Loving the Process at Howard Soap Co.
This week we’re featuring the town of McIntosh, Minnesota (pop. 625) and sharing some of the stories of rural revival happening here! Today’s guest blog post is from Kathrine Howard, owner of Howard Soap Co., where you’ll find handcrafted soap, candles, and bath and body products. Welcome, Kathrine!
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Hello! My name is Kathrine and I’m the sole owner and operator of Howard Soap Company and a mother of five children. I have always had a great interest and love of all things skin care and scent and I’ve always loved to DIY pretty much anything and everything. When I was 21 years old, I had my first child shortly after completing cosmetology school. I worked part time for about six years but after having my third child I was a fully a stay-at-home mom.
I made my first batch of soap in 2008. I had bought a bar of homemade soap at a craft show and fell in love with it. Being a stay at home mom living on one income I couldn’t indulge in all the bath and body luxuries that I once could, so I resolved to make them myself! Long story short, it got to the point where I made way more soap than we could use (turns out you can’t just settle on one type of soap and scent 😉) so I started giving it as gifts and did a few low key, local craft shows and the requests started flowing in. By the time I had my fifth child I had progressed into making candles and a plethora of skin care products.
In 2016 I finally opened an Etsy shop, and soon after I was contacted by Herberger’s to be a part of their ‘Close To Home’ campaign. Overnight I went from leisurely making product for the occasional buyer to changing my whole structure to be able to sell wholesale in large quantities. It was stressful; when I’d work on an order the kids would have to eat their dinner in the living room because my entire kitchen and dining room area were taken over by boxes and containers, for weeks! Herberger’s went under and while I learned more than I could have ever imagined, including some hard, valuable lessons in owning a business in that short period of time, I was happy to be done with it. I took on quite a few more small boutiques and eventually in 2017 I moved my operation out of my house (praise Jesus) and rented a small house with some like-minded crafty friends in Greenbush.
In 2018 I moved back to my hometown of McIntosh, Minnesota with my five kids. Things were changing and I had resolved to quit my business and get a ‘real’ job with benefits and a steady income. I had decided that my business got me through financially when I needed it but its time was over. I didn’t believe that it would be a reliable enough income for my large family. The thought of working a 9-5 was heartbreaking to me considering that throughout my kids’ lives I always had the freedom to be there for anything they did. I never missed games, practices, concerts, etc. I’ve always had them there with me every step of the way. My kids were a huge part of why I grew my business; I wanted the freedom to be there for them. Instead of taking that 9-5, I took on a part-time job as a receptionist and I kept making soap out of my parents’ garage and started college courses for web design.
Literally about a month after I moved back to McIntosh, my now friend Andrea from Minnesota Rust approached me about renting a building in town. It felt like kismet. I was in the process of quitting soap and moving on to getting that ‘real’ job, but I knew this was something I had to do. For the next year I continued to make soap in my parents’ garage while they worked on the building. My orders increased, my workspace was getting smaller and smaller as I kept growing, and in September 2019 I moved into the studio/storefront that I’m in now. It was scary, financially scary, to commit to such a huge change but the rewards have been great. I am lucky enough to have so many fellow female business owners as friends with great innovative ideas and positive attitudes — it truly is the glue that holds things together. We are in a tiny town with a lot of character and now a lot to offer.
I really cannot imagine doing anything else with my life. After many years of creating and making with little kids underfoot, some of them are now helping me in the shop. I LOVE the process and I am grateful for my slow journey. Improving products, learning, and experimenting with ingredients takes time and care and I’m proud of what I create. Sometimes you have to swallow your fears and just go with it.
Find out more about the rural revival happening in McIntosh, Minnesota here:
EPISODE 93 // ANDREA STORDAHL OF MINNESOTA RUST
WELCOME TO MCINTOSH, MINNESOTA