From One Crockpot to a Closed-Loop Soap Company: Alyssa Cherry on Starting Small, Staying Scrappy, and Building Fillaree
Alyssa Cherry did not grow up with one clear dream mapped out in front of her. What she did have was a belief that the world could be better—and that ordinary people could do something to help make it that way. That belief became personal when Alyssa started paying closer attention to her own family's waste. She composted. She carried reusable bottles. She looked for ways to use less and throw away less. Then one question kept bothering her: why couldn't she simply refill the cleaning products she already owned instead of constantly buying another container? A trip to California changed everything. There, Alyssa walked into a refill store and saw the idea she had been imagining brought to life. The next day, she saw another refill setup at a farmers market. She turned to her mom and sister and asked whether she could go back to North Carolina, teach herself how to make liquid soap, and start a refill company. Then she did the work. With a library book, a YouTube video, a thrift-store Crockpot, and a lot of persistence, Alyssa began experimenting. Her first batch failed. So did many after that. It took 85 tries before she made a clear, consistent batch she felt confident selling. More than a decade later, Fillaree has grown from one Crockpot to large production tanks, a small team, dozens of retail partners across the country, a Durham storefront, and a partnership providing amenities to the Inn at the Biltmore Estate. But Alyssa's story is not about overnight success. It is about organic growth, small wins, learning as you go, listening to your intuition, and doing what you can with what you have. For any woman waiting until she has the entire roadmap before beginning, Alyssa offers another way forward: figure out the first few steps, take them, and let the next ones reveal themselves along the way. Key Discussion Points • 01:44 — Alyssa shares that she did not grow up with one specific career dream and describes herself as an idealist who believed the world could be made better. • 02:20 — She explains how that idealism became part of the foundation of Fillaree and her desire to build a cleaner, better business. • 03:12 — Alyssa reflects on how slowly the company grew and how surprising it is to look back at what it has become. • 04:16 — She describes beginning with her own household waste by composting, using reusable bottles, and reducing disposable products. • 05:09 — Alyssa explains the frustration that made her wish there were places where she could simply refill cleaning products instead of replacing containers. • 05:47 — She recalls walking into a refill store in California and seeing the idea she had been imagining exist in real life. • 06:13 — At a farmers market the next day, Alyssa sees another refill business and asks her mom and sister if she could teach herself to make liquid soap and start a company. • 06:52 — Alyssa describes learning how to make soap through a library book and one YouTube video. • 07:12 — On December 31, 2013, she makes her first batch of liquid soap in a thrift-store Crockpot. • 07:26 — Alyssa explains that it took 85 attempts before she created a clear, consistent batch she felt good enough to sell. • 08:04 — She shares how determined she became to make the soap work, regardless of whether it ever became a business. • 09:06 — Alyssa describes Fillaree's growth from home production and Crockpots to a larger facility, a small team, and larger production tanks. • 10:34 — She explains Fillaree's closed-loop refill model and how empty refill packaging is returned, washed, sanitized, and reused. • 12:15 — Alyssa discusses the company's partnership with the Inn at the Biltmore Estate and supplying amenities there. • 13:10 — She reflects on how building Fillaree has fulfilled her personally and taught her many aspects of running a business. • 14:03 — Alyssa talks about the value of small business and the relationships Fillaree has built within its community. • 14:52 — She identifies being able to pay herself for the first time as one of her biggest milestones. • 16:13 — Alyssa explains how intuition has helped guide her decisions in business. • 17:05 — She talks about gaining confidence after surviving the challenges of the pandemic and building a strong team. • 18:12 — Alyssa discusses the difficulty of hiring, managing people, and learning to set stronger boundaries. • 19:09 — She shares the self-talk she uses on hard days: "I can do it all. I can do it all." • 20:13 — Alyssa remembers worrying that nobody would come to the storefront and how she kept showing up even after very slow days. • 21:01 — She credits her husband as one of her biggest sources of support and inspiration. • 21:58 — Alyssa gives practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: understand your market, know how the business will make money, and focus on the first few steps instead of the next 400. • 24:13 — She talks about starting the business while raising two young children and how that reality shaped the way Fillaree operates. • 25:49 — Alyssa shares the phrase "es lo que hay"—"it is what it is"—and how it reflects her approach to solving problems with the resources available. • 27:38 — She explains how laying a little groundwork and accumulating small wins can make fear feel more manageable. • 28:54 — Alyssa explains how customers can purchase Fillaree products, subscribe for refills, visit the Durham storefront, or work with the company as a wholesale partner. Notable Quotes "We can make the world a better place. We can make the world a cleaner place. We can use better products, all of that. We can build a better business." "I will make liquid soap out of this Crockpot." "I needed to have help before I needed to have money." "I can do it all. I can do it all." "You can do what you can do with less, and then that just makes it so much more profound when you end up getting to the next level." "Those little things growing organically and slowly will give you the confidence that you need to have those fears." Takeaways • You do not need to begin with a perfectly defined lifelong dream. Alyssa's path grew from her values, curiosity, and willingness to act on a problem she cared about. • Repeated failure can be part of the beginning. Alyssa made 85 batches before she created a product she felt ready to sell. • Starting small can protect the dream while it grows. Fillaree expanded gradually rather than taking on more risk than Alyssa was comfortable carrying. • Small wins matter. Learning to make the soap, getting into a farmers market, hiring the first employee, and eventually paying herself each became steps toward something larger. • Intuition can become stronger with experience. Alyssa credits listening to her gut with helping her make better decisions over time. • A business can reflect the life of the person building it. Motherhood became woven into Fillaree's culture rather than treated as something that had to be hidden from the work. • Fear can become quieter when you build evidence that you are capable. Preparation, momentum, and small successes gave Alyssa confidence to keep moving. Connect with Guest Website: https://fillaree.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fillaree/ @fillaree Email: alyssa@fillaree.com Connect with Us Follow April Kemp on Instagram: @fanaticaldreamher Stay updated on new episodes: https://www.fanaticaldreamher.com/ April's email: april@fanaticaldreamher.com Join the DreamHer Community Subscribe, share, and leave us a review if this episode inspired you. Don't forget to tag us using #FanaticalDreamHer and share your favorite takeaway from today's conversation. Featured Music The official Fanatical DreamHer theme song, "Dream Her," is featured as the opening and closing music for this podcast. Performed by: Mandy Rose Wolf Lyrics & Music: Betsy Hammer, Susan Sheridan, and Larry Treadwell Publishing: Hammertime Music (ASCAP) / Boomers Mothers Music (BMI) / Simple Roger Music (BMI) Copyright © 2026. All Rights Reserved. For licensing requests, contact Betsy Hammer: (310) 650-5111 | betsyhammermusic@gmail.com
