All photos c/o Megan & Good as Gold.
I am so impressed and intrigued by entrepreneurs. I think it’s the coolest thing in the world when someone has an idea and decides to go after it! Recently I’ve been noticing so many small businesses from Toronto through social media, and I want to learn more about how they make things happen.
I came across Good as Gold Natural Goods on Instagram. Once I realized the brand’s founder is related to a friend of mine, I was so excited to reach out and pick her brain! Megan oh-so-kindly agreed to meet me for coffee and discuss all things Good as Gold. I loved our conversation (thanks again, Megan!) and of course made the weirdest notes in the world. It’s been hilarious trying to sort through them. I was just way too into our chat!
Without further ado…
Meet Megan.
Name: Megan Robinson
Age: 27
Job(s): Owner, Good as Gold Natural Goods and National TV Sports Anchor
Education background: Ryerson University, Radio and Television Arts
Top 3 skin products: Good as Gold Peppermint Lip Balm, Organic Rose Hip Seed Oil, All-Naturals African Black Soap Facial Cleanser (another Toronto brand!)
Favourite Toronto restaurant: (This is very hard because I love to eat) Currently, Wilbur – a casual Mexican joint with the best street corn in town
Favourite kind of dog (here at The Clydescope, we [me] are very into dogs): Miniature Dachshunds (our family dog’s name is Murphy) and Sheep Dogs
Believe me, she’s just as cool as she seems. (She also loves brackets as much as I do…fits right into The Clydescope!)
Let’s talk Good as Gold.
Megan started Good as Gold Natural Goods about 7 months ago, and while she still rocks a kick-ass day job, this is so much more than a side project.
GaG (as we’ll now refer to the brand) began when Megan decided to pay attention to what’s on her skin…this led to a purge of 75% of her store-bought beauty products (side note: someone give me this kind of will power when cleaning…). With the nasty chemicals in the garbage, Megan set about her first task of creating an all-natural deodorant. It’s so cool to hear how this has progressed- from cream in a jar, to stick formula- all by trial-and-error and test subjects (aka friends and family). If the smelliest of guys can wear it and not be shunned by society, Megan must be doing something right.
Megan seems to just get skincare. As mentioned above, she works in television…that means she has pounds of makeup on her skin while at work. I totally understand her desire to have the simplest skincare routine at home. She swears by rose hip seed oil to break up her makeup, and then follows up with a cleanser and a homemade night cream (because duh). Her skin was basically perfect in person…I need to start drinking the Kool Aid…
One of my favourite parts of GaG is that everything is vegan and is made in small batches at home in Megan’s kitchen. It makes the brand feel homey (which it is) and reassures you that only natural ingredients are being used. Also, Megan makes the GaG Clarifying Rice Facial Exfoliator by grinding rice by hand, and does the same for the salt in her salt-based body scrubs. Talk about a badass arm workout.
Megan SUPER generously gifted me a few of her best-selling products to try: the Clarifying Rice Facial Exfoliator, the #2 Loo Spray, and the not-yet-for-sale Peppermint Lip Balm. Keep an eye out for a product review over the next few weeks!
I can tell you that I’m already obsessed with the lip balm…it’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a lip product. BLESS.
According to Megan, “it’s all about the mindset.” She gets that she can’t please everyone, and that she has to do what’s good for the brand. GaG may not take up 100% of her time, but it is 100% of her self. Megan’s into yoga (obviously, as if she wasn’t hip enough) and says it’s all interconnected. She wants to be aware of her body, the products she uses, and what is best for GaG.
The key quote from our chat: “I am not my job”. Clearly she is so much more than that.
Megan is a straight up Girl Boss.
Seriously. I just met this gal last week, and I think she’s the coolest. She created this brand out of thin air just because she could. She found a passion for living a healthy lifestyle and being conscious of what goes in and on her body. She saw something that she wanted and needed- natural skincare- and thought “hey. I could do that.”
So she did.
And that is SO awesome.
I asked Megan how she balances work, life, entrepreneurship, etc…she said she treats them as wearing different hats. She makes all GaG products at home, but has a set of kitchen tools designated just for the company (sanitary! bonus!). She completely sanitizes her kitchen and self before creating, and doesn’t allow anyone near the workspace while she’s creating. That added commitment to her brand integrity is so admirable.
So…what’s next for Good as Gold? Megan says the lip balm (coming soon!) is going to be a “game changer.” I can already say that I’ll be ordering plenty once they’re released…my sample will be gone in a heartbeat! Otherwise, there’s no end goal in sight. Megan is just “riding the wave” of her already super successful business. She’s soon enrolling in an aromatherapy course so she can be even more knowledgable about her products…SO cool, right? Otherwise, keep an eye out for GaG at local flea markets in the Toronto area.
When I asked “why Good as Gold?”, I loved Megan’s answer. She covered the 2014 Olympics and was given a necklace that said- you guessed it- “good as gold.” While it did just kind of stick, it’s the idea of what gold stands for that suits GaG. Gold is considered valuable, and represents being the best. I can honestly say that Good as Gold is one of the best simple beauty brands that I’ve ever tried, and it’s inspired me to only put the best on my skin.
Thank you to Megan for the amazing chat, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Good as Gold!