Meet Ashley LeBaron | Soap and Skincare Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley LeBaron and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I didnt give up. The key to success as an entrepreneur is to stay consistent even when times get tough and sales are slow.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart from others is that I use only the most natural ingredients in my products and they’re 100% synthetic free. I use virgin oils and essential oils for scent unlike many soapmakers who use fragrance oils and refined oils and butters. What Im most proud of is that I taught myself how to make a product that actually sells and that people love and I get to do it all right out of my home. The way I got where Im at is by being consistent with social media and by not giving up when things got tough. There were lots of mistakes made and lots of lessons learned but I just kept improving my products and getting better at my craft. One thing that really helped was the small business development center in St George where I live. They helped me register my business and actually paid for me to go to the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild in Dallas Texas in 2019. I learned so many things about soapmaking there and I came home and changed the way I did everything. My recipes were improved, my packaging was changed and the way I ran my business got much better.
It wasnt easy at all for the first 2 years of my business. I worked 100 hours a week and had no social life. I have never worked so hard and I was challenged in every aspect of my life. It takes a certain kind of personality to be an entrepreneur and start a business and its not for the faint of heart because its a lot of hard work and can be very stressful.
Some lessons Ive learned along the way is 1- Done is better than perfect. Trying to make everything perfect can be very limiting to a business and it can hold you back so much. Just do what needs to be done the best you can and if its not perfect its ok, at least its done instead of just being something that never comes to fruition because its not perfect.
2- Be open to learning and don’t ever take anything personal. There will be unhappy customers, rude comments and mean reviews but let that be a tool to make your business better instead of get you down. 3- Remember that theres not a job in the world thats fun all of the time. Every job has its ups and downs and disappointments and setbacks but that doesn’t mean you should give up if it feels right and its rewarding to you. Learn from the lessons and keep going. Its not always going to be fun and theres aspects of your business you’re going to hate doing but the reward is worth it.

What I want the word to know about my brand and story is that I had no idea what i was going or how to run a business nor did I know how to make soap or anything like that. But…. I knew that if other people could do it then so could I and I bought a book on Amazon called “soap making for beginners” and taught myself how to make soap. It was a hobby for 2 years until I finally got the courage to quit my full time job, move to a new city and start my own business. Its been almost 8 years since my first batch of soap and here I am running a successful business right out of my home. If I can do it then anyone can do it if they are determined and have what it takes.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them hiking in Zion national park. Its only 20 minutes away from my house and it is absolutely gorgeous! My favorite hike is called Angels Landing and it literally feels like the land before time when you’re up there looking out over the valley below. I would grab a coffee at Feel Love cafe at the entrance of the park and have lunch at River Rock Roasting company in La Verkin UT which is only 20 minutes away. It has a view over the Virgin River and they have the best salads and Pizzas. I would stay and Zions View Camping in Hildale UT. They have these adorable old fashioned wagons that were the style used back in the days when there were no such thing as cars and its the most amazing experience to sleep in them with the back view of Zion right there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I met a lady in Las Vegas my first year selling there at the Mandalay Bay during the NFR in December and she came up to me and told me that I am going to be very successful in my business and to not give up. I ended up finding out that she is also a soapmaker out of Georgia and her and her husband run their business out of a wear house they built right outside their home and they sell to over 150 stores all over Georgia. She gave me her contact info and told me that I could contact her for absolutely anything I needed. She has been my mentor all this time and has shared many soapmaking tips and trips with me and she even gave me her entire list of suppliers for where she buys her ingredients and we still text and talk about things like new suppliers and business Ideas. Her business is called Candace + Kids soap company

Website: ashleymariesoap.com

Instagram: @ashleymariesoap

Facebook: Ashley Marie Soap

Youtube: Ashley Marie Soap