Japanese Women in Canada Vol. 14: Miyuki Dezaki

What do you like about Canada？

Absolutely nature. I grew up in Osaka where there is not much nature, so I am happy to be able to drive a short distance to the mountains, ocean and rivers. I love water. I felt great when I jumped off the cliffs of Lynn Valley in North Vancouver.

Please tell us how you came to Vancouver.

I was working as an office worker in Tokyo when the company I was working for asked employees to resign, and I decided to go on a working holiday. I was a semi-professional BMX rider. I was sponsored to compete every week and appeared on TV in a Nike commercial. I wanted to ride BMX overseas as well, so I brought my bike to Vancouver. I made a lot of BMX friends through friends and Facebook, and I wanted to stay in Canada more. I came back to Vancouver with a working holiday visa. During my working holiday, I went to school and obtained a diploma in International Trade called FITT (Forum for International Trade Training).

How did you start BMX?

I’ve been in bands and playing guitar since I was a student, joining music clubs at school and performing duos with friends outside. I wrote the lyrics, my friend sang, and I played the guitar and did the harmonies. We came in second in a competition where we could make our debut if we won, but I felt something was not quite right. One day, while I was practicing my guitar at a train station, a group of BMX riders came and started riding in front of me. At that time, I was looking for something that would touch my heart, and this seemed like fun! That’s when I started. 

I ride a BMX called Flatland. I practiced like crazy every day, and it was so difficult that I could barely do a single move. Every day after I got home from school or work, I put my bag down and went to practice. Even on the weekends, I spent all my time on the bike.

Do you still ride BMX?

When I came to Canada, I decided to quit my semi-pro and ride at my own pace, but I started when I was a freshman in high school and did it every day for almost 20 years until my kids were born this year. Since the birth of my child I have been on a bit of a break. I’d like to get back into it, but it’s not easy because I can’t practice regularly. 

You run a handmade natural soap business called ERD SOAP. Please tell us about your business.

I have been thinking about starting my own business since I moved to Canada, and I was looking for something specific to do after I got my Canadian permanent residency. I have always had sensitive skin. When I came to Canada, I had trouble with my skin. I started using handmade soap. When I joined a soap making lesson, I felt something “sperk” inside of me. Making soap made me feel good, and I felt something that made me want to heal the skin of those who were suffering. In 2015, I started my own soap company, ERD SOAP, with a desire to share good things with people and make them aware of them.

I gathered a lot of information, studied a lot, and came up with my own recipe for soap. I designed all the soaps to be gentle on the skin. First, I researched the ingredients thoroughly. For example, one soap is made of Canadian Glacial Clay (clay from Canadian icebergs). Each grain is round with no corners. This soap does not make your skin itchy even if you use it every day and the minerals are good for your skin.

We try to use local products as much as possible, such as honey, goat milk, and essential oils.

What does ERD mean？

The concept of ERD was to create soap using as much of the earth’s resources as possible. I wanted to include the word “earth” in the company name, but unfortunately Earth SOAP was already registered as a company. I did some research on words from other countries, and decided on ERD  SOAP because the Scottish Gaelic word ERD means Earth. It is easy to remember, and has a nice sound. For the logo, I had a designer make it with a picture of a Canadian mountain and a maple mark.

Is the soap sold outside of Canada?

Yes, it is. I used to work for Yamato Transport and learned a lot about import and export at that time. I also use my experience from that time to sell to Japan.

When I first came here as a working holiday, I had the idea of starting my own business in mind, so I took the FITT diploma. After that, I worked at Yamato Transport and studied import and export, and I think the whole process came naturally.

We would like to strengthen our sales to Japan more, but for now, our orders are mainly from wholesalers in Canada.

Can you tell us how your business got on the track?

In the beginning, I tried Google Ad, and I visited the stores on Main Street and 4th Avenue with soap, doing door-to-door sales. In Japan, I also tried Google Ad and our soaps were featured in a magazine. Many people sell at farmers’ markets or advertise on social networking sites, but not many people walk around and visit stores to do business. However, I think it is because I have been doing this for so long that I have been able to acquire wholesalers who buy in large quantities.

Our goal is to expand our business overseas as ERD SOAP. First of all, we are aiming to expand our sales more in Japan.

ERD SOAP　INSTAGRAM

What do you think was the hardest part of living in Canada?

It was when I started my business. I believed that since I was making such a good product, it would definitely sell. When I think about it now, I think I was too positive. However, the ideal and the reality are different, and there was a difficult time when I had to ask my parents to support me because I could not sell well and make a profit.

What do you think was the key to overcoming the challenge?

I think it was the longevity of the business. It’s been four years since we started selling at the UBC Farmers Market. Our sales have been gradually increasing. COVID is also the reason why we have more customers who want to support local small businesses. Also, the customers who buy a lot of my products are those who have known about my products for a long time. Seeing this, I think it’s important to keep doing this for a long time. I think it means that they know that I am here, that they know my products, and that they trust me. I think this is the result of continuing for a long time without giving up.

To be honest, there were times when I thought about giving up and quitting. The moment I made up my mind to work somewhere while also working on my soap business, I felt a lightness in my heart. After I realized that it was okay to do both, I changed my mind to continue in this way. I am now working for a wood export company while continuing with ERD SOAP. Eventually, I would like to do only soap.

So it’s better to think about how to make this work in the long run, rather than trying to focus on making it work in a short period of time?

That’s right. For ERD SOAP, we use plant seeds to add color and aromatic oils to add fragrance. To be honest, the majority of soap companies use fragrances and artificial coloring to make their products. This is because they can keep their material costs low. I myself have struggled with the idea of making a profit. However, fragrances are not good for the skin, and if customers with allergies use them, their skin will become rough. Even if those customers bought the product once, there would be no next time. Although the profit for a moment may decrease, in the long run, we have been able to increase our sales by continuing to provide high quality products.

Also, when I was concentrating solely on my business, I was so focused on making a profit that I no longer enjoyed making soap. After I changed to my current way of working, I started to enjoy making soap again and have a passion for it. It may be a way out, but being able to think that it’s okay if I don’t sell soap because I have a job has calmed down my mental state.

In the past year or two, when I talked to my core customers who bought my products again and again, I came to realize that I was right in continuing to produce products without lowering the quality. These are the customers who came back to ERD SOAP after using other soaps, and they buy a lot of our products.

Handmade soaps are very good, but I have an impression that they run out quickly.

ERD SOAP also considers it, and we add an ingredient to make it last longer. This means that the cost is higher. However, customers notice that ERD SOAP lasts longer than other soaps. They come back to buy our products, especially if they have sensitive skin.

Do you have any words or motto that you keep in mind?

My motto is “Provide customers with what I want to use.” I also have sensitive skin, so I pay attention to what I want to use. I think about what the customer will buy, but I also try to think about what kind of product they would want to apply directly to their skin and use.

I feel that “how I feel and what I think” has been a key point for you in your talks so far, but what do you think is the reason why you don’t hesitate when you feel “this is it”?

You only live once. We can’t go back to the past, and we live our lives thinking that we really only have the present moment every moment. I think that’s why I’m not afraid to try new things or to do what I want to do.

There are many ties to family and friends, aren’t there? Even so, you have to live for yourself, not for others. When I think about which of the two I will not regret when I die, I think I will be glad that I did what I wanted to do even if I failed.

I think it’s okay to make mistakes through trial and error. There are things that come to light when you try. Giving up is the biggest error, isn’t it? Once you get to that point, everything is over. For example, if you quit this because you want to do that, it’s okay if there is something beyond giving up. If you give up because it’s too hard or because you don’t want to continue, the story ends there.

What advice would you give to people who are just starting out in business?

It’s cool to have a business all to yourself, and it’s a dream. However, I think it’s better not to be too overwhelmed from the start. If you don’t take it slow and go step by step, it will be hard on you and you will end up quitting. I think it’s okay to work without being overwhelmed at first, and then gradually grow from there. It is important to keep working for a long time.

Thank you very much.

EDITOR’S COMMENT

It’s not just talent, it’s your enthusiasm and love for what you do that makes the results come through. Miyuki has been able to achieve her goals and realize her dreams by focusing her energy and concentration on what she loves and what inspires her without hesitation. As we get older, we seem to have more and more hesitations, but I realized once again that it is important to value our own feelings first, no matter what.

It is never easy to continue things for a long time. Nevertheless, ERD SOAP has continued to produce with the belief of providing good products without compromise, and I am sure that the company will continue to gain many fans in Japan, Canada, and other countries. I would like to continue to support Miyuki’s desire to let as many people as possible know about her great products.

It is a perfect gift for the Christmas season.

ERD SOAP Website：　http://erdsoap.com/ca/