Author: Sara

I am so excited to have the opportunity and privilege of introducing you to a very special big girl.  This is Mary, and she is the Vice President of Marketing and Product Development here at Sara’s Soaps ‘n Such.

Help me pay for college. Buy soap!

She’s also the Chief Operating Officer of Girly Arts Made by ME, a line of products Designed by an elementary school girl for elementary school girls ™.  Mary is the mastermind behind Sun on the Go, and is the creator and designer of Victorian Heart Soaps.  She’s so talented and so creative!  I’m fortunate to have her on my team.  Her boundless determination and enthusiasm are infectious; nothing is not-doable in her world.

When she’s not designing and creating new products, Mary is either tearing down the soccer field, designing and sewing clothes for her doll, or reading.  She loves mysteries and, as is typical for most young ladies, girly novels.  Currently, the Harry Potter series has completely engaged her.  In the summer, Mary spends a lot of her time at the beach, playing with her sister and boogie boarding with whoever she meets there.

You are going to have the opportunity to get to know Mary better through her writing.  Starting next week, Mary will be contributing to this blog at least a couple of times a month in a feature called “Mary’s Thoughts.”  She’s going to be telling you all about the new products she has in the works, as well as give you glimpses into the things she learns and discovers in her everyday life that will impact how she serves her customers.  Her first article will post on Monday, 20 January, so be sure to keep an eye out for it.

This past weekend wasn’t a weekend for creating great new soaps, but instead, for replenishing out-of-stock wares.  After the beating my rack took between holiday sales and filling my private label accounts, my soap rack is looking very bare.  Well, it was, anyway.  Take a quick peek at some of the offerings that are soon to be available again.

That lovely natural-colored soap on the left is a fresh batch of Lemongrass Sage Beer Soap, one of the newest offerings from Sara’s Soaps ‘n Such.  This divinely wonderful soap has a luxurious lather, a clean spa scent and moisturizes your skin like nobody’s business.  Its rougher looking companion there is the beginning of a new soap concept, courtesy of my mother-in-law, Mary Ann.  Each of those bars has a kickin’ lather (seriously, the bubbles rose FOUR INCHES above the top of my soap pot!) and the silkiest feel I’ve felt in ages.  They’re scented with Purple Sandalwood, an exotically earthy fragrance.  And the new concept?  Stay tuned! 🙂

What soaps would you love to see me offer this year?  Any particular liquids or scents?

Break is over and it’s back to the grind for us.  Oh, but was it hard!  We got started a day later than previously expected, because we had the opportunity to go see “Frozen” (highly recommend it!) yesterday.  This morning the temperatures were – I swear – the CoLdEsT here in recorded history.  Suffice it to say, cocooned under the covers with a 12-pound furry space heater beside me, and I didn’t want to get up at all!

But get up we all did at long and at last.  As my fuzzy slipper-clad feet hit the floor of the lower level, a new excitement stole over me, and that excitement has continued to grow throughout the day.  Following 2013’s series of business disappointments that I lay completely at the feet of the economy catching up with everyone, it would be so easy for me to be discouraged, to quit, to liquidate my business and call it a day.  But I’m no quitter!

I usually have a strong sense of how business will roll through the year, or, more importantly, how I’m going to roll with my business, and this year is no different.  I’m starting the year with better boundaries on myself.  I’m going to lower some of my walls to enable others to help me when I need it, as well as ask for help when I need it.  (Hey, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto, right?)  Another thing I’m doing with intention is put boundaries on myself.  I have to discipline myself better in order to grow my business, and I’m starting with this week’s Indie Beauty Network’s Success Call.  I have to give up an hour or two of TV to take part, and unfortunately, in doing so, I’ll have to give up my best friend’s and my weekly tradition of watching our favorite Tuesday night shows together virtually, but it’s not every week.  It’s not like I can’t catch the shows in reruns or online, too.

While I don’t think 2014 will be MY YEAR (I’d seriously make that blink if I could), I feel strongly that the steps and action plans I’m going to put into effect this year will provide an incredible foundation for next year to be MY YEAR.  I feel like I’m gearing up for absolutely amazing things to happen, and how exciting it will be to have you along for the ride!

Is 2014 going to be your year?  Or is this year simply the start of something grand for you?

Mary, head of Girly Arts Made by ME, made these lovely Victorian heart soaps.  I just LOVE the colors, don’t you?  White and red are perfect for you traditionalists out there, while the black soaps make lovely additions for those who prefer a more Goth or Steampunk look.

Mary’s next step will be to give each heart a bit of mica embellishment, highlighting the raised motif with a light dusting of red, pink, green, gold and/or bronze sparkle.  They’re going to look sooo pretty when she’s done!  These soaps bear a light, delightful rose fragrance and would look absolutely lovely in your powder room or bathroom.

I’ll be featuring more “loving” delights in the weeks to come, so keep watching.  What types of treats would you like to receive for Valentine’s Day?  (This goes for both men and women.)

Drama Llama soap (Photo credit: Sara’s Soaps)

I am coming off a tremendous mixed bag of a holiday selling season.  My shows were slower than usual, but my seasonal online sales were smokin’!  I’m grateful for every dollar I earned.  I want to start this new year right by helping people realize how much small businesses help their local communities.

I sell soaps and body products.  From there, I portion out a percentage of my sales for my own pay.  I use that money to go shopping for my family and for gifts for people.  I pay local taxes out of that money.  Then I may meet a friend for coffee at our local coffee shop.  I buy cupcakes for my daughters’ birthdays from the local indie bakery.  I’ll pick up some locally grown produce for my family’s dinner.  My girls and I get haircuts.  These people have to pay local taxes from what they earn, too.

All this money works together for our community.  Several local small businesses sponsor youth sports teams, something they wouldn’t be able to do without income themselves, and without that sponsorship, kids might have to go without uniforms for soccer, baseball/softball, football or cheerleading.  The money our town makes upkeeps our roads, improves our schools (which need all the help they can get!), draws movie and TV production companies to our area, and builds up our downtown area.  It’s a pretty awesome domino effect, all because a bunch of people decided to buy some soap.  When you “shop small,” 70% of that income stays in the local community.  This simply doesn’t happen with your big box stores selling products which are mass-produced overseas.

Buy local, support local.

We want to take a few moments to wish all our lovely followers, friends and customers a most joyful, prosperous and blessed New Year!  We look forward to serving you in the coming year with more of the great soaps and body products you’ve come to love, and maybe surprise you with some new treats throughout the year.

Warm wishes and much love from all of us here at Sara’s Soaps ‘n Such!

It’s a mess.  A colorful, jumbled mess.  It looks impossible, useless and worthless, but it’s not.  Well, right now it is, but just like any bag of yarn post-cat attack, my thoughts just need some patience and time for me to sort them out, strand by strand, color by color, fiber by fiber.

This is what my real yarn barf looked like

Business is slow this holiday season, and I know it’s not just mine.  My shows had lower results than in previous years.  My Black Friday through Cyber Monday sales were slower.  No, I’m not whining; it is what it is.  Black Friday sales nationwide in all retail markets were lower this year.  Colleagues are reporting lower sales in all markets, and I’m both seeing and hearing how small, independent businesses are struggling right now.  Knowing how much my family depends on my income, the economic slow-down is rather frustrating and discouraging.  After talking to a small business owner of whom I think highly this past Saturday and hearing her story, I thought, There’s a reason it’s called an economic depression.

Early Friday morning, my paternal grandpa died.  He was very old and had lived a rich, blessed life, ended by a good death with his wife of 67 years by his side.  It’s still hard to believe that I won’t see him at Christmas.  The travel home for the memorial service was a necessity, though I had work waiting for me when I came home.

My mind kept spinning with that incessant question many people face this time of year:  “How are we going to afford presents for everyone?”  Then some quiet time with my youngest daughter brought the answer to me:  We focus on Jesus as the real reason behind the season, and the rest will fall into place.  Now I’m not dreading buying gifts; I’m anticipating with excitement the celebrations and seeing my family.

Financial realities mean I won’t be able to afford to buy gifts for some very dear people in my circle.  In fact, my bestie and I agreed just to give each other cards, because I’m a total card person.  I had been dreading that conversation, but he and I are on the same page, so it’s all good.

Time is getting away from me to get presents made.  There are lessons to teach, a business to run, decorations to put out and a home to make company-ready.  Juggling all this stuff is hard, but my re-reading of Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend has shown me that I need to put boundaries on my own time, budgeting my 24 hours wisely each day.

If you’ve gotten this far in this article, thanks for hanging in there with me as I’ve attempted to untangle my internal yarn barf.  Support your local small business.  All of us small businesses rely on loyal customers to help us support our families and our local communities.

God hates cheating in the marketplace;
he loves it when business is aboveboard
Proverbs 11: 1, The Message

As a business owner who is a Christ follower, it’s important to me that our business practices and ethics reflect my beliefs.  What does this look like?

First, this means we’re open and honest in our product labeling.  Everything from the weight or volume on the front to the ingredients on the back is accurate to the best of our abilities.  (Sometimes, the listed weight might be less than what is actually there, but the FDA allows this.)  Our ingredients labels also reflect our commitment to honesty and full disclosure.  We list all our ingredients in our products, even those that may look “scary,” like “sodium hydroxide” or various preservatives.

Second, doing business with integrity means being honest about our products.  We sell soaps and cosmetics,  not drugs.  We won’t claim our products “heal” or “cure” or do anything else but get you clean, make you smell good and moisturize your skin.  The other thing we won’t do is say our products are all natural if they are not.  Our products are artisan-made, but we sometimes use fragrance oils and preservatives that prevent them from being 100% natural.  We’ll happily answer any questions about any of our ingredients.

Third, integrity means manufacturing safe products, even if it’s not “trendy.”  “All natural” is trendy, but all natural isn’t always safe.  We’d rather forsake the trend in lieu of providing safe products.  Bottom line, death from sepsis from an improperly made product is not trendy.  Sure, we have all natural products, but we formulate those products to be completely safe, just as we do for our not all natural products.  We’re open about which of our products fall into each category, and we will point you towards the products you’re seeking.

How do you live out your faith in your business life?  What does that look like?

Another conversation with my best friend led to today’s post.  He’s so inspiring!  Anyway…  What do you consider a luxury for you?

Today was the book fair at his daughter’s school, and, predictably so, she had a list.  I know how much Dad and daughter both love books, and I remember book fairs when I was in school.  It was a bibliophile’s paradise!  Her mom had likely told her “No” to a request for books, considering them “luxuries,” and further conversation revealed that she likely considers reading at all a “luxury,” even with such delights as free e-books and these great places called libraries.

Some of my favorite books.  Love me some Fitzgerald!

For me, too, books are a luxury.  However, reading is a necessity.  (When we moved, the first thing I located was the closest public library.  Grocery store, pharmacy and government offices were secondary.)  There’s not just the buying of books, but there’s also storing them.  Then, eventually, I’d have to move them.  That seems like a lot of trouble.  At the same time, I’ll be the first to admit that my love of books would keep me from taking a vow of poverty.

I will only buy books, though, if I feel that they will enrich and enhance my life in a significant way.  I’ll buy books on being a better business person or books that will teach me something new, but I’ll borrow chick lit and classics.  I have boxes of books on business, theology, soapmaking and responsible financials.  These are all things that are important to me.

Are these books my only luxury, though?  No.  Artisan-made soap also is a luxury for me.  (Thank goodness I know how to make my own!)  Just as I can’t imagine living life without a source of reading material, I also can’t imagine tormenting my skin with synthetic detergent bars like I used to.  These are little things, but they make life more enjoyable to me.

What luxuries can you not live without on a daily basis?

Wheatberry refers to the entire kernel of wheat except for the hull (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was talking with my best friend yesterday, and as we discussed things going on in his life, he said, “I know there’s a rock and a hard place, and I’m right in between them.”

It came to me in a flash, and I said, “When wheat berries are between a rock and hard place, they become flour.  You can’t do a whole lot with wheat berries, but you can do a whole lot with flour.”

He shot back, “But it’s a painful process.”

Five years ago, I wrote about how soap becomes, so we also become.  In talking to Bobby, I remembered this.  Gentle oils get brutalized chemically to create lovely, skin-nourishing soaps.  At the same time, the lye itself loses part of its core chemical identity (its highly basic pH) in the presence of the oils.  The reaction produces heat – a significant amount of it.  It’s a vicious process.

Being between a rock and a hard place is also vicious and, as Bobby said, painful.  It’s a change, and once we make that change, allow our circumstances to change us, we then have the potential to be transformed into something new and even more useful.  Once we make that change, though, we can never go back to the way we were.  My soaps can never go back to being water, oils, lye and fragrances, just like flour cannot become wheat berries ever again.

In summary, life happens, sometimes good, sometimes bad.  These life events often change us, and we can choose for ourselves if we’re going to use our new selves to be useful and good, or if we’re just going to whine and complain that we’ll never again be the way we once were.

What changes have happened to you in your life?  How did those changes make you a better person?