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
You sound so busy. Thanks for putting my life in perspective, I seem to waste a lot of time. I am happy that you are continuing to teach classes, you have a wealth of knowledge.
I’m laughing Sharon because I have days where I waste a lot of time too. The more I have to do, the more I seem to be able to get done. The days I have a lot of time, I get nothing accomplished. Every day is truly different in the life of a maker and entrepreneur.
Thank you for giving me a glimpse of “A day in the life…”. I always wonder how other people do it! At the end of the day, I feel like every one of us is so busy! I love your idea of setting an alarm when you read the paper and have your tea. I am going to steal that tidbit from you because it’s those little “breaks” in the day that rob me of so much time.
Cindy my alarm has saved me more times than I can tell you. Not from just being late, but allowing me to take a “re-charge” break before moving on to the next task. Once I set it, I can really relax knowing that time won’t slip away from me and I’ll be back on point soon.
Never let it be said you are never not busy. It seems neverending at times. I admire all you do but don’t forget to breathe! 🙂 Love ya
Lol, thanks for the reminder Marilyn! Love you too!