揮別窮忙紅綠番茄園 小農在冷製皂的世界開啟絢爛生涯∣一步一腳印【破釜沉舟夫妻手工皂】20260628

Full episode:    • 撐起家園韌性芒果媽/為下一代定存大自然/科技校長的幸福使命∣一步一腳印【完整版】20...   "Christmas used to be our busiest time of year... The outside world was all red and green, but our red and green was in the tomato garden." "For ten years, I convinced myself and the children that we didn't need those rituals, but it wasn't until we stopped growing cherry tomatoes that I realized I was still just like any other family, caring deeply and hoping for a vacation so the whole family could celebrate together!" When his wife said these words, Zhuang Youren, a seventh-grader, always felt a pang of sadness. Ten years ago, he and his wife returned to their hometown to grow cherry tomatoes. They worked harder and persevered than anyone else, successfully growing tomatoes every year and cultivating a loyal customer base. But since their two children were born, they found that their tomato garden was becoming less and less profitable year after year… There were many aspects to their failure, but the cruel reality was that they simply didn't have the capital to continue. Firstly, finances had become a heavy burden, and secondly, the couple genuinely couldn't bear to see their children suffer any longer. It's hard to imagine that a family of four's annual wish is to go shopping at Costco together on a weekend, something they can never achieve in their daily lives! So when they stumbled upon handmade cold process soap, and after doing their research and discovering its market potential, Zhuang Youren resolutely set a stop-loss order and plunged headlong into the experimental world of cold process soap making! "Actually, I found that I'm quite suited to being confined to a space for manufacturing." Whether it's growing cherry tomatoes in a greenhouse or producing a batch of satisfactory handmade soaps in a studio, for Zhuang Youren, a Capricorn who pays attention to every detail and is pragmatic, cold process soap making is simply another window that fate has opened for him. The barrier to entry for handmade soap can be said to be both high and low, because most consumers still think of it as a craft experience for neighborhood moms in their spare time. However, Zhuang Youren explains that a good cold process soap is crucial in every step, from fragrance blending, the mixing of oils and lye, to the subsequent insulation and saponification process. In fact, the concept is quite similar to baking. I remember the first year he was learning to make soap while growing cherry tomatoes. A friend, skeptical, once gave him a wake-up call: "Both are starting a business, but no matter how good your greenhouse is, agriculture always has a higher competitive advantage!" This experience made him even more determined. Once he decided to do it, he had to be relentless. Even after three years of countless failed attempts, he persevered, experimenting and learning until he finally created the soaps he considered presentable and suitable for department store displays. However, the process of selling soap wasn't all hardship. He said that initially, because of his experience growing and selling cherry tomatoes, he mainly sold to regular customers and friends and family. When he realized the repurchase rate was too slow, and after two or three months his revenue was only a few thousand yuan, it was too late… Fortunately, both he and his wife were determined. They worked steadily and didn't falter, and finally, they slowly built a reputation for quality. But Zhuang Youren says he's not complacent. For him, cold-process soap making isn't manufacturing, but a business like food processing—a matter of professional dedication and a commitment to integrity where stagnation means regression! 【Step by Step, Discover New Taiwan】Host: Qian Liru TVBS Channel 55, Sundays at 22:00 (Premiere) YouTube Channel, Mondays at 22:00 (Airing) ✔ Stay tuned to 【Step by Step】Subscribe to the official channel➔https://bit.ly/2GEBQr7 ●Official Facebook Fan Page:   / tvbsnewtaiwan   ●TVBS Website: http://www.tvbs.com.tw/ ●TVBS News Network: http://news.tvbs.com.tw/ ●TVBS Selected Channel: https://bit.ly/2YhwDAj #SubscribeNow #TurnOnNotificationsToFollowLatestVideos #ScrollUpAndDownToSeeMore