Today we’d like to introduce you to Chanda Jackson.
Hi Chanda, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I have always been fascinated by handmade soaps. Originally I never knew that soap was something that could be made at home. So I constantly bought handmade bar soap (I mean CONSTANTLY). One day I said to myself, “girl you are spending a lot of money on soaps, you can probably learn how to make this yourself.” So the journey began. I studied, I researched, I experimented… I fell in LOVE. I gave away every bar I made. The feedback was great. However, I felt I could create a recipe that was even better, so I kept going.
My husband recognized all of the efforts I was putting into this newfound love and decided to join in the fun with me. Together we finally came up with the perfect recipe for our soap bars. The key things we had to have were hydration, cleansing, bubbly, and no chemicals/detergents. We did it. Those bars were even more of a hit, according to friends and family. Then one day my husband looked at me and said, “you started making soap because you felt you were spending too much money, now making soap you are spending even more.” I pondered on that for a while.
My love for handmade soap became a passion for creating the best handmade bar soap you will ever put on your skin. Through that passion, Hello Sudz was born in December 2019.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Boy oh boy, let’s talk struggles. I felt confident in myself enough to step out of my very small compressed box. In other words, it took a lot for me to take this leap in December of 2019. I was ready. I planned some events at some local markets for 2020. I bought tons of supplies, a website, and applied for a business license. I was ready. Or so I thought. I was not ready for the pandemic. All of my events were canceled. I was too new to have built a good online presence. On top of that, I was pretty new to social media. I was new to all of this. The year 2020, I look at as a year of reflection, growth, and self-development. That was the year of the Roller Coaster. There were so many ups and downs, twists, and turns. In the same week, my middle son graduated high school via drive-thru graduation. Then a few days later my number one fan (my stepdad) passed away. We were heartbroken. He encouraged me not to be afraid to toot my own horn. Heck somebody gotta do it.
For the most part, 2020 showed me who Chanda Jackson is. In the year 2021, I began to get out. I began to introduce the world, well more like my local surrounding area to Hello Sudz.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I like to make people aware that making soap is an art and science combined. Soap can be as beautiful and creative as your mind allows. Now do not underestimate the beauty of soap making, safety precautions have to be taken while creating soap. I genuinely enjoy the art and science of being a soaper. I am going on my third year as a soaper and the journey has been a heck of a ride.
A little more about me is that I have always been a person that loves art, in all forms. I grew up watching my mother making ceramic sculptures and painting them. My brother is one of the best portrait artists I’ve seen. My grandmother’s art form was creating growth in a garden. I had creativity and beauty all around me as a child. Now the funny thing about me is I have a small piece of each of the people mentioned but nowhere near their scale. For a long time, I wondered through life trying to figure out who I am, what is my purpose, and what can I do in this life to make me happy. Right after high school, I went to cosmetology school. I wanted to be a hairstylist. I did that off and on for about 10 years. The problem was I was not confident enough in myself or my abilities. I also did not know how to manage money. So needless to say that profession did not last.
During an off phase (from doing hair) of my life I thought maybe I should follow in my mother’s footsteps and become a dental assistant, I mean it seems to be good for her. Well, it was not good for me. I didn’t make it in that profession for a good month. Over time I did different jobs, and I even enjoyed being a homemaker for a few years. That was a valuable time in my life because I was able to be there for my sons. But eventually, I had to go back to work.
I started working at a bank. I started as a teller and worked my way up to being a bank manager. I worked hard at that job. I put everything I had into being the best at what I did. Being the best at what you do is what I instilled in my team. I gave so much to my job, I forgot about myself, I forgot about what truly makes me happy. My happiness comes from being creative. So I started back. When I got off work I would come home, take care of my family’s needs and then start on something. I made jewelry, painted, made sculptures, whatever my heart desired.
I discovered soap in 2019. At first, I did it just to see if I could. Then I did it out of passion. That passion took over me. It took over my drive to put my all into my banking job. I felt myself slipping in my banking career. I started having a feeling within that was pushing me to believe in myself and my ability. Many of my conversations were with people who were following their dreams. They all said that it was scary but worth it. They all said that they work hard but had never been happier. I pondered on these conversations for a while.
As Hello Sudz grow, my inner voice spoke even louder. I was encouraging myself to step out of the box I was so comfortable in. I was encouraging myself to understand that God created me to be more than what I was displaying. My husband and I made a plan and on April 22, 2022, I left my banking career and became an entrepreneur. Just like everyone said, the work is hard, but I am happy. This leap in life was worth it. Because I am able to put time into Hello Sudz, it is growing at levels that shock me every time I think about it. When I look back over my life I am proud and grateful for the person I am BECOMING. Growth never stops.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Covid 19 affected a lot of people in a lot of different ways. Regardless of how it affects someone, the thing is everyone was touched. For me, the most part, I had time to think, create, and build myself up. Since everything stopped, my mind was able to focus.
I was just starting Hello Sudz. I had plans to get out and introduce my small business to my community.
Well, that did not go as planned. So like many other business owners, I had to think outside the box. I had to figure out how to get people to see my products even if I can’t get in front of them. So, I took to social media, started a website, and walked around with samples. I did not do much in sales, matter of fact I spent more than I made. But, I look at it as an investment. I was investing in my business and in myself.
The pandemic for me was a time of growth, a time for self-reflection, and a time for a change. The pandemic was also a time for loss. I think just about everyone has lost someone or knows someone that has lost someone due to the pandemic. But there was another form of loss for me. I lost the girl in me that lived in fear, did not know who she was, that did not believe she was good enough. I lost her during the pandemic. That girl was with me at the beginning of my starting Hello Sudz, but in order for this business to grow, that girl had to go.
Pricing:
- Soaps start at $8
- Body Butter $12
- Bath bombs are $5
- Candles $12
- Lotion start at $7
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hellosudz.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hello.sudz/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/hello.sudz/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCWbSkLEuqGSoVZVUyYtSXvQ
