Wild Ass Soap

What started as a health-conscious side hustle has become a full-fledged operation through hard work, great products, and meaningful relationships.

I met Justin Harris online during the 2024 presidential campaign. He liked one of my video essays and made some online comments about the battles he and his company were facing as a small business in America. We exchanged a lot of our frustrations with the current political climate around business, but also found that we were both Gen X -kids-grown-up who wanted to see America return to a sane place, where small business was the true engine of a reinvisioned American. I immediately ordered a bunch of soap and products from him, because I do really believe that the best way we are going to restore our country is to make sure that the people who are trying are rewarded for their efforts. Justin and his family are from Nebraska, and he and his wife are 4th & 5th generation Nebraskans who “desire to go back to both our family’s heritages of farming and ranching for a healthier and simpler life, even if it’s on a very small scale.”

In an America increasingly conscious about health, Justin and his family have created a product that meets the moment. They “are passionate about advocating for animal agriculture by producing a healthy product line that employs healthy animal fat byproducts from regional food systems.”

It is nearly impossible to argue that the crony capitalist, coercive version of the cosmetic industry has become more of a chemical soup than anything else. When Justin and I spoke online, you could tell he was eager to see something different from the current version of American business — particularly in the stuff we put directly on our skin. It became evident in our conversations that the battle to sell a great product in the United States takes more than just doing something well. The system is designed to prop up the biggest and most capital-intensive companies. Justin and his family believe that making something healthy shouldn’t have to compromise their values, but in the country we currently live in, it takes moral fortitude not to succumb to the temptations of cutting corners.

Justin and Kaylynn, his wife, talk about their passion for this business on their website:

“We believe in the spirit and drive of local businesses and their relationships with their customers and communities. It gives us an enormous sense of pride to bring amazing products to customers right here in our own communities in southwest Nebraska. We love the fact that we are creating opportunities for our future generations and strengthening our local economies so that our small rural communities continue to prosper for future generations.”

One of our bonding points was that they have four children. I immediately resonated with the struggles of being a dad, trying to run a business, and keeping food on the table. I often wonder how many people actually understand the hard work it takes to operate a small business. There are troubles nearly every minute of the day. If it isn’t in the actual product, it might be in keeping up with the paperwork or paying the taxes. Toss in the oddities of bank accounts being hacked or credit cards being stolen, or a bureaucrat critiquing your label for “health and safety,” and you could quickly add up the time it takes into months and years that are spent dealing with the noise of the business rather than working on it.

Justin’s story deeply connects with me. I know the realities of being a father, running a business, and all the other side hustles it takes to pay for kids’ activities or a Christmas gift. The stories of the people, who I think are on the uptick, have a lot in common with one another. No one is afraid of work. Everyone believes that their products make a difference in the world, and that they can try to demonstrate why what they do is worth the hard-earned money of someone else. I love that deep-seated belief in themselves. It comes from a place so many struggle to find, or worse, has been buried before it ever got traction in their hearts, because they see the world as too troubled for any opportunity at success.

I love that his two oldest sons are key to the operation. Wyatt and Lane are cut straight from the quintessential Nebraska cloth. They look the part of farmers and ranchers, and they are learning from their father how to build something. How incredible is that?

Wyatt and Lane - Photos by ADH Photography

Justin and Kaylynn have two other children, a daughter and a younger son. Their youngest has Down Syndrome, and learning that about their family added to my respect for their family, their hearts, and their business adventures. It takes so much to make something great, and Justin and Kaylynn are succeeding despite the obstacles in their path. I love that they see the family and their life in Nebraska as the peak of the living experience. They see what farming and ranching have meant to the previous generations, and they still see value in it. When so many others have decided to bow to the consolidation that has happened in American business and agriculture, the Harris family has made their stake in the ground that there is still another way, a way deeply wrapped in the ideals of person-to-person capitalism and the American ethos.

On a side note, On The Uptick does not do any of this as an advertisement. We tell these stories because, in so many cases, the race the small-business person is running needs all the advantages it can get. The stories behind these amazing people are what matter. I happen to love Wild Ass Soap. I think what they offer is better than any others I have tried, but it’s not an advertisement. These articles are written to celebrate the people and their efforts. I do hope our readers support these businesses, makers, and artists. They deserve it. But more than anything, I hope the people whom we highlight have an afternoon of joy as they read about our feelings about their adventures. Small business is brutal. So, when someone is doing something great, we should all leap from our chairs and applaud.

One final thought on the Harris family. I have four sons. It has taken all of my wife's and my energy to raise them and help them be good people in an ever-corrupting world. When someone is raising their kids to be a part of the American experiment, it stands out in an increasingly self-absorbed culture. Wild Ass Soap is a true family business. It takes all of them to lift this ship, and it is clear they are doing it together. This is the great stuff of America, and we should celebrate it.

If you want to learn more or support their business, head over to their website. I think there’s still time for orders before Christmas.

Wild Ass Soap