A few weeks ago, Pat from Starter Story contacted me. He asked if I was interested in doing an online interview with him for his readers and share the story of how I started Alegna Soap®. Starter Story is a website dedicated to interviewing e-commerce and product entrepreneurs. Since I love talking about anything soap related, I jumped …
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Masterbatching, it’s not a dirty word
When I tell someone I spent a few hours masterbatching over the weekend, the usual response is "What?" and a funny look. Masterbatching is not a dirty word. It's messy and takes a few hours. It requires heavy lifting, containers and an electronic scale. Running a business means I'm constantly looking for ways to be more efficient. For …
My First Soap
It was my first year working in the North Shore School District Science department and the last day of school in June. Working a summer calendar was new to me. I had the whole summer off and I was excited about how I was going to spend it. I was going to make my first soap. On my way home from work I stopped at the Bethpage Library, …
Collaboration, not Competition
I believe you need to have an attitude of collaboration, not competition, to succeed in business. It sounds counter-productive, but it's not. Let me tell you a story. A few Sundays ago I was a vendor at the Sea Cliff Mini Mart. I wasn't the only soap business at the event. …
Orange Anise
Since I spend a lot of time with my soaps, I think of them as my friends. I give them different personalities and I thought you may like to see them the way I do. Meet Kizzy, my Orange Anise soap. Climbing into her camper van, with her head full of curly red hair pulled back with one of the leather barrettes that she made to sell on Etsy, Kizzy …