Maker of the Month: The Sud Sister
Alex of
The Sud
Sister creates sustainable and plastic-free soap, candles, and
more with "earthy" ingredients. Her products focus on natural
ingredients such as clays and essential oils. Alex sells thrifty finds alongside her
bath and beauty prorducts, on top of working as an accountant and being a mother to
4 children. Meet Alex!
How long have you been
making soap/candles, and what led you to start your own business?
The inspiration to start making soaps and
candles began in 2012 when I visited a little rustic shop called The Seven Sisters
Soap Co in the historic little town of Columbia, CA. When I say it's a historic
little town, I mean it! Everyone in the shop is dressedhead to toe in old-fashioned
outfits like in Little House on the Prairie. I was always inspired by the hanging
beeswax taper candles and the fresh scent of natural soap when you walk in and it
motivated me to learn the old fashion craft of soap and candlemaking, which led me
to start my business in 2015.
What sets
The Sud Sister apart - what makes your small business
unique?
What sets The Sud Sister apart is
how committed I am to being plastic free. I spent one year converting my entire shop
to be plastic free by swapping out items that were plastic for an alternative item
that could be reused or recycled. One of the best plastic free swaps was changing my
very cute plastic poly mailer bags to kraft bags, and my clear tape to kraft tape.
Best decision ever.
Another thing that sets
me apart is that I am very devoted to using the best ingredients in my soaps and
candles but also making sure my products stay affordable. My solution to that is
offering soaps and candles in different shapes and sizes to make it easier for the
consumer to buy a great quality handmade product without going out of their budget.
For example I offer soaps in full size (5oz), rounds (4oz), half size bars (2.5oz),
and samples (1oz) all ranging from $2-$9!
Where do
you find inspiration?
Not to sound cliche,
but I would consider nature one of my favorite muses. A normal person goes to the
beach and says this is relaxing, and then maybe goes for a walk on the beach or gets
in the water. But me, a soap maker, thinks more like “ooh this sand would
make a great exfoliant in soap” or “I love the way the kelp and
the sea air smells, that would probably be a good soap scent” or
“I love the blue green colors of the waves, that would be a nice color for
soap” This happens to me all the time. I really hope I’m not the
only one!
Bramble Berry is also a huge
inspiration for me! *insert hugs* The Soap Queen articles guided me through every
recipe, troubleshooting, and question I had. I’ve always said I am a self
taught soap maker, but what I mean by that is I didn't have someone there physically
teaching me. I had to learn it all from you guys. I'm up there with the
intermediate/advanced soapers thanks to the Soap Queen articles.
Sustainability is a key part of your business model and
mission; can you tell us what sustainability means to you and why it’s so
important?
Sustainability in my shop is
important because it pains me to see how much humans have damaged the earth. I don't
want to be part of why there's so much plastic in the sea, or why forests are
disappearing. I want to be part of the
solution.
My tagline is “made with
earthy ingredients”. And it's a tagline I take very seriously. A lot of my
ingredients come from the earth and in return I try to make sure that most of my
ingredients are sourced locally, come in glass containers/bought in bulk, or support
communities through fair trade. My mission is to create a product that is not going
to take away resources or harm the earth in any way.
What has been your biggest challenge to
navigate as a small business owner?
My
biggest challenge being a small business owner is adjusting to the highs and lows of
when orders come in. I’ve noticed that Christmas time is a high, summer is
a low, and then things start to pick back up around fall. After a few years of
noticing this pattern, I have tried my best to advertise and do my own marketing
during the low order season. Putting myself out there and convincing others that my
products are great has always been a little hard for me but honestly, it works!
What
advice would you give to makers looking to start their own business from
home?
Do it! I started this business with a
baby on my hip. I had a lot of support from my husband and family, I reached out to
friends who had their own small businesses and researched everything I could about
small businesses on Google. I would also advise not to worry about having a physical
store just yet, make that your 5-10 year plan. Start out small with market pop ups
or Etsy. I’m here for anyone who wants to reach out with questions.
How do you balance content
creation, managing your social media pages, and website?
It's taken me a few years to develop a
good routine, but this year I really feel balanced when it comes to managing my shop
and all that comes with it!
On weekends, I film and take pictures for my Instagram and TikTok for the week. After I get my kids to sleep, I put all my social media content together and schedule them in for the upcoming week. I am grateful to be able to work remote as an accountant, and when things are slow at work, I will sometimes take pictures of my products and update my website. That is my balance.
With 4 kids this sounds
like a lot, but without this routine I wouldn't get much done. I'm so thankful to
also have help from my husband and parents who will take them out to the park or ice
cream while I get some work done. It truly takes a village!
What other
makers do you admire, and what do you like about their
work?
Ashley Marie Soaps is a soap maker
I admire. Her soaps always turn out so beautiful and she had guided me on a few
things, like water discount which I was always scared to do. She is sweet and was so
kind to help me when I would reach out with
questions.
Clover Soap Works is another inspiration! I’ve been making natural soaps for so long, but Nathan has inspired me to work more with colors and high-quality fragrance oils! His soaps are always so vibrant and breathtaking (and he's so funny!).
Wouldn't Know ‘Em is a soap maker I've been following for a while and I just love her soaps and the little shed she has to make soap in!
And lastly, Amber and Oak. I love what she is doing with her business and her unique candle collections are always so dreamy!
What are your
dreams for The Sud Sister? Where would you like to see your business in 5 or 10
years?
I hope The Sud Sister will still be
open and creating earthy, skin-nourishing soaps. I no longer have dreams of having a
physical store but instead hope that one day I could have a little soap cottage on
my property to make all my soaps and candles. The little sheds at Home Depot would
be a perfect place for that and I’ll keep manifesting them until I get
one!
What are
three of your must-have Bramble Berry products, and why do you love
them?
Earthy scents are my favorites! Nag Champa Fragrance Oil
is one of my favorite scents from Bramble Berry, and Olive Wood and Cypress Fragrance
Oil is a close second. I also love all the essential
oils I've ever bought from Brambleberry. They all smell so good! And of
course, the natural clays. Rose Clay and Bentonite Clay have been
the best clays I've tried.
Truly, I love all of Bramble Berry’s products and hope to invest in Bramble Berry’s tool collection like the Multi-Bar Cutter and White Stick Blender!
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