We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maggie Mcguinness a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Maggie, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
My generosity came from my mother. 100%. As a child I remember my mother always being SO thoughtful and kind. She would write notes inside my lunch telling me she loved me and notes of encouragement. She would make gifts or purchase them for friends, often for no reason at all. Just because. She volunteered as my girl scout troop leader and I remember having the most fun! One thing I always appreciated were her hand written letters. She would write letters to her sisters and friends that lived out of the city all the time. I feel people rarely take the time to write letters these days. I actually received a 3 page note from a customer that I’ve never met last week that has been purchasing my goods since 2019. She told me how she found me, where she has found and purchased products over the years, what her favorite products are, and just thanking me for doing what I do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Well….here is my Brand Story:
Art Made with Heart
We don’t really do “regular soap.” In fact, I’m dedicated to hand-making each product with beautiful, sustainable, imaginative ingredients. Each bar of soap is its own little masterpiece –– a tiny canvas that’s ready to be taken in by bathroom-goers everywhere. As strange as it sounds, soap is my medium. Like Picasso with oil paints, Michelangelo with a block of marble, and Subway with sandwiches – I see myself as a soap artist.
When I started this company in 2014, I dove headfirst into the trade, learning everything I could. I was initially inspired by the holiday soap making I did with my mom, who had passed away earlier that year. So, now, because this process is so special to me, I first create soap with my heart and then with my hands – all right here in West Michigan.
Following my heart has also led me to seeking more sustainable products and ingredients throughout the years. Now, after 11 years in the biz, Maggie Ann Soap Co. is nearly 100% sustainable. I take immense pride in my tree hugging, and I fight for the environment by honoring nature’s beauty and bounty in everything I do.
I am more of a creative and problem solver than an administrative type person. I like to work with my hands, move, and make progress. Basically go, go go. I’m working on slowing down more. I am a bit ADHD and strongly dislike being tied to a computer. Unfortunately as a growing business owner I find myself bogged down with administrative work more often than I care for. But I do love a variety of tasks. Every day is different for me.
What is most exciting to me about making soap is executing new techniques, soap tops, new scents, and most of all… the CUT! When you are pouring soap you often are not quite sure how the inside will turn out until you cut the log and see the next day. It’s the longest 24 hours ever- especially when you are first starting out. Some fragrances discolor or accelerate the batter and you can’t do the design you’d hoped for. This is how you know you’re experienced- when a soap isn’t going your way and you’re able to manage it and still make it turn out nice.
I did a holiday show back in November and tried another merchants whipped tallow body butter. (I always walk the shows to see all the goods the other makers have created) It was such a simple recipe and so fluffy and wonderful that I decided I wanted to try and make some. It took me a fair amount of research, but I finally found a local beef supplier to source from and have learned how to render the suet myself for this whipped body butter. Tallow is a fantastic natural skincare ingredient because of its nutrient-rich profile. It contains vitamins A, D, E, and K, all of which are essential for skin health. These vitamins help to repair and maintain skin cells, promote collagen production, and protect the skin from environmental stressors. The fatty acids in tallow, particularly oleic acid and stearic acid, help to replenish and maintain the skin’s lipid barrier, ensuring moisture stays locked in without overwhelming the skin. Plus, because tallow is so similar to human sebum, it’s especially effective for those with sensitive or dry skin, offering a gentle yet deep hydration.
I have decided to roll out a few new tallow soaps, 2 tallow lip balms, 3 tallow whipped body butters, and 2 vegan whipped butters, so stay tuned to my social media and website for when I release them! Hopefully mid to late spring! All my vegan products remain the same for those not interested in tallow.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Perseverance.
Creativity.
Problem Solving.
Running a business isn’t easy. I’m not sure I’d ever do this again. I’m just so far in I can’t give up now. The biggest challenge for me is that I can’t remember the last time my mind was free. Like a child/teenager/or even what life and freedom was like before I went down this road. Having a job you can punch out from and leave behind is a blessing I never understood. Sure, I’m free to set my own schedule, but if you are determined to be successful your brain automatically constantly goes back to, “what can I do better?”, “how can I do ___ differently”, “how can I make a better margin on ___?”, what am I going to do with so and so who’s called in for 5 days..?”, and on and on. Projects piling up can become overwhelming, and I always show up with a good attitude. If my helper isn’t having a good day I surely don’t want my stress to bring them down even more. I’ve been sober since 2011 and even though I don’t still attend AA I learned a saying that’s stuck with me over the years…. “fake it until you make it.” I actually say it to myself often. Deep down I know I’m always doing the best I can. I have taught myself everything and figured out how to get pretty far! I am proud. And I’m excited for what’s next. I’m thankful for my husband who has always stepped in to help when he can. The more I grow the more I need him. (He is an engineer in manufacturing). My advice to anyone early on is if you want it bad enough, you’ll figure out how to succeed if you persevere. Having endurance (for me, both mentally and physically) is my first priority.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I have served on the board for a large Federally Qualified Community Health Center for about 12 years and our CEO is someone who I have looked up to for a long time. Serving on the board of an organization that is 100 times larger than my business has been such a learning opportunity that I am grateful for. Because I am so fast paced one of the most important things I know I need to do is slow down and really think about how current decisions will effect the future. Our CEO does this so well. She never appears stressed out and overwhelmed and I know she has much more going on than me. I know we shouldn’t compare ourselves to one another, but observing how others react to situations and learning and practicing how to improve yourself is so important. I’m happy to have her in my life.
Others who have been instrumental in helping me develop my skills at running a business are all the other soap makers out there sharing what they do on social media. Even if I don’t comment- I see you! And I have learned an incredible amount from others out there just like me sharing it on their stream. Sometimes I chat with them in direct messages and some I’ve stopped to see when we take road trips.
Luckily I am not shy, so when I have something come up I’m not sure the solution to I have a large number of friends/colleagues/acquaintances/family who I reach out to for help. I think always widening your circle is important and making connections. It’s important not to feel alone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maggieannsoap.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggie.ann.soap.co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Image Credits
The Mattesons
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
