Bittersweet and the little soap company

She works hard for the money

Our shop is designed to help you release your burdens during your visit. Most of the time spent styling is formatted with that thought. I remember when I was a kid how I'd go into certain shops with my mom and there was a special vibe and aura. Those thoughts have stuck with me many years later, and I'm reminded of the creativity and uniqueness that went into building that mood. I like to think that our shop is molded after those thoughts. So when I spotted that outdoor entry rug it was love at first site!

During my book writing, I've been pondering some intense thoughts about my shop and the labor that goes into creating it. Some might think that a shop owner has an easy-peasy life. That little work is needed to make it thrive. My mind travels to manufacturing too. When Bittersweet was born and very much green and the owner as well, I thought that making a hundred bars of handmade soap was an incredible amount of soap to make. Now almost twenty-six years later I make twenty-thousand bars! No team is involved. Just one well-organized person that works hard for the money with huge passion and love for what she does. When I stop and think about that it boggles my mind, but in a great way. There isn't a day go by or night that I'm not grateful for the life that I've created. I also believe that this soap maker's life is guided and directed by the all-mighty. There is no earthly way that the operation of this business could be explained unless God had his hand in it. I give the glory to God, always. Not just for my business but my life of book writing and freedom. You recall that saying, there's always something to be grateful for. Well, it's true. I'm living proof of that and the American dream.

Those thoughts become even more intense when I make a home repair or improvement. The money that I earn as a soap maker is always split several ways and it takes an encouraging eye to recognize the significance that each and every dollar has been earned with hard work and perseverance. Most of the time being frugal is my thing. Then I'm what some would refer to as eccentric. I'm not sure how you can be both, but I believe that I am.  By the way, perseverance is one of my new favorite words now! I mentioned the word in my last post. Anticipation too. Simply because sometimes the waiting can be more fulfilling than the actual end. I've learned to appreciate waiting. It causes you to evaluate things and sometimes you'll find that you change your mind, and do not always yearn to have what you thought you wanted. Life is filled with moments of anticipation, and if you're lucky you develop perseverance. It has a learning curve. Speaking from experience. 

I love the olive embroidered dress! It's perfect in every dress design way!

I pin and tucked the entire store! We're ready for spring and we can easily slide into summer. White denim and chambray are on my favorite list this season. Pair with boat shoes or sneakers, and I'm ready for vacation and holding down the shop fort. 

We've had the linen tie pouches for a while. They are ideal for stashing a few bars and giving them as a gift. I'm going to add some simple tags and the dried flowers add the finishing touch. Little things. 

Madonna Lily & Rose. Smells amazing! Beautiful waves of pink. It's one of our favorites so far. 

We did take-out tonight and I made brownies. I'm getting ready to send Taste & Eat to the publisher! Yippee Hurray! Two books completed and anticipation fills my soul. This is an exception when I can't wait to hold both books in my hand! I'm hoping the cookbook will be available for Mother's day! 

This is my go-to brownie recipe. You can make icing if you want. They are sweet and gooey chocolate!

 

Keep the faith. 

Jill 

 

 

joyful heart

 

 

As we wind down this final full holiday week at the shop my mind focuses on the many blessings that surround me, all of which are centered around a joyful heart.

It's easy to get wrapped up and thrown off a soulful track during the holidays. I've done it many times over the years only to experience that same uneasy feeling that I get when I lose thought of the real reason for the Christmas season. My joyful heart has evolved with each year passing as I would imagine one's does, but I'm gracefully reminded of the joy as I service the customers that walk through my apothecary door. 

For instance, a customer arriving to pick up her basket of seventy bars of Bittersweet, and as I'm explaining to her how heavy the basket was, a gentleman walks around the corner and says, I will carry this out for you! The right time, the right place, nope...  That's not how it works! 

Possibly my joyful heart could be filled with glory from a picture that a customer shared when she came in yesterday. She had been in a week ago and purchased eczema oil. As she shared the picture of a before, her arm was inflamed and irritated and the eczema was running rapid. She pulled up her sleeve and showed me her arm after using the oil for one week. Her arm was almost completely healed! My gratitude explodes when a customer shares a story like this!

To think that some twenty-four, almost twenty-five, years ago a dream of building an apothecary business with a mere one-hundred dollars probably would not have seemed possible if I ever stopped to ponder. However, I never did. Ponder that is. Since that April day back in 1997, I've looked back on it all only to have my heart filled with joy. A type of joy that is surrounded in love, peace, and fulfillment. For this and many other things, I'm forever grateful.  

It's been a whirl wind of emotions this past year all of which dangle here and there, but my sense of joy and peace outshine them, always. For this I'm also grateful. 

There's a phrase in the book that I'm writing that really makes you stop and think. At least it does me. 

Faith is built on trust, and trust is cultivated by faith. 

Faith and trust lean on each other to create the perfect union, and one that can't be easily broken. 

As I stop and reflect upon that thought I'm reminded of just how lovely life can be. 

Peace be with you today and every day. 

Jill xo

Soap Maker Genes

This post is filled with nostalgia. I'm reminiscing about Bittersweet's beginnings, and middle.

We'll start with the beginning...

It's Christmas 1996 and a package arrives at my front door. I bring the brown wrapped package inside and set it on the table. I look at the label to see who had sent it and see that my Aunt Vivian was the sender. I tear open the top and open the box and as I open it, a soft aromatic bouquet fills the room. I unfold the tissue and carefully open it to reveal what' s inside. A note is attached and it reads: I made this goat milk soap in my kitchen and wanted you to enjoy its creamy lather and wonderful scent. I thought to myself this is the best gift I've ever received! My aunt Viv has always been a clever and crafty person! She's making soap! Wow! I must learn how to do this! All those thoughts and many more were present that day, and the seed was planted. 

Share your seeds...

I quickly began searching for any information that I could find about soap making. Keep in mind, this was 1996 and the Internet was pretty much useless. It was slow and somewhat obnoxious! I began searching for books at my local library only to discover one book that touched on the modern-day soap maker. I can still remember how excited it was to open the pages and gaze upon the soap recipes and authors' instruction on soap making. Mostly, I was passionately intrigued and fascinated that my aunt had made such a beautiful and useful gift. 

Soon after reading the book, my search began for collecting the soap making supplies and ingredients so that I could duplicate the silky bars that my aunt had sent me. 

I soulfully recall stirring the ingredients and pouring the mixture into shoe boxes and covering them with quilts and placing them under my bed. Now I'd have to wait for twenty-four hours to see if I had done everything correctly as you must allow the soap to saponify before cutting into bars. In my years, and there's been a few, I've never anticipated anything with such excitement! From that moment, and the moments in between, it felt as though I had found my calling! Those feelings traveled deep inside my soul and filled me with even more excited after I uncovered the shoebox to discover that I'd made my very own soap!

My life was transformed at that moment. 

My days of the bank manager and code enforcement were going to be a part of my past and my new life would be filled with amazing scents and herbs and tinctures and flowers and of course amazing soap! Oh wait a minute, I will need to make a living! 

That smells amazing!  

 

It doesn't seem so long ago when I was getting Patrick on the bus to go to school and once he was safely off to school I'd scurry to pack my wheeled suitcase with Bittersweets to travel over the hills to small boutiques and stores to sell my wares. The store owners were always hospitable and eager to see what I had to offer them. It was a completely different concept than what they were used to. Back then, and today even. store owners typically fill their stores with products that they discover at merchandising shows. These shows are usually hosted in a very large venue. Manufacturers and makers fill the arenas with their items and store owners or buyers shop for merchandise to stock their stores. 

My concept was unique in that I was the maker,  the sales rep, and the order filler. It was a one-woman show!  Considering back then there was no Internet, I knew that there needed to be a way to get the word out about my newly formed apothecary business if it were to be successful. My thought was, what better than a store owner able to meet and build a relationship with the actual person that was making the items they offered in their shop. Those thoughts blossomed and my business quickly grew.  My plan was successful. Isn't that always nice when a plan turns out to be a good one?

Each day I'd get Patrick off to kindergarten and pack my suitcase with Bittersweets. I'd map out a new town, store, and region even traveling out of state sometimes to gather more wholesale accounts. Soon I had a nice collection of wholesale accounts. 

In between being a maker and sales representative I'd do a few shows. I knew that the more Bittersweet was seen the more it would become a successful business. A business that I could rely on to feed my family and pay my bills. 

  During this time I recall how fast everything was! Quickly do this, that, have you, did you, should you? It was a lot for one person to take on, and I often asked myself if I was taking on too much?  It wasn't long before I realized that I was.  

Sales Reps...

During the fall of 1998, our town was hosting their festival and I decided to participate with a showing of Bittersweet.

It didn't take me long to realize that shows were not my cup of tea. The loading up of all the merchandise, the merchandising display, if it doesn't look good it's not going to sell! The packing and unpacking the rain, the heat, the well, you get it!

The show ran Friday through Sunday as they usually do. It was Sunday and I was excited about that! About mid-day, a woman walked by my booth and commented on how she loved the look and appearance of our products. We continued to chat and she asked me if I had sales reps for my products. I laughed and said, yes, you're looking at her! She chuckled and then asked if I'd be interested in hiring her to represent my line of products. You know how when someone just appears and asks you a question that you've thought about but have yet to act on it resembles a moment that's kind of trapped in time. That feeling of relief along with apprehension and anxiety. That feeling...

A few days past as I pondered her offer. It really didn't take much thought to know that I was needing to make some changes. Some call it instinct. That's what I call it, and let me tell you, always trust it, because it won't let you down!

My new sales rep was a speedy Gonzalez!  Orders were flying in and I was racing to make the inventory to fulfill the orders. 

Did you know that there are levels of business?

Each level will either take you below or above. I have always been eager to climb the latter, not ladder, and head high. In reality, what's the point of reaching for the stars if only to get within arm's length?

Not to mention Passion with a capital P! We'll come back to that, later.

The days of wholesale and sales reps were taking a toll on my psyche. Soap makers were beginning to mushroom here and there, everywhere. The Internet was new and improved. During this time it also became clear to me that I was no longer the happy soap maker I once was. 

There needed to be some changes...

 But what kind of changes? I had to dig deep into my soul to find the answer. To my surprise, the answer came quickly.  Who cares that there are three-hundred and fifty thousand soap makers in the Midwest? I'm one of the originators and my story goes back three generations! I love to make soap! Those soulful thoughts are imbedded deep within me and will never waver.! This I know to be true! Those tender thoughts lined the path and added structure to this new life I'd formed. It started to feel right! 

I'll branch out and not only be a soap maker but a maker of pure and natural skincare. I'll make this and that, and each stitch, bar, creme, hat, dress, or piece of jewelry will be intertwined and wrapped with goodness and love. I'll make the things that I want! I'll focus on the idea that quality is King and that each item will fulfill your wildest expectations. 

Yes, this is what I will do...

Keep the faith.

Jill 

 

 

 

Bittersweet Manifesto

Soon, very soon, the summer apothecary will be replaced with fresh fall lotion bars, dreamy tones of copper and browns. I'm pushing summer away and grabbing onto autumn. Mainly because it's so darn sultry and uncomfortable outdoors here in Missouri. My tolerance level widdles away bit by bit once the high heat and humidity arrive. 

I'm working on formulations for a New Lotion Bar. Well, I say I'm working... Don't hate me, but ever since I began mixing and creating body care products, soap, etc. over some two decades ago,  I really never had to experiment with recipes. Those formulations came naturally. How much of this, that, and so on just have never been part of the methodology. It has always felt quite familiar like I've done it before? That's part of the reason I have always loved it! However, the main motivation and the framework behind Bittersweet is you! Yes, I'm talking to you! Your stories about your skin conditions and issues that you've shared over the years are and have been an amazing inspiration!

For many years I've had strong beliefs that skincare products should be pure and chemical-free. I've also felt that when you unwrap a bar of soap or dip your finger in a cream you should be rest assured it's not only going to do what it claims but that it's safe to your skin.  Those words are Bittersweets manifesto or statement of belief. Everything that Bittersweet makes is structured around those thoughts. 

 

I am honored to deliver pure skincare products to you and your family. Thank you for allowing me to serve you. 

I just love our shop porch! If you've ever been to our brick and mortar you're familiar with it. If you haven't we welcome you to slow down and plant yourself in one of our rockers. 

One of my customer's son and his faithful companion. I was visiting with the owner of the Pie Shop when they mozied by. I couldn't resist capturing a shot. My camera was on a weird setting and giving me grief, but I managed to snap one. That dog is a natural! Wouldn't you agree?

This week marked the second week of fall soap production. The aroma of Pumpkin and Spice and everything nice is filling the soap studio. Apples and Pears top the notes.  The coming holiday season will be fast-paced as it is every season.  I'm in awe with the surge of new daily customers that happen into the shop! Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined we'd be where we're at today!

Wishing you the best. 

Keep the faith. 

Jill 

 

 

 

21

Bittersweet turned twenty - one in April. It seems surreal that my little business has been going for that long. I'd never imagined in my wildest of dreams that back in 1997, I'd still be making soap and sundries under the name Bittersweet. What's that saying? When you do what you love, it doesn't feel like work. That's true. 

I remember years ago when Bittersweet offered their wares wholesale and I hired sales reps with branding and selling. One of the reps told me that I was green. Today you'd think that meant, recycling and eating green, but back then it meant that I didn't know what I was doing! She was right, and through each trial and error. I've learned a lot. 

Significant in that learning is the fact that baby steps versus jumps will save you valuable time and money. Sometimes I'd plunge into something, only to learn that entering into it with baby steps really makes more sense. 

When I stop and ponder all that has been learned over the past two decades my mind tosses and turns. 

What's the difference between solar salt, sea salt, pink salt, etc.?

How many bars of soap is needed to fulfill an annual market?

Where on earth do I get this paper, ribbon, packaging?

What is sodium hydroxide?

How on earth do you build a website?

How much does this bar of soap cost me?

What profit margin will this product have?

If I open a shop here, will they come?

I'm broke!

I'm prospering!

This packaging has been discontinued!

Thirty-day net accounts require a lot of data. 

Making over one-hundred things and keeping up with manufacturing supplies. Whew!

Finding good people to work. Whew!

The list goes on, and it's a long one, but it's all good. 

Hey, I'm not green anymore. Well, I guess so, but in a different way now. 

When you do something you love, you'll never work a day in your life. 

This is true, I believe. 

Happy Anniversary Bittersweet!

Jill 

 

 

Chapter 2

Wholesale time was CRAZY man!

Between shows, private parties, traveling to and throe to manage those events, manufacturing and packaging of Bittersweet Soap, not to mention marketing and simple day to day tasks required to operate a small business. WHEW!  I hired sales representatives to sell Bittersweet so that I could stay home and wrap soap! Well, all that other business stuff too. Wholesale orders were flying in and out the front door. I even had my sales reps helping me wrap soap! They were gracious to help. They were also smart. They knew the more soap I sold, the more money in their pockets. 

WHEW!

I needed to slow down. This fast pace production, suction was not enjoyable. 

So I decided to turn back some pages... I retired the sales representatives, contacted my wholesale customers and informed them Bittersweet would no longer offer their handmade products wholesale. 

Having said that, done that, I would not have been able to do this if not for the Internet. 

The Internet was kicking in full speed ahead. Dial up was tossed aside kind of like 8 tracks and cassettes and fast speed quickly took their place.   

I was witnessing a new business opportunity that was just as shiny and bright as my new company. 

After hours and hours on the computer learning the ropes I built a store front on the web. 

At last, Bittersweet began offering their artisan soaps on the Internet. 

It was slow at first, but it soon picked up. I began learning different computer tech tricks like the importance of key words, meta tags, etc. All this helped more folks discover Bittersweet handmade.

It wasn't long after Bittersweet launched their web site that oodles of other folks began making soap. Did I say oodles? I meant to say OODLES! Tons of them as far as the eye can see. Bittersweet Soap Company was no longer the only soap maker this side of the Missouri.

It was obvious to me that even though I had a superior product it would be a hard sale to obtain new customers with all this competition. It seemed to me that everyone was marketing their handmade soap the same. Same testimonials, slogans, repeat, repeat. I saw a familiar pattern. 

Then a thought...

I'll open a shop! I won't just make soap!

Bittersweet Boutique was open for business. I describe the new shop as a "fragrance boutique." Kind of a  trendy description, but not too much, I thought.

 That's a picture of the my shop. 

Inside on the shelves handmade soaps of many colors. Chemical Free skin care products and a variety of artisan creations, over 100 one of a kind items. Crocheted hats, baby bibs, calico aprons, little boxes, lavender laundry soaps. 

In addition to managing and manufacturing, keeping the shelves stocked, listing new merchandise so not to get stale, I also maintained the new web shop. WHEW!

My life became amazingly non-stop shop.  No time to stop and smell the flowers. No time for anything other than shop life period. Not good. Not happy. 

You know what I say to that...

If you're not happy, change it!

I had an idea. Knowing how passionate I was about handmade a few thoughts entered my mind. 

One of those thoughts stood out. 

Why don't you move your shop into your home! 

To Do List:

Must check the city ordinance. I want to be in compliance. Did I tell you that I used to work for the city? I was pretty familiar with the ordinances. The city was keeping up with the times of home based business. Modifications had been added to the ordinance book in lieu of the numerous home based businesses that were popping up. 

Let's see what year was it when I opened a shop in my home? That was 2007. 

Five years later and I'm as happy as a toad with the way it worked out! Maybe happier than a toad. How about happy as a pie. 

Not to say, there have been struggles along the way. That's normal for any business. 

The down economy has changed the way we/I market our products. We/I, used to study, evaluate what works, what doesn't every 6 months to a year.. Now with the down economy it's changed to once a week! 

Folks ask me if social media has helped my business. 

It certainly has. Social media has had a positive impact on small business. 

If you own a small business I would highly recommend a social media presence. 

Over the years things have changed however one thing remains the same. 

Trust in what you do. Always allow positive thoughts to top the negative ones. If something doesn't work, change it and find out what does. I know this advise sounds cliche and seems easier said then done, but it's true. If you focus on success, you will be successful.  These feelings come from within and work their way out to fill you up. 

No matter how far you go, don't forget where you started. Don't sweat the small stuff. Most of it is small if you're looking at the big picture, (your life.)

I know that I'm blessed to make a living by creating. Those blessings are never taken for granted. I have worked hard to get where I'm and the hard work continues. My family has always encouraged me and stood behind my endeavors. Without them, Bittersweet would not exist. They're the rock. The foundation in which Bittersweet was built upon. Stay true to yourself. Always. 

Enjoy caring and sharing days. 

Warmly,

Jill 00

 

 

Chapter one

For those of you that are new to Bittersweet I'd like to introduce you to my handmade home. 

But first I need to go back a few years to explain how it all began.

I started making soap 16 years ago after my aunt sent me a Christmas package containing handmade soap she had made. I was in total awe over the soap and thought how wonderful to make ones very one soap.  I knew instantly that I too wanted to make my own soap. 

Back then there were very few soap-maker's and even fewer books on the subject. The Internet was available but just starting. Do you remember dial up? Need I say more?

After a long search to find literature on modern day soap making I finally stumbled upon the type of soap making book I had been searching for. 

After reading the book and learning I became even more motivated and excited to make my own soap. I ordered the supplies needed to make a small batch and followed the directions that were in the book. I poured the liquid soap into shoe boxes and stuck the boxes under my bed. Then I covered them with vintage quilts. 

Since this was the first time I'd ever made soap I pondered many different thoughts. What if it doesn't turn out? The book said not to peek! I remember that was really hard to do! However I did not. 

The next morning I could not wait to get up and uncover the quilt from the shoe box. I carefully took the quilt off the box and looked inside the shoe box. The box was filled with a shiny hard soap! I must have done it right I thought to myself. Excitement and happiness, contentment and joy were the emotions I was feeling. I can remember how I felt as though it was yesterday. 

After cutting the shoe box soap into bars the excitement grew even more with each cut. I used a kitchen knife to cut the soap into bars.

Different thoughts ran through my mind as I cut the soap. What if I were to offer this soap to local merchants to sell in their shops? Yeah, that's a great idea, I thought. I would start a soap making business. I called my mom and told her what I was doing. She was more excited then I was. I asked mom to help me create a name for my new company. Thus the name Bittersweet was introduced. As I said before, there were very few soap-maker's back then. To my knowledge I was one of the only soap-maker's in my state. Hard to imagine isn't it?

At the time a friends sister owned and managed an antique shop a few miles away. My friend spoke with her sister and she was excited to carry the new line of soaps in her shop. My first sale! 

The excitement I felt during that time was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. The thrill of starting a soap making business felt just right. In anticipation of selling lots of soap the manufacturing commenced! The soap recipe was tripled and supply and demand was oozing. Bittersweet even participated in shows back then. I can't tell you how thrilling it was to make and offer something no one else had. The handmade soap was shiny and new.  

Patrick was in kinder-garden at the time. Sweet memories of getting him off on the bus for school and then loading my car with my traveling soap. I had a suitcase with wheels that I'd fill with the different varieties. I created a wholesale price list and scurried off,  soap and girl.  I can't tell you how many shops I traveled to back then. Bittersweet traveled a four state area before hiring sales reps. Wait, I'm getting ahead of the story. 

Bittersweet had a perfect track record. Hope you don't mind a bit of bragging.  Of all the shops I visited, not one ever turned my away empty handed. Check in hand. Everyone wanted Bittersweet Soap! Owning a monopoly sure was grand!

Wow, this is a long story! Maybe I should break it up. Chapter two next...

Enjoy caring and sharing autumn days. 

Warmly,

Jill 00

 

Down the road...

After Christmas Bittersweet will take their annual fiesta. It's not really a break from work but rather a time to examine our current marketing, packaging and product design. I'll draw idees from past Bittersweets while visions of new ones spin around in my head.  It's a time for renewal. A time to focus and an opportunity to reflect. 

It always enriches my soul to rummage through past Bittersweet creations.

The first of the year marks our 15 years in business! 

So many things have changed since we were first born. As it should. Just as a tiny baby doesn't stay a wee little one for ever, so too Bittersweet has grown up. We've explored numerous avenues. Some of  those paths took us on unbelievable trips while others ended up on dead ends! I would not trade one for the other because both the good and the bad experiences offered a vast amount of unique wisdom. Passion runs deep within my veins when I think about Bittersweet. It always has! I know that if it weren't for those strong  passionate feelings  Bittersweet would have vanished with the wind a long time ago.

During the holidays especially I'm reminded of these thoughts. I'm appreciate of each and every day.

I often think about had I not launched my little handmade company, then I would not own  the priceless gift of meeting so many kind sincere folks during the past fifteen years that Bittersweet has so gracefully and generously sent to me.  That's where my passion comes from! I thank you for that.

Enjoy caring and sharing holidays.

Warmly,

Jill 00 (two hugs are better than one)   

14 years...

A free digital scrapbook by Smilebox

Fresh

 
Question? When you pick up an item off the market shelf do you ask yourself, I wonder how long that's been sitting here? Most people don't.

Most of the time it isn't an issue since products contain so many different preservatives and chemicals that prolong its shelf life.

When I first began making skin care products and home keeping essentials I made a pledge to produce them free of chemicals or synthetic preservatives. The other main objective while creating Bittersweet, know how long it has been sitting on the shelf.

I guess that's a big reason I did not want to offer wholesale.

A shop or boutique might possibly allow Bittersweet to sit on the shelf for a couple of years. I can only hope that it would not, but a thought that I took seriously as a skin care manufacture.

I believe making a natural fresh product is better than just a natural product.

Those standards are what helped to build Bittersweet strong. I've never strayed from those valued principles.

Knowing the difference between a natural preservative and a chemical one blows me away.

A natural preservative like vitamine e or rosemary works splendid.

So why do companies use chemical stabilizers and preservatives when making their skin care products?

I can't answer that! Well kinda, I can....-If you read between the lines-

Products that contain chemical preservatives could probably remain "fresh" for many, many, many, many years.

Versus products like Bittersweet could not, a year or two tops. 

No need to even ponder those thoughts because Bittersweet takes great pride in offering you their products freshly made. You can be rest assured they have been sitting for not longer than 6 months. That's the way we roll!

Enjoy caring and sharing "fresh" days.

Happily,

Jill 00