Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kellie Martin, Founder of Earth Elements Soapworks, located in Baltimore, MD, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I founded Earth Elements Soapworks in 2016. The business is established as an LLC and is 100% owned by me. The company is located in Baltimore, MD. The company started with humble beginnings by creating products from my kitchen at home. As the business grew, I had to make a major decision of keeping production at home or moving into my first commercial space. Having decided to move production to a commercial space, I've had to make changes in operations and increase personnel coverage.
Our mission is to build self-esteem and empower people to love their skin naturally by making safe, non-toxic, and highly effective products. We believe in using the power of nature for tangible results that you can see and feel. In addition to creating products that give you noticeable results, we strive to educate our customers on our ingredients to empower them to choose the perfect skincare solution for their needs. We believe that daily bathing and skincare rituals should be enjoyable - a way to carve out downtime for self-care. From thoughtfully designed packaging and labels that allow our ingredients to shine through to intoxicating scents and luxurious textures, we truly want you to trust your skincare products and love the skin you're in.
Our customers are more informed, engaged, and connected. To them, beauty and wellness are increasingly interchangeable concepts, resulting in a focus on holistic beauty. They carefully analyze ingredient lists and choose brands that share their values and community. They're also looking to personalize their beauty routines—helping them not only look good but also feel good.
Tell us about yourself
Earth Elements Soapworks was founded on the key principle that natural beauty should be a source of confidence. I created the line focusing on safe, non-toxic, and highly effective natural ingredients that provide positive results you can see and feel. My inspiration came from my great grandmother, who instilled values of self-confidence, hard work, and cultivating natural ingredients for a holistic lifestyle which charted the course in solving my own skincare issues.
Suffering all my life from sensitive skin, prone to inflammation and breakouts, I was a frustrated and confused brand-hopper searching for anything that would help. Nothing really worked, and many times it made things worse. I began educating myself on natural ingredients and formulations beneficial to the skin and decided to make my own soaps. To my amazement, my skin began to clear, and I regained my confidence. Soon after that, I began gifting soaps to family and friends, which were a hit, and from there, Earth Elements Soapworks was born. When I created Earth Elements Soapworks, I intentionally formulated the products using a high percentage of active natural ingredients that target specific skin concerns and ensure that all of the ingredients are recognized by the skin and easily absorbed.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment includes receiving a PPE Grant at the on-set of COVID, which allowed Earth Elements Soapworks to provide hand sanitizer to hospitals, schools, and nursing homes throughout the city during the dire shortages of PPE, and hand sanitizer across the U.S.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest parts of being a business owner is learning to delegate. As an entrepreneur, we try to do it all. I've learned that to grow, you must have a team that you can trust. Learning to get the right people in place and delegate tasks allowed me to rely on my team when I'm not there.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Perform market research. Have an understanding of your niche in the market and what pain point you're solving for your customers.
- Write a business plan and update it as needed. Develop an in-depth plan that fully details how you'll attack challenges ahead. The plan should identify opportunities you've identified and your mission, describe your target audience, establish measurable goals, and set deadlines for each milestone along the way.
- Find a healthy work-life balance. It's extremely important to find a work-life balance. Your business can dominate your life, resulting in neglecting important things, including your health. Your business can't run without you, so taking care of your health is critical. Being in a perpetual state of hustle can create burnout, which ultimately limits to how much you can achieve.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Being a business owner can make you feel like you're being pulled in many directions, which can cause you to lose focus on your goals. In order to stay focused on your goals, I would recommend practicing getting up early and meditating, establishing daily goals, creating an accountability group, and establishing long-term goals that will help to stay focused on your why.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.earthelementssoapworks.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/earthelementssoapworks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthelementssoapworks/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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