I started laughing as I typed “Typical day in the life of a soap maker”. There is no typical day. And most days are not spent making soap. I’ll show you 2 back-to-back days in my life as a soap maker so you can see.
Day 1 in the life of a soap maker
My alarm goes off at 4:45 and I hit snooze twice. I’m in the shower a little after 5 and dressed and ready by 5:30. I start a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher, make (and eat) my breakfast, make my lunch and pack my car for work. I’m on the road at 6:45.
During the day I work in a school district in the science department. I call myself the Science Materials Coordinator because I take care of all the details the teachers and administrators are too busy to do. I get in at 7:30 and I leave at 2:45. During my lunch hour I usually like to take a walk. I knew it would be too cold today so I brought in a box of soap to wrap. Check one more Alegna Soap® item off my to-do list.
I get home at 3:30 and I set my timer for 20 minutes so I can read the paper and have a cup of tea. Then I went downstairs to my happy place (aka soap studio). I start planning the development of my next product. Once I turned my computer on, I researched the oils I wanted to use, their properties and cost. Brian came home and I decide to call it a night. It was 7:30. (Holy crap, where did the time go?) Neither one of us had planned dinner but there are leftovers in the fridge. At 8 we are both on the couch watching TV, and I have my lap top out so I can catch up on emails and plan tomorrow. We go to bed around 10:30.
Day 2 in the life of a soap maker
My alarm goes off at 4:45 and once again I hit the snooze button twice (I should just set the damn thing for 5!). I shower, get dressed and ready but today it takes me a little longer. I take a container of chili out of the freezer to defrost, finish my usual routine and I’m at work by 7:30.
Today I got the idea for this blog post so at lunch I quickly jot down what I did yesterday and this morning. I try to use every minute of time I have during the day to get things done for Alegna Soap® because having a full time job and a soap business takes pretty much every ounce discipline I have. So I work while I eat.
I leave work at 2:45 again, but today I have 2 soap deliveries to do and errands to run. I need materiel for under my soap labels so after the deliveries I stop at Joanne’s Fabrics. They have exactly what I need, and I’m in and out quickly.
It’s 5pm when I get home. Since I have a package from Wholesales Supplies Plus waiting for me I skip the tea and newspaper. I scheduled an after school bath fizzie class in one of the elementary schools I work at and I needed supplies. I unpack the order and organize the class. I’m done by 6:30 and decide to make a salad and heat up the chili. I eat, but Brian isn’t home yet. I go back downstairs and start writing this. He comes in at 8 and I’m finishing up. I have tea while he eats and we’re back on the couch, and in bed by 10.
Typical day in the life of a soap maker
On other days I may be getting caught up with bookkeeping, ordering supplies, checking inventory, emailing stockists and/or updating my website. I may be teaching a class, catching up and posting on social media (which is never ending), going over a presentation I’m giving for a conference, and/or helping a soap student with a problem. Most days I’m not making any products, something people don’t believe when I tell them. I do find it difficult to do everything I want to with Alegna Soap® and working a job during the day. I’m grateful for the income I make from the school system and I try to make due with the time I have. And I’m also grateful for the challenge of working a day job and running a company. I’ve learned to use my time wisely, and that lesson can be applied to many areas of my life.
Did you think a soap maker’s typical day would be spent making soap?
Yours in Gratitude,
Angela