The Dirty Heifers

Katie Carson built Royalty Soaps from a teenage soap-making obsession into one of the most recognizable names in handmade soap—but the story didn't go the way you might expect.

In Part One of our conversation with Katie Carson, we go all the way back to the beginning: a homeschool soap-making class, a dad who eventually told her to turn it into a business or stop making so much soap, a $500 loan, Etsy, farmers markets, YouTube, and the viral soap video that changed everything.

Then things got BIG.

Royalty Soaps reached a point where Katie had 15 employees, viral videos were bringing massive attention, and opportunities were coming from every direction—including television and a book deal.

And then Katie made a decision that might surprise you:

She intentionally stepped back.

We talk about why she turned down bigger opportunities, what happened when business growth started taking over her life, why she fired her YouTube management team, and what success actually looks like to her now.

This is not a “how I built a million-dollar business” story.

It's a conversation about soap making, entrepreneurship, family, creativity, social media, growth, burnout, and deciding what kind of business—and life—you actually want.

And yes… there are several Heifer tangents along the way. 😂

This is Part One of our three-part conversation with Katie Carson.

Part Two gets into YouTube, content creation, social media, family business, and what people don't see behind the scenes.

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Margaret – Warm & Fuzzy Soapery Jessie – Country Lather Soap Works Shauna – Bawauna Bath & Body

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We went to SoapCon in Kentucky—and came home realizing this industry is about WAY more than making soap. 🧼🐄

In this Dirty Heifers SoapCon special, Margaret takes you behind the scenes of our trip: Jessie getting ready to speak, Shauna and July surprising Jessie, meeting soap makers from all over, learning about labeling, cure time, scaling and social media, and why networking can matter even when you’re a small business owner who is terrible at networking. 😂

Plus… Shauna asked soap makers FIVE questions, and we met a 12-year-old soap maker who might just be the next generation of the industry.

If you've ever wondered whether an industry conference is actually worth the time, money, and social anxiety… come along with us.

🐄 New Episodes Drop Thursdays 🐄 Join the Herd Facebook: The Dirty Heifers Instagram & TikTok: @thedirtyheifers YouTube: Dirty Heifers

#SoapCon #SoapMaking #SoapBusiness #SmallBusiness #SoapMaker #DirtyHeifers #HandmadeSoap #SoapCommunity #SoapConference

Are you wearing enough PPE when you make soap? 👀

Tonight, the Dirty Heifers are putting on the safety goggles and talking about something every soap maker needs to think about: PPE and lye safety.

But first, we're doing a good old-fashioned Heifer Huddle—wins, woes, what's warshin', business headaches, markets, websites, expensive lessons, and plenty of rabbit trails along the way.

We talk about:

🐄 What PPE soap makers should have on hand 🥽 Safety glasses vs. goggles 🧤 Gloves, aprons, closed-toe shoes, sleeves & ventilation ⚠️ Why lye deserves respect without turning soapmaking into a hazmat operation 💦 What to do when lye gets on your skin 👁️ Why eye protection is NON-negotiable 🧪 Handling larger quantities of lye 💻 Margaret's website disaster and the day she had AI talking to her web host 💸 Jessie's expensive lesson with a web company 🛍️ Shauna's first big market prep 😂 And, naturally, approximately 17 rabbit trails

We're not pretending we're perfect. In fact, you'll hear us admit that sometimes we don't even follow our own advice.

Because that's small-business life.

And sometimes the best business advice comes from three soap makers sitting around talking honestly about what is actually happening behind the scenes.

If you're a new soap maker, a small-business owner, or you've ever found yourself wondering whether everybody else has their business figured out except you—come hang out in the pasture with us.

💬 QUESTION FOR YOU: What's one piece of soapmaking safety equipment you absolutely will not work without?

👇 Tell us in the comments!

And if you enjoy the conversation, subscribe to The Dirty Heifers and join the herd. New episodes drop Thursdays!

New Episodes Drop Thursdays Join the Herd Facebook: The Dirty Heifers Instagram & TikTok: @thedirtyheifers YouTube: Dirty Heifers

Margaret – Warm & Fuzzy Soapery Jessie – Country Lather Soap Works Shauna – Bawauna Bath & Body

Stay Dirty Heifers. 🐄🧼

Your soap can be amazing… but if your booth looks like a rummage sale, customers may never stop long enough to find out.

In this episode of The Dirty Heifers, we’re talking vendor booth design, merchandising, retail psychology, and what actually makes shoppers stop, look, and BUY.

We’re joined by Jessi from Create Along with Jessie, who brings nearly 20 years of vendor-show experience plus a background in interior design. She breaks down what makers are getting wrong—and what you can change without spending thousands of dollars on a fancy booth.

We talk about:

🐄 Why having a handmade product is no longer enough to make your booth stand out 🐄 The 3-second first impression at a vendor show 🐄 Why your booth needs a focal point 🐄 Displaying products vs. actually merchandising them 🐄 How much empty space you REALLY need 🐄 Why clutter can make your products feel cheaper 🐄 How to make a booth look more expensive without spending a fortune 🐄 What should be at eye level 🐄 How to create collections that make sense to shoppers 🐄 Why your booth layout isn't the first thing you should figure out 🐄 How to choose the right booth layout for your products 🐄 What to do when you're stuck in a terrible booth location 🐄 Why the type of vendor show—and the audience—matters so much 🐄 How to know whether a show is actually worth your time and money 🐄 What new vendors should—and should NOT—spend money on 🐄 The importance of pricing your handmade products for your time 🐄 What to keep in your vendor show emergency kit 🐄 And, of course, the story of the woman who apparently thought Jessi's free samples were an all-you-can-eat buffet. 😂

And if you've ever wondered whether your booth is too cluttered, too empty, too boring, or just not converting browsers into buyers, this one is for you.

The biggest takeaway? Your booth isn't just decoration. It's part of the shopping experience.

If you're getting ready for a craft fair, farmers market, soap show, or vendor event, send this episode to another maker who needs to hear it!

👇 Tell us in the comments: What's the biggest vendor booth mistake you've made—or seen?

And if you're a soap maker or handmade business owner who loves the messy, honest side of running a creative business, subscribe to The Dirty Heifers and join the herd.

New Episodes Drop Thursdays Join the Herd Facebook: The Dirty Heifers Instagram & TikTok: @thedirtyheifers YouTube: Dirty Heifers

Margaret – Warm & Fuzzy Soapery Jessie – Country Lather Soap Works Shauna – Bawauna Bath & Body

Stay Dirty Heifers! 🐄

#DirtyHeifers #VendorBooth #CraftShowTips #SoapMakingBusiness #SoapMaker #VendorShowTips #HandmadeBusiness #CraftFairTips #SmallBusinessTips #SoapBusiness

We thought we knew what it took to run a successful soap business.

Turns out… we were wrong. 😂

After spending three episodes talking with Joanna Couch about scaling a soap business, manufacturing, equipment, batching, private label, hiring, consistency, and growing from a tiny 10x10 shed into a massive operation, we started questioning some of the things WE thought we knew.

And this episode is basically one giant Dirty Heifer confession session.

We talk about the soap business mistakes and misconceptions we had along the way—including:

🧼 Why having MORE products doesn't necessarily mean more sales 💰 Why making more sales doesn't always mean you're making more money 🏭 The equipment we bought because we were convinced we needed it 💼 Whether you really need to quit your day job to have a “real” soap business 🔥 How busy can actually become a recipe for burnout 📋 Why systems, consistency, and processes matter more than we realized 🤝 Learning when it's time to delegate 🏷️ The difference between private label and white label 💸 Some of our biggest financial mistakes 📦 What customers actually care about—and what they absolutely don't 😂 And, of course, some questionable decisions and plenty of Heifer-level nonsense along the way.

One of the biggest takeaways? There isn't one definition of a successful soap business. Maybe you want a huge manufacturing operation. Maybe you want a tiny studio. Maybe you want to sell at markets, do wholesale, or make soap a few days a week.

Your business gets to work for YOU.

If you're a new soap maker, small business owner, or you've ever wondered whether you're doing this whole business thing “right,” you're going to want to hear this conversation.

👇 WHAT WERE YOU TOTALLY WRONG ABOUT?

Tell us in the comments: What did you believe about running a soap business when you started that turned out to be completely wrong?

👍 Like the video 🔔 Subscribe to The Dirty Heifers 💬 Tell us your biggest soap business misconception 📤 Share this episode with another maker who has made at least ONE questionable business decision.

Because apparently… we're all confessing today.

Stay Dirty Heifers. 🐄🧼

What if getting bigger isn't actually the goal?

After two episodes of talking about massive production, scaling, private label, and what it takes to build a huge soap business, we're ending our three-part conversation with Joanna Couch—the Soap Gal—with a question that might surprise you:

Do you actually need to scale?

In the final episode of our conversation with Joanna Couch of The Soap Gal and Makers Haven, we're talking about something that doesn't get discussed nearly enough in the handmade business world: what success actually means—and whether bigger is always better.

Joanna has built an enormous soap manufacturing business, worked with major brands, taught makers how to scale, and spent years learning what it takes to turn a handmade business into something much bigger.

But her advice might surprise you.

She tells us about the person who watched her videos because they wanted to scale bigger and bigger… only to realize they were actually happy exactly where they were.

And Joanna says that's okay.

We talk about:

🧼 Makers Haven and why Joanna created it 🤝 Why collaboration matters more than competition 💰 Group buying and making supplies more accessible 🏭 How preparation and systems help makers avoid burnout 📦 Soap kits, bases, master batching and cash flow 📱 Social media, consistency and the future of handmade businesses ❤️ Why community is so important to makers 🚫 Why beginners should stop worrying about competition 💻 What every soap maker should automate 💸 Joanna's biggest business mistakes and wastes of money 🏖️ How she actually takes a vacation with 40+ employees 👩‍💼 Why hiring employees can be a gift—not just an expense 🎯 Why entrepreneurs need to think five and ten years ahead 🙏 Joanna's philosophy on goals, faith and purpose ✨ Why not everyone needs to scale 🎨 Why the tiny, incredibly detailed soap can be just as valuable as millions of bars 🚀 And the advice Joanna gives to anyone who has a dream but doesn't think they're big enough to make it happen

There is also a very important conversation about burnout.

Joanna talks about how easy it is to get caught up in the pressure to constantly grow—and why makers need to stop, breathe, and ask themselves what they actually want.

And then there's one of my favorite moments of the entire three-part interview:

“Just do it.”

Not because everyone needs to build a million-dollar company.

Not because everyone needs a 40,000-square-foot facility.

But because you are allowed to pursue the version of success that actually makes you happy.

Whether you're a brand-new soap maker trying to figure out where to start, an established maker wondering whether it's time to scale, or a small-business owner who's completely exhausted from trying to do everything…

this one is for you.

And if you've watched all three parts of our conversation with Joanna, THANK YOU for hanging out with us through the whole thing. We could genuinely have talked to her for another six hours. 😂

🐄 Join the Heifer Herd!

If this episode helped you, subscribe to The Dirty Heifers, give the episode a thumbs-up, and share it with another maker who needs to hear it.

And tell us in the comments:

Do you want to scale your soap business—or are you actually happy keeping it small?

Because there is no wrong answer.

Stay Dirty Heifers.

#TheDirtyHeifers #SoapMaking #SoapBusiness #SoapMaker #MakersHaven #SmallBusiness #HandmadeBusiness #Entrepreneurship #SoapIndustry #HandmadeSoap

What if you could build a successful soap brand without making every single bar yourself?

In Part 2 of our conversation with Joanna Couch of The Soap Gal, we're going behind the label—and into the world of white label, private label, contract manufacturing, branding, and scaling a soap business.

Joanna has spent years manufacturing products for other brands, including major brands and Amazon sellers, so she has a perspective most soap makers simply don't get to hear.

We talk about the difference between white label and private label, what custom manufacturing actually looks like, minimum orders, customization, packaging, lead times, manufacturing costs, and what brands need to know before approaching a manufacturer.

But this conversation goes way beyond manufacturing.

Joanna challenges the idea that you need to make everything yourself to build a successful business. She talks about why she would focus heavily on branding, marketing, and sales if she were starting over today, why knowing your customer comes before choosing your product, and why she thinks social media and a strong website can completely change the way a handmade business grows.

And yes… we get to the golden retriever strategy. 🐕

If you've ever wondered whether you should keep making everything yourself, move into wholesale, explore private label, or spend more of your time selling instead of producing, this episode is packed with ideas to chew on.

And Joanna doesn't sugarcoat it. She talks about mistakes, bad batches, lost money, difficult clients, saying no, and the reality of manufacturing at scale.

This is Part 2 of our three-part conversation with Joanna Couch. If you missed Part 1, go back and watch that first—and make sure you stick around for Part 3, where we dive into Makers Haven, collaboration, community, and Joanna's vision for helping other makers grow.

🧼 In this episode:

• White label vs. private label
• How contract manufacturing works
• How much customization is possible
• Minimum orders and lead times
• Manufacturing for Amazon brands
• What manufacturers wish small brands understood
• Why branding and marketing may matter more than making everything yourself
• How to identify your audience before manufacturing
• Social media vs. your website
• AI and protecting your brand/image
• Starting a soap business in 2026
• Wholesale and the “golden retriever” strategy
• What soap makers get wrong about scaling
• Why you don't necessarily need a huge product line
• Six-figure soap businesses
• The realities of manufacturing mistakes and lost inventory

If you're a soap maker, small-business owner, or handmade entrepreneur, we'd love to have you in the Heifer herd.

👍 Like this episode, subscribe to The Dirty Heifers, and turn on notifications so you don't miss Part 3.

💬 What did Joanna say that made you rethink how you run your business? Tell us in the comments!

And as always…

Stay Dirty Heifers.

#TheDirtyHeifers #SoapMaking #SoapBusiness #PrivateLabel #WhiteLabel #SoapMaker #HandmadeBusiness #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #SoapIndustry

What does it take to go from a 10×10 tax shed to making 12 MILLION bars of soap in a year?

Joanna Couch — better known as The Soap Gal (@thesoapgal) — knows exactly what that looks like.

In Part 1 of our conversation with Joanna, we go WAY beyond the usual “how I started my soap business” story. Joanna takes us through the messy, surprising, and sometimes downright terrifying journey from farmers markets and family recipes to 80,000-bar purchase orders, private label manufacturing, massive production facilities, and millions of bars of soap.

And the biggest lesson? Scaling isn't just about making more soap.

We talk about:

🧼 How Joanna went from a 10×10 tax shed to a 44,000-square-foot facility 🧼 The 80,000-bar purchase order that changed everything 🧼 How she eventually produced as many as 12 million bars in one year 🧼 When you should actually consider scaling your soap business 🧼 Why Joanna says makers quit their jobs too soon 🧼 How to know when it's time to hire help 🧼 Private label and contract manufacturing 🧼 Why knowing your numbers matters 🧼 The equipment that actually makes a difference when you're scaling 🧼 Why your time is worth more than you think 🧼 Slab molds, emulsion blenders, batch software, drying racks and automation 🧼 Why buying ALL the equipment at once can be a huge mistake 🧼 Systems, SOPs, documentation and consistency 🧼 MoCRA, sanitation and why production standards matter 🧼 Why you should narrow down your fragrance lineup 🧼 Limited drops and keeping your customers engaged 🧼 The difference between simply selling more and actually scaling 🧼 One absolutely BRUTAL production mistake involving 200 blocks of soap 🧼 Why mentorship and collaboration matter so much in this industry

Joanna's story is huge, but this conversation isn't just for people dreaming about making millions of bars. It's for the soap maker making 20 bars, 200 bars, or 2,000 bars who is wondering:

“When do I know it's time to grow?”

And Joanna has some very honest answers.

This is Part 1 of our three-part conversation with The Soap Gal, so if you're a soap maker, small business owner, or just someone fascinated by what happens when a handmade business gets REALLY big, you're going to want to stick around for the rest of this conversation.

👉 Subscribe to The Dirty Heifers so you don't miss Parts 2 and 3.

💬 And tell us in the comments: What's the biggest thing holding you back from scaling your soap business?

Follow Joanna: @thesoapgal

#TheDirtyHeifers #SoapMaking #SoapBusiness #SoapMaker #SmallBusiness #HandmadeBusiness #SoapBusinessTips #PrivateLabel #SoapManufacturing #Entrepreneurship

What if quitting your soap business isn’t failure?

What if you built something successful, served amazing customers, learned more than you ever thought you would… and eventually realized you just don’t want to do it anymore?

In this episode of The Dirty Heifers, we sit down with Sharon Reaser of Bumble and Bleat Soap, who made the difficult decision to close her handmade soap business after years of trying to figure out whether she was burned out—or genuinely done.

And that distinction matters.

Sharon talks honestly about the signs of burnout, the changes she made before deciding to close, the guilt of disappointing customers and family, the grief of deleting products she worked so hard to create, and the surprising relief that came with finally saying, “Enough is enough.”

We also get into the practical side of closing a handmade business:

• What happens to your inventory, equipment, molds, and supplies? • What do you do with your website and social media? • Should you shut down your accounts—or reinvent them? • What happens when your business has become part of your identity? • Can you be successful and still decide you’re done? • And how do you know when it’s time to stop pushing?

Sharon also shares what she would tell herself if she could go back to the beginning: slow down, listen to yourself, and remember that YOU are the most important part of the business.

Because sometimes the right answer isn't to work harder.

Sometimes it's to change the business.

Sometimes it's to take a break.

And sometimes… it's okay to close the door.

If you're a soap maker, handmade business owner, or creative entrepreneur who's ever wondered whether you're tired, burned out, or genuinely ready for something different, this conversation is for you.

💬 QUESTION FOR YOU: If you took away the fear of disappointing everyone else, would you still want to be doing what you're doing?

Tell us in the comments. We want to hear your story.

👍 If this episode hit home, give it a like. 💬 Leave us a comment. 🔔 Subscribe to The Dirty Heifers for honest conversations about soap making, handmade business, burnout, mistakes, money, and all the stuff nobody puts on the pretty Instagram posts.

And send this episode to the maker who keeps saying, “I think I’m done”… but is still trying to convince themselves they aren't.

Stay Dirty Heifers. 🐄🧼

In this episode of The Dirty Heifers, we're sharing the biggest money traps we've fallen into during our soap-making journeys. From buying way too many fragrance oils and specialty ingredients to collecting molds we'll never use, we're talking about the purchases we'd skip if we were starting over today.

Whether you're making your very first batch or growing a handmade soap business, this episode will help you avoid expensive mistakes, save money, and focus on what actually matters.

Along the way, we discuss:

• The oils beginners actually need
• Fragrance buying mistakes
• Why sample sizes are your best friend
• The truth about fancy molds
• Soap trends worth skipping
• Equipment that's actually worth the investment
• Scaling your business without wasting money
• The supplies we'd buy again every single time

If you're tired of influencers convincing you that you need everything, this episode is for you.

👇 Tell us in the comments: What's the biggest soap-making purchase you've regretted?

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, give it a Like, Subscribe to The Dirty Heifers, and share it with another soap maker who needs to hear this before placing another supplier order!

Because life is too short to waste money on supplies you'll never use.

#SoapMaking #SoapMaker #HandmadeSoap #SmallBusiness #ColdProcessSoap #SoapBusiness #DIYSoap #Entrepreneur #MakersGonnaMake #TheDirtyHeifers

00:00 Cold Open - The $200 Budget That Became $800

01:24 Sponsor - Warm & Fuzzy Soapery

02:25 Word of the Week: Profligate

05:28 Redneck Word of the Week

06:13 Buying Too Many Oils

11:15 Oils We'd Never Buy Again

14:45 Advice for First-Time Soap Supply Shopping

16:00 Fragrance Buying Mistakes

22:50 How Many Fragrances Do Beginners Need?

25:40 Mold Addiction Is Real

31:15 Which Soap Mold Should You Buy First?

34:25 Soap Trends We Tried (and Skipped)

39:30 3D Printers, Soap Gadgets & Rabbit Trails

44:30 Products We Regret Adding

48:20 Equipment That Actually Changed Our Business

50:10 Buying Supplies Too Early