Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle C. Smith.
Michelle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Researching and learning are at the core of my soul and after learning about the ingredients in products I used on my family and in my home, I taught myself how to make liquid soap. This new addiction turned into formulating a laundry soap that would clean my daughter’s cloth diapers. Friends, family, and co-workers enjoyed my soaps so much that my husband built me a website and kept encouraging me to make it a business. For the record, I was a middle school teacher who scoffed at the idea of becoming a business owner. I never ever thought people would buy soap from a middle school teacher!
Shortly after my husband set up my website, I received my first order from an 82-year-old woman named Dorothy Nelson from Colorado. I cried! I couldn’t believe it. I made it official in January 2012 when I applied for my business license. I spent the next year and a half working full-time as a teacher and making/selling my products in my spare time.
After a life-altering health scare with my husband, who had a large brain tumor removed in August 2013, I decided to stay home with my family and concentrate on growing MamaSuds; something that made me happy and fulfilled. This is when MamaSuds really started gaining traction. I created lines of products that had simple ingredients that were safe and made from scratch in small batches.
In 2017 MamaSuds underwent a rebrand with the help of Lucky Break Consulting and Rowan Made Brand Design. Since our re-launch, we have experienced incredible growth and a clear message to our ingredient-savvy customers.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning a business is never a smooth road, and if it feels smooth it means it’s time to get ready for the next rough patch. The biggest blunder came very early on when in an effort to save on cost, I purchased a heavy-duty garbage container to store the liquid castile soap that I was making. I put it in our basement and every few weeks would add to it. I had no idea that a specific kind of plastic was necessary to store soap. One evening during bath time for the kids my husband asked me to refill the bottle of soap for them. I went downstairs to fill the container, and when I opened the door to the utility room that had the soap in it, I stepped in something slimy. The soap had very slowly leaked out of the container I purchased and covered the entire floor with a very thin layer of soap that was drying up. I couldn’t even describe how painstaking the cleanup was. It was a mistake in cutting corners that I never made again!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about MamaSuds`?
MamaSuds is a woman-owned small business. It is our mission to educate and empower health-conscious families who want to make informed decisions about what they use to clean their bodies and homes by creating naturally-focused, synthetic-free products that are truly safe.
We are known for our toilet cleaner, the MamaSuds Toilet Bombs. They are highly-effecting toilet cleaning tabs that make cleaning your toilet safe for all ages and fun (who knew!).
THE MAMASUDS MANIFESTO We believe you can clean your home without damaging your health or our planet. We want you to live in a world where cleaning doesn’t seem like a chore. We know that the wellness you find beneath your kitchen sink and on your bathroom, counter is equally as important as the food you put on your table. We refuse to put profits over people or planet. You, your family, and this planet depend on us to make health a priority. We invite you to join our movement of passionately smart women who want to know more to do better.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
I have three pieces of advice.
1) Read the book Profit First by Mike Michalowicz.
2) Find a mentor or business coach. They are invaluable and can help you see things you are too close to, and give you sound advice.
3) Find a group of business owners that you can talk to. It can be very lonely owning a business and being in a room (physically or virtually) is the best place for a business owner. Early on I joined the Indie Business Network where hundreds of people like me helped with problems, had resources, and could relate to the issues you face owning a business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mamasuds.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mamasudsllc
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/mamasuds
Image Credits
Verbhouse Creative
