As a young child, Sandy Maine became fascinated with soapmaking while watching her grandmother make utilitarian soap at their home in the Finger Lakes region of New York. But Sandy longed for something more than simple utilitarian soaps. So, in the late 1970's she combined her love for herbs, botanicals, essential oils, grains and other products of the Earth with soapmaking so that her soaps would be beautiful, fragrant and healthy to use. Today, Sandy and her staff of twenty produce about 4,000 pounds of soap each week in a restored turn-of-the-century pub in Potsdam, New York. Among Sandy's greatest talents is product innovation. She has invented several types of modeling soapdough for kids, teens and adults; and Sandy has added a line of decorative soap tassels to SunFeather's impressive inventory. SunFeather Natural Soap Co. is known worldwide for its dedication to quality handcrafted soaps, and for Sandy's devotion to social responsibility. Through the sale of SunFeather soaps and related gifts, Sandy tithes to more than ten humanitarian and environmental causes around the globe. Sandy maintains her license as an Adirondack Wilderness Guide so that she can treat families and groups to the beauty and peace of a wilderness experience. Throughout her career, Sandy has helped others explore soapmaking as a hobby and even as a home-based business. SunFeather is a supplier of soapmaking equipment and supplies, and Sandy has written several award-winning books with herbal soap recipes and secrets-to success. Each summer, Sandy escorts fellow soapmakers on a tour of the French countryside or to another soapmaking region in Europe. SunFeather Natural Soap Co. became a family business in 1997 when Sandy's spouse, Louis, signed on as Vice President. The couple's two young children share their parents' interest in nature, including beekeeping and exploring the Adirondack wilderness. Now in her third decade as a soapmaker, Sandy will continue to develop new soap "recipes" and more ways in which soap becomes a tactile (and sensory) experience. Sandy Maine received her undergraduate degree from the State University of New York, Potsdam.
Yes, as far as distributing products and finding markets, I actually would identify a market. My background in college was sociology, so it wasn't very hard for me to identify different groups of people and their interests. So, I would first identify the group and then create the product to appeal...(Full transcript available to logged in subscribers.).
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