Loading summary

Transcript143 lines

[00:00]
A
A typical liquid conditioner is 85% water, which blew me away. There are so many words out there that mean nothing. Salon tested is not a measurable thing. Eco friendly, not a measurable thing. These are hero claims that companies make and you know to try to sell you a product. There is no back to that.
[00:22]
B
Jennifer Whitmire is a resilient, purpose driven and innovative entrepreneur and the founder of Archwood Soapery. Driven by a commitment to natural toxin free products, she she has built a trusted brand focused on family, wellness, sustainability and quality craftsmanship.
[00:37]
A
All the teachers, they want you to show your work and they want to see your thought processes. So maybe that's how it came around. And he's told me, jen, look for the patterns. That was all I needed to hear. I looked for the patterns and I was able to notice patterns everywhere. With people, with the way that the world works, with product, with every single thing in life, there is a pattern to it.
[01:02]
B
My name is Rudy Moore, host of living the red life podcast, and I'm here to change the way you see your life in your earpiece every single week. If you're ready to start living the red life, ditch the blue pill, Take the red pill. Join me in wonderland and change your life. Welcome back to another episode of the living your legacy podcast, the red life edition. We're in the midst of mastermind week amongst the chaos, but that does not stop a production plan for the inside success. Joining me today is another amazing, powerful woman, Jennifer Whitmire. She is the founder and CEO of
[01:37]
A
Archwood Soapery and filthy vegan.
[01:40]
B
Thank you so much for that. How are you?
[01:43]
A
You know, I'm just here in the chaos. I'm doing pretty good.
[01:45]
B
How are you guys? I'm drowning. You just threw me a lifeline there. Thank you so much. We even have a cheat sheet. That is absolutely not necessary. Jen, how are you? Welcome.
[01:56]
A
I'm great. How are you doing?
[01:58]
B
Hanging in there.
[01:58]
A
I'm here in beautiful, super cold. My jami, my job.
[02:02]
B
That's the first time I've heard my jami.
[02:04]
A
My jami.
[02:05]
B
It's up there with Tarjay.
[02:06]
A
Yeah.
[02:07]
B
Jen, I've learned so many things about you. I'd like to start with the fact that you would write your ends backwards.
[02:13]
A
Yeah, yeah. So I could not figure out. I used to. So I. My mom used to make me sit in my room for, you know, like a half hour, 45 minutes. And this was fantastic, fantastic for me because I would, you know, try to figure out how to write an n. The Right way. And I probably looked like a big goofball to everybody else. When I was out in public, I do the same thing, like, n, n, n, n. And I just. You know, I would stare out the window, and I would imagine myself jumping to the highest points of whatever I could find, which were trees. That was it. It was the only thing out there.
[02:53]
B
I like the fact that you named your company Archwood Soapery, but there is a backstory to this. There's lore. Talk about this backstory.
[03:01]
A
Yeah. So I. When you're making a stripper name, you have to. It, like, guides you, you know, so the street you grew up on was one of them. It's like the. What's your zodiac sign? You know, what color underwear do you have on? So I went with street name because it kind of put together why my company is the way that it is, and, you know, it gave me a name, so.
[03:33]
B
Well, there you go. So. So you decided to start making soaps and skincare products, not performing on strip clubs.
[03:42]
A
Yeah, thankfully. Thankfully. Because I had five kids.
[03:44]
B
Yeah.
[03:44]
A
Right on.
[03:45]
B
Yeah. There's one goal every father has is just keep them off the pole. So you're not stripping, but you're a mom and you're making skincare products now? Holy moly.
[03:55]
A
And stripping and.
[03:56]
B
And stripping only on Thursdays. Currently, it's Wednesday, so that's tomorrow. In my jammy.
[04:01]
A
Yeah, in my jammy. So I.
[04:05]
B
But you're a chemist.
[04:07]
A
I went to school for dermatology.
[04:09]
B
Right.
[04:10]
A
So I always just had a natural knack for certain things. And the only things that ever kept my interest was science. That. That's it. You know, science, chemistry, any kind of science discipline always stuck with me.
[04:26]
B
So science and discipline, two very boring things, but you really, really, really enjoy it. Talk about how discipline kind of essentially paved the way for your resilience and who you are today.
[04:38]
A
You know, I didn't want to do certain things when I was little, and I always heard from my parents, who are of obviously a different generation than me, and you kids don't have any discipline nowadays.
[04:50]
B
You can look at this camera, too. You got your own camera.
[04:53]
A
So, you know, always there's no discipline in you kids, and you have to do things, you know, even if you don't want to do them. And while I didn't listen to a lot that anybody or my parents especially, really told me when I was little, those things were always mulling around back there. You know, it just took me, like, a good 35 years to figure it out. And, you know, There is a guy whose name escapes me right now, but he's a famous philosopher, and if I remembered his name, everybody would be like, oh, yeah, Carl Jung.
[05:30]
B
Oh, to say his name.
[05:32]
A
Okay, so Carl Jung says that you are not actually an adult until you hit 40. And in my case, that is totally, totally right.
[05:43]
B
I can kind of feel that, too, even though I'm very juvenile. But I'm 42, so I'm like, guess this is what adulting feels like, Right?
[05:49]
A
I still feel like I'm 12 inside,
[05:51]
B
but, you know, like, look at me. I'm wearing a skirt made out of piano keys. This is 42. Well, talk about the being who we are. We're obviously very eccentrically weird. Like, our brain patterns and our brains aren't designed like normal folks or the normies. Your dad was also very gifted. Talk about the similarities and how he essentially recognized your gift and enhanced you.
[06:17]
A
I really have no idea. The only thing I could think of is that he saw, because I can do it in my kids, too. I can see things that they did where I'm like, oh, I did that. Or I still do that. You know, I guess that they call it stimming now, you know? So don't hate. Yeah, I know, right?
[06:35]
B
Look at it go. Sorry.
[06:37]
A
So you have one.
[06:38]
B
I have none.
[06:39]
A
So that's why I.
[06:39]
B
It's a game changer. My partner in Studio 2 handed this to me. She's like, it's going to change it. It definitely works.
[06:44]
A
Yeah. That's nice. Yeah.
[06:45]
B
Would you like to try fidget?
[06:46]
A
Spinners and stuff? Here, just.
[06:48]
B
Here you go.
[06:48]
A
Yeah. Look at how worn down this thing is. My God. It's got some weight to it, too.
[06:54]
B
It's good. It's nice. It's purple, too. Matches you.
[06:56]
A
It is purple.
[06:57]
B
So your legacy, your children. But before we get onto your children, let's talk about your dad and how he had his superpower. He ate a lot, like my hero. He separated his meals. He did all sorts of really quirky things. Can you expand on that?
[07:10]
A
Yeah. I am totally like my dad. So my dad, I remember growing up and. And it didn't used to bother me until it was pointed out, you know? And I think maybe all it took was just one time of saying, like, don't slurp. Don't chew with your mouth open.
[07:24]
B
Get your elbows off the table.
[07:25]
A
Well, that doesn't bother me, but it's the sounds, you know, those sound. There are certain sounds. Smacking your lips drives me insane. There is, you know, other ones. The slurping up a wall and then I'm gonna jump off that wall.
[07:40]
B
Triggers all of them, right?
[07:42]
A
And chewing with your mouth open. And I was notorious for this stuff in school, I assume. My husband hired somebody I went to high school with, actually. I had gone to, like, preschool with this guy, and he's like, oh, yeah, Jen used to, like, go off on people if they were chewing with their mouth open. I don't remember doing that. Apparently I did, but. So my dad had that going on, which I guess they call misophonia. There weren't words back then for all this stuff.
[08:08]
B
There aren't words either for. It's. You just made it up. Misophonia is actually a term that's actually a word.
[08:12]
A
Yeah.
[08:13]
B
Okay. That sounds like a stripper name. Oh, man. I did the thing. Now we're gonna believe we're off the topic. What were you talking about? Strippers.
[08:26]
A
Anyways, so, you know, there were things, I guess, that he saw in me when I was doing homework or the way that I was trying to figure out. So when you're doing homework, all the teachers, they want you to show your work and they wanna see your thought processes. So maybe that's how it came around. And he's told me, jen, look for the patterns. And that was all I needed to hear, you know, So I looked for the patterns, and I was able to notice patterns everywhere. With people, with the way that the world works, with product, with every single thing in life, there is a pattern to it. So, you know, I don't know. I feel like my mom really instilled some kind of an OCD in me, too, because she's like. I remember helping her fold, you know, washcloths and stuff. And I was just like, that's done. No, no, no.
[09:23]
B
Muscle memory.
[09:24]
A
No. You make sure that those corners match up. And I don't know if she was that stern with me when I was. You know, I must have been like three or four when she told me that.
[09:33]
B
But does it just trigger every time you just see two corners?
[09:38]
A
Now, if somebody folds, if somebody. Now, when I had twins, I had people coming over and helping. You know, I have a really good group of friends, and I had my mom coming over. I had my dad flying out from California. I had people everywhere. I had my husband's parents there. And I remember. I'm not going to even say who it was. It was very many, multiple people. But there's. There's one person that understands me, and the only person that understands that they better do the corner matching Up. Thing is, Tara, my friend Tara. So if any. I remember people were folding my towels, and they would just willy nilly, fold them. Now I had to take them all out of the closet and refold them. And my life takes dramatically more time than it possibly should to do the simplest of things because there's. There's such a high standard that I have.
[10:27]
B
Oh, no question. Oh, yeah, I'm the same way. You come. You come to interview here. I'm like, oh, great. You know everything about cameras and lenses, but can you coil cable correctly? And I'll just hand them, right? I'm like, yeah. And I'm like, no, you can't coil cables.
[10:37]
A
If somebody can tell me the way or why they do the things that they do, then I could be like, oh, okay, you know what? That makes sense. And I like that thinking. And I'm gonna maybe possibly start doing something similar.
[10:50]
B
Right on.
[10:50]
A
But if they can't tell me, well, I'm just kind of. I just got the cord out of the way. Like, how do you sleep at night? What's wrong with you?
[10:59]
B
So, so. So talking about sleepless nights and figuring out what's wrong with you, you recognize the pattern early on, which is kind of the lore to the original question of where the name came from. You noticed that people were getting sick around you.
[11:10]
A
Yes. So I am still friends with a very large amount of people that I went to preschool with. I am an extremely loyal person. It was the only compliment that I ever got as a kid growing up. You're loyal. You're like a golden retriever. I mean, it wasn't. It wasn't like, hey, Jen, you're so pretty. It was like, you're loyal. Okay, that's fine. So you know the pattern.
[11:36]
B
Sick people.
[11:38]
A
Yeah. So there was a bunch of girls. There was Maggie across the street. There was Beth and Lisa. There was Nikki behind me. And then there was Janelle and not Janelle. Yeah, Janelle, too.
[11:56]
B
Janelle. Get it together.
[11:58]
A
I noticed that every single one of us had problems conceiving or keeping the pregnancy or. Most of the girls couldn't even have kids. Yeah. Oh, Heidi up there, too, up on the hill. So you know, why? There had to have been something. There's just no way that you live out in the middle of nowhere in, you know, an old. I guess that they had built the house. They had bought a piece of land off of a farmer, and then they had stuck these houses there.
[12:28]
B
Oh, boy.
[12:29]
A
What's in. You know, is it something that the houses were made with? Is it something that was maybe spirit spilled on the ground before they built the houses.
[12:37]
B
I don't know.
[12:38]
A
I mean, I.
[12:38]
B
Old Native American reservation, graveyard, cemetery.
[12:41]
A
Right? Yeah. Some kind of a curse.
[12:43]
B
So there was quite literally maybe something in the air and the water that you're like, I gotta fix this.
[12:47]
A
Right? Yeah. So I just. That was always, you know, burning around up there and never did anything with it. There was no dots to connect yet. So then I had the thyroid cancer in 2018, after I had my daughter Caitlin, and I was so sick, nobody can tell anything what's wrong with me. They had no idea. They were telling me acid reflux. And then they stuck me on all this weird stuff. And there was one doctor that looked at me and she didn't have to do blood work. I mean, she actually did to confirm, but she's like, you need to go to the hospital right now. So I did, and then I went to different. I did continue going to different doctors, you know. Cause I was. That thyroid, it controls everything.
[13:38]
B
Oh, yeah.
[13:39]
A
No, everything. And was it the thyroid that was acting up? Is it because of my liver? Like. I don't know. So they found out that I had Epstein Barr. I had Ms. I had the thyroid cancer. I had a huge goiter, you know, on that huge tumor on that thyroid. And it sounded to me like sand. Every time I would take a step, I just heard sand, like in my ears. So I was mind real bad.
[14:08]
B
Yeah, quite literally. Yeah.
[14:09]
A
And then I had frustration from family and like, well, what's. What's wrong with you? You know? I don't know.
[14:16]
B
Yeah. So if folks watch your episode, they'll know that you went on a. Not a sabbatical, but on a journey, you. You jumped around a lot. And then you discovered that because of. Of. Of your undiagnosed OCD or adhd, whatever you want to call it, and your superpowers, you're now you've created a Brands. Products that are skin care that you're revolutionizing things. You've completely. What's the word that I just learned? Greenwashing. You've removed greenwashing? Can you explain to people what greenwashing is?
[14:44]
A
There are so many words out there that mean nothing. Salon tested is not a measurable thing. You know, eco friendly, not a measurable thing. These are hero claims that companies make and you know, to try to sell you a product. There's no sign. There's no back to that.
[15:04]
B
My favorite one is child tested, mother approved, or some random.
[15:07]
A
Yeah, dermatologist tested some random guy that
[15:11]
B
Happens to know something about skin. Tested it once.
[15:13]
A
Right?
[15:14]
B
Yeah.
[15:14]
A
Yeah. So.
[15:16]
B
So you're against all of this because you are the real deal.
[15:19]
A
I explained to people 100%. Hey, listen, salon tested doesn't mean anything. You know, my products are salon tested. It just means that I have handed my products off to a salon and they have tested them. That's it. It doesn't mean anything else other than that.
[15:33]
B
Right.
[15:34]
A
It's not something that makes anything better. It's not. It, it's just words.
[15:39]
B
Right on. So give me some extra words of specifically what you do because we've left this sort of mysterious for folks to kind of figure it out. But give us. Talk to me like a three year old. What do you do for a living? What is your day to day hustle today?
[15:51]
A
I. My day to day. I am in the kitchen all the time making food for my kids because they don't ever stop eating.
[15:58]
B
Yes, but your kids don't spit it up and into bottles and put it on people's skin, do they? No, no, not. At least not yet. That's a completely different line. So what do you do? Like you bottle you, you went on this whole montage of your products, your ship, your packaging. I'd love to hear some of this for the podcast.
[16:15]
A
So a day. So, okay. I started my business in February of 2025. Very, very new to business. But I had immediate and continued great successes without marketing, without doing anything door to door to people, tell them what's, you know, what's what, and then, you know, just kind of let them decide turn on. So I, I would, I remember I would get up at like 5 or 6, you know, and I already have a hard time sleeping cause I have kids and they're noisy as shit. So I would get up and if they weren't up yet, or if I didn't have to wake up yet, I would be on that laptop designing my website or I would be designing labels, or I would be out in the lab putting together things and seeing what works and what I liked and then testing it. And I love that stuff. That is where I want to be.
[17:14]
B
Right on. A lot of folks have given you feedback that you're not. I wouldn't say confrontation. You're just in people's faces. I completely agree. And I, but I admire it. I'm the same way. Talk about folks that, that are watching and listening that happen to be women or men. Since you are a woman in power. There's a lot of folks out there, especially women, that don't know how to speak up. They don't know how to be authentic. They are essentially they've created an avatar that isn't really helping them or favoring them. They're just surviving. Talk about surviving versus thriving.
[17:41]
A
I think that, you know, it's gonna take some years for women to be like, oh, I don't have to be quiet. You know, I learned that early on. I didn't actually, probably didn't even learn it. I just came out like the loudest shit. But the, you know, like my mom, her generation, you couldn't, she couldn't even have a bank account when she was little. You know, there was no woman voting. There wasn't anything like that. And my grandparents even more so. You know, the things that they had to do and the things that they weren't allowed to do were so great and that stuff just kind of trickles down. Cause you have those parents who are not used to being able to have a bank account and now like their daughter is, but they haven't learned enough throughout the time. But really there is no need to feel oppressed anymore. I feel like that's just something, an excuse. I'm oppressed. I'm, you know, I'm this, I'm. That there is a difference between a reason and an excuse. And I think that people use excuses way too freely.
[18:48]
B
Oh yeah, yeah. That's a different podcast. I don't want to dive into that because it's going to completely derail us. But Jen, we just finished filming the episode. I'm sorry, Jennifer or Jenny. What was all your nicknames again?
[18:59]
A
Jenny? Nanny.
[19:00]
B
That's the one.
[19:02]
A
Hey yo.
[19:02]
B
Hey yo.
[19:03]
A
As long as you're looking at me, I kind of am like, okay, hey
[19:06]
B
yo, talking to me. What are we going to learn about you? Give us a preview of your episode.
[19:10]
A
So you are going to learn why I am the way that I am and that it is all my parents fault. See and it's all like parents is widely, you know, use. It's all the people that kind of, we're like, oh, this is my daughter now. And you know, right on. She is a friend of my daughter and she is now mine. She doesn't leave.
[19:37]
B
Hey you Zenny. How can folks learn more about you and actually buy your products?
[19:43]
A
So I am gonna start marketing. I'm learning how to do that right now. It's gonna take me a little bit of time. I, you know, there's all kinds of things that didn't exist when I was proficient in computers. You know, I, so I Completely forgot how to use an Excel spreadsheet. I didn't even know that Excel existed anymore. So I have to relearn that.
[20:06]
B
It's called Google Sheets now. Get together.
[20:08]
A
Oh, my God. They. When you guys sent me Google Docs, I was like, what the is.
[20:14]
B
I love it.
[20:15]
A
I was just having kids for 10 years. That's all I did. It's just kid stuff, you know?
[20:20]
B
Right on. All right, so let's focus. Before I want to wrap up, just give me the 32nd commercial. You make products, and these products are for who?
[20:27]
A
My products are for everybody who wants to treat the world a little bit better, treat your body a little bit better. It's for the people who want to gift utilitarian gifts and not just have a toy that you're going to throw away or, you know, like some chintzy whatever sign or whatever. You just throw it away. There's no. Just give people stuff they're gonna use. Pay a bill, buy them some shampoo or some Soap, you know.
[20:57]
B
So 70% in shampoo. The 70% of water and shampoo is absolutely useless.
[21:00]
A
So water.
[21:01]
B
I learned that today.
[21:02]
A
Yeah. So water is listed as the first ingredient in shampoo and conditioner. Well, they. The FDA does not tell them that they need to list in descending order, but. And really that's the way that we should be doing it. So water is always the first ingredient in a liquid shampoo or a liquid conditioner. And a liquid shampoo is about 70% water. When you have oils and waters, you need to emulsify them, and then you need to protect that water from molding. And they stick formaldehyde in those preservatives to give it a high shelf life. A typical liquid conditioner is 85% water, which blew me away. I like. How do you sleep at night? What the shit? Like, that's so heavy. How much water are we buying here? We don't need to buy water. We have water in the shower.
[21:52]
B
Yeah, right on.
[21:53]
A
So 85% of that is water. They're not using the super nice ingredients because it's not cost effective to do that, you know, and they're bound by the shareholder primacy. They have to do. They have to make their shareholders as much money as they possibly can. So, you know, there's a better way.
[22:15]
B
I was going to say I want you to end this with an exclamation mark. Your affirmation is that there is a better way that you don't want to answer to any shareholders. You want to keep this private. You want to keep this very much yours. What is the outlook, what is the future here for you when it comes to your lore, your brand?
[22:32]
A
What's the future for my brand? Yeah, so I just created a separate business to kind of keep things separate, like hair care and skincare. So I created Filthy Vegan.
[22:45]
B
Hell, yeah.
[22:46]
A
So Filthy Vegan is going to take over this part, and then Archwood Soapery will always be there to take to, you know, have one part of this. It just really helps to separate the skin and the hair. Right.
[23:00]
B
You know, how can people find more of Filthy Vegans and Arch Wood Soaperies?
[23:08]
A
Look, look online.
[23:10]
B
Wow.
[23:10]
A
Out there, I swear, it is just Google it.
[23:14]
B
Google. You have to turn on your computer, log in, open your browser, Google, and then type in Archwood Soapery.
[23:23]
A
Right? So when you on board with the big retailers, they do not distribute you nationwide until you. Your product is proven in their store. So if you would like to see my products where you are, then email them to be like, hey, do you. Why don't you guys carry Archwood Soapery? Why don't you carry Filthy Vegan? You should, because it's better.
[23:47]
B
End of, end of story, exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point. We're going to wrap it up there. Gosh. Hey, you. That was an amazing podcast. I appreciate your time, energy. Are you heading back to the Mastermind after this? Yes, yes. We got to get. We got. We're. We're going to take your photos real quick, and we're going to rush you back for lunch at the Mastermind. And with that, that's. Hey, you. I'm. Hey, y'. All. And we are Inside Success.
[24:10]
A
Podcasting Inside Success.
[24:12]
B
No, we're not strippers.
[24:13]
A
We're Inside success.

Summary5 min read

Living The Red Life – Episode Summary

Episode Title: How a Mom of Five Exposed the Beauty Industry
Host: Rudy Mawer
Guest: Jennifer Whitmire, Founder of Archwood Soapery & Filthy Vegan
Date: June 12, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Rudy Mawer sits down with Jennifer Whitmire, a self-described “eccentric, pattern-obsessed, and resilient” entrepreneur, mother of five, and founder of Archwood Soapery and Filthy Vegan. Jennifer shares her deeply personal journey of discovering hidden toxins in everyday beauty products, the patterns she uncovered about environmental health, and how her expertise in dermatology and chemistry led her to a mission: bringing authentic, toxin-free products to families. Jennifer candidly discusses why so many claims in the beauty industry are meaningless, the real dangers lurking in our everyday products, and her commitment to honesty and craftsmanship. The episode provides both a revealing exposé of the beauty industry’s “greenwashing” practices and an uplifting look at the power of resilience, female entrepreneurship, and no-excuses authenticity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jennifer’s Background & Inspiration (03:00)

Jennifer’s unique upbringing, her love for science, and the origins of “Archwood Soapery.”
The significance behind the company name—born as a joke from “stripper name” generator quizzes, but rooted in the street where she grew up.

Quote:
"You named your company Archwood Soapery, but there is a backstory to this. There's lore."
—Rudy Mawer (02:53)

Jennifer’s early obsession with patterns, thanks to her father’s advice: “Look for the patterns.”
The impact of persistent OCD-like traits, instilled by her mother, on both her entrepreneurial rigor and product standards.
Her formal background in dermatology and enduring fascination with chemistry and science.

Identifying Environmental and Personal Health Patterns (11:09)

Jennifer noticed a disturbing pattern among childhood friends: difficulty conceiving or carrying pregnancies.
Speculations about environmental toxins linked to their rural neighborhood, from building materials to potential soil contamination.

Quote:
"I noticed that every single one of us had problems conceiving or keeping the pregnancy..."
—Jennifer Whitmire (11:57)

Personal battle with thyroid cancer (2018), Epstein-Barr, and MS—catalysts that galvanized her mission for cleaner, safer products.

Exposing “Greenwashing” in the Beauty Industry (14:43)

Jennifer breaks down how many “eco-friendly,” “salon tested,” and even “dermatologist tested” claims are empty marketing language (“hero claims”) with no measurable backing.

Notable Quote:
"There are so many words out there that mean nothing. Salon tested is not a measurable thing. Eco friendly, not a measurable thing. These are hero claims that companies make... There is no back to that."
—Jennifer Whitmire (14:43)

Painted a picture of how companies focus on shareholder profits over actual product quality or consumer well-being.

The Science Behind Shampoo & Conditioner (21:00)

Shocking facts: liquid shampoos are about 70% water and conditioners about 85% water—customers are mostly paying for water, not functional active ingredients.

Memorable Moment:
"A typical liquid conditioner is 85% water, which blew me away... How do you sleep at night? What the shit? Like, that's so heavy. How much water are we buying here? We don't need to buy water. We have water in the shower."
—Jennifer Whitmire (21:02)

The hidden dangers: To keep all that water shelf-stable, companies often use strong preservatives like formaldehyde-releasing agents.

Building a Brand With Integrity & No Shortcuts (16:15, 15:19)

Jennifer describes her grassroots approach to building Archwood Soapery—doing everything herself from website design to handcrafting products, despite lacking formal marketing experience.
Emphasis on transparency; Jennifer tells customers exactly what her “salon tested” claim means—no smoke and mirrors.

Quote:
"I explained to people 100%. Hey, listen, salon tested doesn't mean anything. Salon tested… just means that I have handed my products off to a salon and they have tested them."
—Jennifer Whitmire (15:19)

Female Empowerment & Authenticity (17:41)

The generational struggle for women to have autonomy, speak up, and become entrepreneurs.
Jennifer’s no-excuses philosophy: distinguishing between reasons and excuses, and encouraging women to claim space authentically.

Quote:
"But really there is no need to feel oppressed anymore. I feel like that's just something, an excuse. There is a difference between a reason and an excuse. And I think that people use excuses way too freely."
—Jennifer Whitmire (18:41)

The Future: Filthy Vegan & Archwood Soapery (22:31)

Jennifer introduces “Filthy Vegan,” her new brand meant to separate her haircare and skincare lines for clarity and focus.
Insight into her hopes to remain privately owned and prioritize product integrity over investor pressures.

Practical Advice & Call to Action (20:27, 23:23)

Her products are for anyone wanting to “treat the world a little bit better” and value everyday utility over disposable consumerism.
Encouragement for listeners to request her products at their local retailers and support independent brands online.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

“If somebody can tell me the way or why they do the things that they do, then I could be like, oh, okay, you know what? That makes sense. And I like that thinking. And I'm gonna maybe possibly start doing something similar.” – Jennifer (10:37)
“You're loyal. You're like a golden retriever. I mean, it wasn't like, hey, Jen, you're so pretty. It was like, you're loyal. Okay, that's fine.” – Jennifer (11:19)
“It's for the people who want to gift utilitarian gifts and not just have a toy that you're going to throw away… Just give people stuff they're gonna use. Pay a bill, buy them some shampoo or some soap.” – Jennifer (20:27)
“They stick formaldehyde in those preservatives to give it a high shelf life...” – Jennifer (21:01)
“I'm gonna start marketing. I'm learning how to do that right now… I was just having kids for 10 years. That’s all I did. It’s just kid stuff, you know?” – Jennifer (19:43)

Important Timestamps

03:00 – Company name origin; growing up eccentric and scientific
06:16 – 10:27 – Quirks, OCD, family impact, finding patterns
11:09 – 13:38 – Environmental toxins, friends’ infertility, Jennifer’s health journey
14:43 – 15:39 – “Greenwashing” and meaningless product claims exposed
16:15 – 17:41 – Daily grind, starting from scratch, being transparent and “in your face”
17:41 – 18:41 – Female empowerment, reasons vs. excuses
20:27 – 21:51 – Who her products serve, the water content in commercial shampoo
22:31 – 23:23 – Launching Filthy Vegan, vision for her brands

The Takeaway

Jennifer Whitmire’s story is about much more than clean beauty. It’s about the power of observation, refusing to accept the status quo, and owning one’s truth with unapologetic boldness. The episode offers a rare peek behind the beauty industry curtain—debunking myths, exposing “greenwashing,” and championing true authenticity and science-backed ethics.

To Learn More or Purchase:

Google “Archwood Soapery” or “Filthy Vegan”
Ask your local retailers to carry her products

Episode Mood: Candid, witty, grounded, and motivating—equal parts entertaining banter and hard-hitting truth bombs from two no-nonsense entrepreneurs.

Loading summary

Transcript143 lines

[00:00]
A
A typical liquid conditioner is 85% water, which blew me away. There are so many words out there that mean nothing. Salon tested is not a measurable thing. Eco friendly, not a measurable thing. These are hero claims that companies make and you know to try to sell you a product. There is no back to that.
[00:22]
B
Jennifer Whitmire is a resilient, purpose driven and innovative entrepreneur and the founder of Archwood Soapery. Driven by a commitment to natural toxin free products, she she has built a trusted brand focused on family, wellness, sustainability and quality craftsmanship.
[00:37]
A
All the teachers, they want you to show your work and they want to see your thought processes. So maybe that's how it came around. And he's told me, jen, look for the patterns. That was all I needed to hear. I looked for the patterns and I was able to notice patterns everywhere. With people, with the way that the world works, with product, with every single thing in life, there is a pattern to it.
[01:02]
B
My name is Rudy Moore, host of living the red life podcast, and I'm here to change the way you see your life in your earpiece every single week. If you're ready to start living the red life, ditch the blue pill, Take the red pill. Join me in wonderland and change your life. Welcome back to another episode of the living your legacy podcast, the red life edition. We're in the midst of mastermind week amongst the chaos, but that does not stop a production plan for the inside success. Joining me today is another amazing, powerful woman, Jennifer Whitmire. She is the founder and CEO of
[01:37]
A
Archwood Soapery and filthy vegan.
[01:40]
B
Thank you so much for that. How are you?
[01:43]
A
You know, I'm just here in the chaos. I'm doing pretty good.
[01:45]
B
How are you guys? I'm drowning. You just threw me a lifeline there. Thank you so much. We even have a cheat sheet. That is absolutely not necessary. Jen, how are you? Welcome.
[01:56]
A
I'm great. How are you doing?
[01:58]
B
Hanging in there.
[01:58]
A
I'm here in beautiful, super cold. My jami, my job.
[02:02]
B
That's the first time I've heard my jami.
[02:04]
A
My jami.
[02:05]
B
It's up there with Tarjay.
[02:06]
A
Yeah.
[02:07]
B
Jen, I've learned so many things about you. I'd like to start with the fact that you would write your ends backwards.
[02:13]
A
Yeah, yeah. So I could not figure out. I used to. So I. My mom used to make me sit in my room for, you know, like a half hour, 45 minutes. And this was fantastic, fantastic for me because I would, you know, try to figure out how to write an n. The Right way. And I probably looked like a big goofball to everybody else. When I was out in public, I do the same thing, like, n, n, n, n. And I just. You know, I would stare out the window, and I would imagine myself jumping to the highest points of whatever I could find, which were trees. That was it. It was the only thing out there.
[02:53]
B
I like the fact that you named your company Archwood Soapery, but there is a backstory to this. There's lore. Talk about this backstory.
[03:01]
A
Yeah. So I. When you're making a stripper name, you have to. It, like, guides you, you know, so the street you grew up on was one of them. It's like the. What's your zodiac sign? You know, what color underwear do you have on? So I went with street name because it kind of put together why my company is the way that it is, and, you know, it gave me a name, so.
[03:33]
B
Well, there you go. So. So you decided to start making soaps and skincare products, not performing on strip clubs.
[03:42]
A
Yeah, thankfully. Thankfully. Because I had five kids.
[03:44]
B
Yeah.
[03:44]
A
Right on.
[03:45]
B
Yeah. There's one goal every father has is just keep them off the pole. So you're not stripping, but you're a mom and you're making skincare products now? Holy moly.
[03:55]
A
And stripping and.
[03:56]
B
And stripping only on Thursdays. Currently, it's Wednesday, so that's tomorrow. In my jammy.
[04:01]
A
Yeah, in my jammy. So I.
[04:05]
B
But you're a chemist.
[04:07]
A
I went to school for dermatology.
[04:09]
B
Right.
[04:10]
A
So I always just had a natural knack for certain things. And the only things that ever kept my interest was science. That. That's it. You know, science, chemistry, any kind of science discipline always stuck with me.
[04:26]
B
So science and discipline, two very boring things, but you really, really, really enjoy it. Talk about how discipline kind of essentially paved the way for your resilience and who you are today.
[04:38]
A
You know, I didn't want to do certain things when I was little, and I always heard from my parents, who are of obviously a different generation than me, and you kids don't have any discipline nowadays.
[04:50]
B
You can look at this camera, too. You got your own camera.
[04:53]
A
So, you know, always there's no discipline in you kids, and you have to do things, you know, even if you don't want to do them. And while I didn't listen to a lot that anybody or my parents especially, really told me when I was little, those things were always mulling around back there. You know, it just took me, like, a good 35 years to figure it out. And, you know, There is a guy whose name escapes me right now, but he's a famous philosopher, and if I remembered his name, everybody would be like, oh, yeah, Carl Jung.
[05:30]
B
Oh, to say his name.
[05:32]
A
Okay, so Carl Jung says that you are not actually an adult until you hit 40. And in my case, that is totally, totally right.
[05:43]
B
I can kind of feel that, too, even though I'm very juvenile. But I'm 42, so I'm like, guess this is what adulting feels like, Right?
[05:49]
A
I still feel like I'm 12 inside,
[05:51]
B
but, you know, like, look at me. I'm wearing a skirt made out of piano keys. This is 42. Well, talk about the being who we are. We're obviously very eccentrically weird. Like, our brain patterns and our brains aren't designed like normal folks or the normies. Your dad was also very gifted. Talk about the similarities and how he essentially recognized your gift and enhanced you.
[06:17]
A
I really have no idea. The only thing I could think of is that he saw, because I can do it in my kids, too. I can see things that they did where I'm like, oh, I did that. Or I still do that. You know, I guess that they call it stimming now, you know? So don't hate. Yeah, I know, right?
[06:35]
B
Look at it go. Sorry.
[06:37]
A
So you have one.
[06:38]
B
I have none.
[06:39]
A
So that's why I.
[06:39]
B
It's a game changer. My partner in Studio 2 handed this to me. She's like, it's going to change it. It definitely works.
[06:44]
A
Yeah. That's nice. Yeah.
[06:45]
B
Would you like to try fidget?
[06:46]
A
Spinners and stuff? Here, just.
[06:48]
B
Here you go.
[06:48]
A
Yeah. Look at how worn down this thing is. My God. It's got some weight to it, too.
[06:54]
B
It's good. It's nice. It's purple, too. Matches you.
[06:56]
A
It is purple.
[06:57]
B
So your legacy, your children. But before we get onto your children, let's talk about your dad and how he had his superpower. He ate a lot, like my hero. He separated his meals. He did all sorts of really quirky things. Can you expand on that?
[07:10]
A
Yeah. I am totally like my dad. So my dad, I remember growing up and. And it didn't used to bother me until it was pointed out, you know? And I think maybe all it took was just one time of saying, like, don't slurp. Don't chew with your mouth open.
[07:24]
B
Get your elbows off the table.
[07:25]
A
Well, that doesn't bother me, but it's the sounds, you know, those sound. There are certain sounds. Smacking your lips drives me insane. There is, you know, other ones. The slurping up a wall and then I'm gonna jump off that wall.
[07:40]
B
Triggers all of them, right?
[07:42]
A
And chewing with your mouth open. And I was notorious for this stuff in school, I assume. My husband hired somebody I went to high school with, actually. I had gone to, like, preschool with this guy, and he's like, oh, yeah, Jen used to, like, go off on people if they were chewing with their mouth open. I don't remember doing that. Apparently I did, but. So my dad had that going on, which I guess they call misophonia. There weren't words back then for all this stuff.
[08:08]
B
There aren't words either for. It's. You just made it up. Misophonia is actually a term that's actually a word.
[08:12]
A
Yeah.
[08:13]
B
Okay. That sounds like a stripper name. Oh, man. I did the thing. Now we're gonna believe we're off the topic. What were you talking about? Strippers.
[08:26]
A
Anyways, so, you know, there were things, I guess, that he saw in me when I was doing homework or the way that I was trying to figure out. So when you're doing homework, all the teachers, they want you to show your work and they wanna see your thought processes. So maybe that's how it came around. And he's told me, jen, look for the patterns. And that was all I needed to hear, you know, So I looked for the patterns, and I was able to notice patterns everywhere. With people, with the way that the world works, with product, with every single thing in life, there is a pattern to it. So, you know, I don't know. I feel like my mom really instilled some kind of an OCD in me, too, because she's like. I remember helping her fold, you know, washcloths and stuff. And I was just like, that's done. No, no, no.
[09:23]
B
Muscle memory.
[09:24]
A
No. You make sure that those corners match up. And I don't know if she was that stern with me when I was. You know, I must have been like three or four when she told me that.
[09:33]
B
But does it just trigger every time you just see two corners?
[09:38]
A
Now, if somebody folds, if somebody. Now, when I had twins, I had people coming over and helping. You know, I have a really good group of friends, and I had my mom coming over. I had my dad flying out from California. I had people everywhere. I had my husband's parents there. And I remember. I'm not going to even say who it was. It was very many, multiple people. But there's. There's one person that understands me, and the only person that understands that they better do the corner matching Up. Thing is, Tara, my friend Tara. So if any. I remember people were folding my towels, and they would just willy nilly, fold them. Now I had to take them all out of the closet and refold them. And my life takes dramatically more time than it possibly should to do the simplest of things because there's. There's such a high standard that I have.
[10:27]
B
Oh, no question. Oh, yeah, I'm the same way. You come. You come to interview here. I'm like, oh, great. You know everything about cameras and lenses, but can you coil cable correctly? And I'll just hand them, right? I'm like, yeah. And I'm like, no, you can't coil cables.
[10:37]
A
If somebody can tell me the way or why they do the things that they do, then I could be like, oh, okay, you know what? That makes sense. And I like that thinking. And I'm gonna maybe possibly start doing something similar.
[10:50]
B
Right on.
[10:50]
A
But if they can't tell me, well, I'm just kind of. I just got the cord out of the way. Like, how do you sleep at night? What's wrong with you?
[10:59]
B
So, so. So talking about sleepless nights and figuring out what's wrong with you, you recognize the pattern early on, which is kind of the lore to the original question of where the name came from. You noticed that people were getting sick around you.
[11:10]
A
Yes. So I am still friends with a very large amount of people that I went to preschool with. I am an extremely loyal person. It was the only compliment that I ever got as a kid growing up. You're loyal. You're like a golden retriever. I mean, it wasn't. It wasn't like, hey, Jen, you're so pretty. It was like, you're loyal. Okay, that's fine. So you know the pattern.
[11:36]
B
Sick people.
[11:38]
A
Yeah. So there was a bunch of girls. There was Maggie across the street. There was Beth and Lisa. There was Nikki behind me. And then there was Janelle and not Janelle. Yeah, Janelle, too.
[11:56]
B
Janelle. Get it together.
[11:58]
A
I noticed that every single one of us had problems conceiving or keeping the pregnancy or. Most of the girls couldn't even have kids. Yeah. Oh, Heidi up there, too, up on the hill. So you know, why? There had to have been something. There's just no way that you live out in the middle of nowhere in, you know, an old. I guess that they had built the house. They had bought a piece of land off of a farmer, and then they had stuck these houses there.
[12:28]
B
Oh, boy.
[12:29]
A
What's in. You know, is it something that the houses were made with? Is it something that was maybe spirit spilled on the ground before they built the houses.
[12:37]
B
I don't know.
[12:38]
A
I mean, I.
[12:38]
B
Old Native American reservation, graveyard, cemetery.
[12:41]
A
Right? Yeah. Some kind of a curse.
[12:43]
B
So there was quite literally maybe something in the air and the water that you're like, I gotta fix this.
[12:47]
A
Right? Yeah. So I just. That was always, you know, burning around up there and never did anything with it. There was no dots to connect yet. So then I had the thyroid cancer in 2018, after I had my daughter Caitlin, and I was so sick, nobody can tell anything what's wrong with me. They had no idea. They were telling me acid reflux. And then they stuck me on all this weird stuff. And there was one doctor that looked at me and she didn't have to do blood work. I mean, she actually did to confirm, but she's like, you need to go to the hospital right now. So I did, and then I went to different. I did continue going to different doctors, you know. Cause I was. That thyroid, it controls everything.
[13:38]
B
Oh, yeah.
[13:39]
A
No, everything. And was it the thyroid that was acting up? Is it because of my liver? Like. I don't know. So they found out that I had Epstein Barr. I had Ms. I had the thyroid cancer. I had a huge goiter, you know, on that huge tumor on that thyroid. And it sounded to me like sand. Every time I would take a step, I just heard sand, like in my ears. So I was mind real bad.
[14:08]
B
Yeah, quite literally. Yeah.
[14:09]
A
And then I had frustration from family and like, well, what's. What's wrong with you? You know? I don't know.
[14:16]
B
Yeah. So if folks watch your episode, they'll know that you went on a. Not a sabbatical, but on a journey, you. You jumped around a lot. And then you discovered that because of. Of. Of your undiagnosed OCD or adhd, whatever you want to call it, and your superpowers, you're now you've created a Brands. Products that are skin care that you're revolutionizing things. You've completely. What's the word that I just learned? Greenwashing. You've removed greenwashing? Can you explain to people what greenwashing is?
[14:44]
A
There are so many words out there that mean nothing. Salon tested is not a measurable thing. You know, eco friendly, not a measurable thing. These are hero claims that companies make and you know, to try to sell you a product. There's no sign. There's no back to that.
[15:04]
B
My favorite one is child tested, mother approved, or some random.
[15:07]
A
Yeah, dermatologist tested some random guy that
[15:11]
B
Happens to know something about skin. Tested it once.
[15:13]
A
Right?
[15:14]
B
Yeah.
[15:14]
A
Yeah. So.
[15:16]
B
So you're against all of this because you are the real deal.
[15:19]
A
I explained to people 100%. Hey, listen, salon tested doesn't mean anything. You know, my products are salon tested. It just means that I have handed my products off to a salon and they have tested them. That's it. It doesn't mean anything else other than that.
[15:33]
B
Right.
[15:34]
A
It's not something that makes anything better. It's not. It, it's just words.
[15:39]
B
Right on. So give me some extra words of specifically what you do because we've left this sort of mysterious for folks to kind of figure it out. But give us. Talk to me like a three year old. What do you do for a living? What is your day to day hustle today?
[15:51]
A
I. My day to day. I am in the kitchen all the time making food for my kids because they don't ever stop eating.
[15:58]
B
Yes, but your kids don't spit it up and into bottles and put it on people's skin, do they? No, no, not. At least not yet. That's a completely different line. So what do you do? Like you bottle you, you went on this whole montage of your products, your ship, your packaging. I'd love to hear some of this for the podcast.
[16:15]
A
So a day. So, okay. I started my business in February of 2025. Very, very new to business. But I had immediate and continued great successes without marketing, without doing anything door to door to people, tell them what's, you know, what's what, and then, you know, just kind of let them decide turn on. So I, I would, I remember I would get up at like 5 or 6, you know, and I already have a hard time sleeping cause I have kids and they're noisy as shit. So I would get up and if they weren't up yet, or if I didn't have to wake up yet, I would be on that laptop designing my website or I would be designing labels, or I would be out in the lab putting together things and seeing what works and what I liked and then testing it. And I love that stuff. That is where I want to be.
[17:14]
B
Right on. A lot of folks have given you feedback that you're not. I wouldn't say confrontation. You're just in people's faces. I completely agree. And I, but I admire it. I'm the same way. Talk about folks that, that are watching and listening that happen to be women or men. Since you are a woman in power. There's a lot of folks out there, especially women, that don't know how to speak up. They don't know how to be authentic. They are essentially they've created an avatar that isn't really helping them or favoring them. They're just surviving. Talk about surviving versus thriving.
[17:41]
A
I think that, you know, it's gonna take some years for women to be like, oh, I don't have to be quiet. You know, I learned that early on. I didn't actually, probably didn't even learn it. I just came out like the loudest shit. But the, you know, like my mom, her generation, you couldn't, she couldn't even have a bank account when she was little. You know, there was no woman voting. There wasn't anything like that. And my grandparents even more so. You know, the things that they had to do and the things that they weren't allowed to do were so great and that stuff just kind of trickles down. Cause you have those parents who are not used to being able to have a bank account and now like their daughter is, but they haven't learned enough throughout the time. But really there is no need to feel oppressed anymore. I feel like that's just something, an excuse. I'm oppressed. I'm, you know, I'm this, I'm. That there is a difference between a reason and an excuse. And I think that people use excuses way too freely.
[18:48]
B
Oh yeah, yeah. That's a different podcast. I don't want to dive into that because it's going to completely derail us. But Jen, we just finished filming the episode. I'm sorry, Jennifer or Jenny. What was all your nicknames again?
[18:59]
A
Jenny? Nanny.
[19:00]
B
That's the one.
[19:02]
A
Hey yo.
[19:02]
B
Hey yo.
[19:03]
A
As long as you're looking at me, I kind of am like, okay, hey
[19:06]
B
yo, talking to me. What are we going to learn about you? Give us a preview of your episode.
[19:10]
A
So you are going to learn why I am the way that I am and that it is all my parents fault. See and it's all like parents is widely, you know, use. It's all the people that kind of, we're like, oh, this is my daughter now. And you know, right on. She is a friend of my daughter and she is now mine. She doesn't leave.
[19:37]
B
Hey you Zenny. How can folks learn more about you and actually buy your products?
[19:43]
A
So I am gonna start marketing. I'm learning how to do that right now. It's gonna take me a little bit of time. I, you know, there's all kinds of things that didn't exist when I was proficient in computers. You know, I, so I Completely forgot how to use an Excel spreadsheet. I didn't even know that Excel existed anymore. So I have to relearn that.
[20:06]
B
It's called Google Sheets now. Get together.
[20:08]
A
Oh, my God. They. When you guys sent me Google Docs, I was like, what the is.
[20:14]
B
I love it.
[20:15]
A
I was just having kids for 10 years. That's all I did. It's just kid stuff, you know?
[20:20]
B
Right on. All right, so let's focus. Before I want to wrap up, just give me the 32nd commercial. You make products, and these products are for who?
[20:27]
A
My products are for everybody who wants to treat the world a little bit better, treat your body a little bit better. It's for the people who want to gift utilitarian gifts and not just have a toy that you're going to throw away or, you know, like some chintzy whatever sign or whatever. You just throw it away. There's no. Just give people stuff they're gonna use. Pay a bill, buy them some shampoo or some Soap, you know.
[20:57]
B
So 70% in shampoo. The 70% of water and shampoo is absolutely useless.
[21:00]
A
So water.
[21:01]
B
I learned that today.
[21:02]
A
Yeah. So water is listed as the first ingredient in shampoo and conditioner. Well, they. The FDA does not tell them that they need to list in descending order, but. And really that's the way that we should be doing it. So water is always the first ingredient in a liquid shampoo or a liquid conditioner. And a liquid shampoo is about 70% water. When you have oils and waters, you need to emulsify them, and then you need to protect that water from molding. And they stick formaldehyde in those preservatives to give it a high shelf life. A typical liquid conditioner is 85% water, which blew me away. I like. How do you sleep at night? What the shit? Like, that's so heavy. How much water are we buying here? We don't need to buy water. We have water in the shower.
[21:52]
B
Yeah, right on.
[21:53]
A
So 85% of that is water. They're not using the super nice ingredients because it's not cost effective to do that, you know, and they're bound by the shareholder primacy. They have to do. They have to make their shareholders as much money as they possibly can. So, you know, there's a better way.
[22:15]
B
I was going to say I want you to end this with an exclamation mark. Your affirmation is that there is a better way that you don't want to answer to any shareholders. You want to keep this private. You want to keep this very much yours. What is the outlook, what is the future here for you when it comes to your lore, your brand?
[22:32]
A
What's the future for my brand? Yeah, so I just created a separate business to kind of keep things separate, like hair care and skincare. So I created Filthy Vegan.
[22:45]
B
Hell, yeah.
[22:46]
A
So Filthy Vegan is going to take over this part, and then Archwood Soapery will always be there to take to, you know, have one part of this. It just really helps to separate the skin and the hair. Right.
[23:00]
B
You know, how can people find more of Filthy Vegans and Arch Wood Soaperies?
[23:08]
A
Look, look online.
[23:10]
B
Wow.
[23:10]
A
Out there, I swear, it is just Google it.
[23:14]
B
Google. You have to turn on your computer, log in, open your browser, Google, and then type in Archwood Soapery.
[23:23]
A
Right? So when you on board with the big retailers, they do not distribute you nationwide until you. Your product is proven in their store. So if you would like to see my products where you are, then email them to be like, hey, do you. Why don't you guys carry Archwood Soapery? Why don't you carry Filthy Vegan? You should, because it's better.
[23:47]
B
End of, end of story, exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point. We're going to wrap it up there. Gosh. Hey, you. That was an amazing podcast. I appreciate your time, energy. Are you heading back to the Mastermind after this? Yes, yes. We got to get. We got. We're. We're going to take your photos real quick, and we're going to rush you back for lunch at the Mastermind. And with that, that's. Hey, you. I'm. Hey, y'. All. And we are Inside Success.
[24:10]
A
Podcasting Inside Success.
[24:12]
B
No, we're not strippers.
[24:13]
A
We're Inside success.