Maggie Hanus is the creative mind behind the wildly popular A Wild Soap Bar brand, based in Austin, TX.
Home grown and family run, theirs is a success story we are proud to be a part of!
What is your favorite part of the maker’s process?
I've done every job there is to do around here (from soap maker to bookkeeper to janitor), but my favorite one is designing new recipes or new packaging.
How did you go about starting the business?
I taught myself to make soap after reading a little book by Sandy Maine back in 1995 and I haven't been able to stop ever since. I was running an afterschool program for the YMCA and I began giving soap for every gift giving occasion. Then I started selling soap to the parents. But soapmaking is addicting so I started having more soap than I could give away or sell to parents. At that point I started a website in 2000 and our business has grown beyond my wildest dreams; mostly by word of mouth. It's been a heck of a lot of work, but it's been a great experience also.
Do you like a tidy work space or functional chaos?
I prefer a clean and organized space, but to be honest, it's very rarely that way...if ever. We keep it down to a dull roar.
What has been your biggest challenge as a growing small business?
I think our biggest challenge has been having enough space for our rapidly growing business. I started out in my home, then moved the operation to a small travel trailer next to our home. After that my son came to work for me and we built a small shop building on our rural property. A few years later we doubled the size of that and later purchased two 40 foot shipping containers for storage. Right now we have 8 employees and we're working in a space that's way too small but somehow we manage because not everybody is there at the same time.
What brings you the most joy outside of the creative process?
The flexibility of being my own boss brings me the greatest joy. The freedom to make my own schedule, to dress however I want, and to work on my own terms is priceless.
Anything exciting in the works/coming up for you this year?
I'm retiring this year so that's super exciting! Our son Jory is taking over the business we've built together for the past 29 years and I couldn't be more proud.