel comfortable going to grab a beer with after work.” Is it over simplified? Yes. Do we go for beers with everyone we work with? No. But it does put things into perspective: Does this person seem to share our values? Is there a comfort and trust level? Will they be a good fit with our culture? All this and so much more gets distilled down into that one simple, instinctive question and intuitive response.
4. What inspires you and keeps you motivated?
Inspiration certainly ebbs and flows. On a day I’m feeling down or unmotivated, I go through and read reviews on our website. It reminds me of the impact we’re having and why I started Goldilocks to begin with. It helps me see the bigger picture—the forest and the trees, you could say.
Anytime I’m on, in or near the water I feel incredibly inspired about what we are doing at Goldilocks and our goal of eliminating single plastics.
5. How do you celebrate a really big win?
I have a tendency to skip ahead way far down the line, so this is something I need to become better at, but I would say celebratory food and drinks with my business partner and staff is most likely.
6. What three other people are on your dream Zoom call?
1. Sylvia Earle (watch Mission Blue on Netflix, if you don’t know who she is)
2. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
3. Ryan Reynolds
7. In another life, you’d be a…
An underwater archaeologist.
You can catch Amy on Episode 5 of Commerce Chefs 🎧 Listen now 🎧
