Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Pope.
Hi Jamie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been a creative person, and over the years, I’ve had more hobbies than I can count. I paint, crochet, make costumes, all sorts of stuff. But my passion for soapmaking came from a love of people. I was in management, looking for ideas for appreciation gifts for my teams. I ended up making them candles, but in my search for ideas online, I started seeing all these gorgeous pictures of bar soap. Up to that point, I had envisioned bar soap as a simple, plain lump that wasn’t particularly interesting. I didn’t even use it, honestly. But when I saw these beautiful, intricate designs, I thought, “Wow, this is the most useful art I’ve ever seen, and I have to learn this.”
I became relentless. I started using bar soap exclusively, bought soap from a variety of other makers, watched hours and hours of YouTube content, ordered books, joined the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetics Guild, learned everything I could get my hands on, earned a few levels of certifications, and jumped into making, and I haven’t stopped since. The ideas just keep coming, and if I go too long without making soap, I start to go stir-crazy. I turned it into a business just to give me an excuse to keep making it. My good friend Barrie, who owns Drogo Coffee and Tea, gave me the push that I needed and helped me get off the ground. Now I have an online shop, I’m working on additional certifications, and I’ve started doing local pop-up markets. I’ve expanded my line to include other self-care products, such as lip balm, bath bombs, sugar scrubs, and more. My friend Nick Russell, who is a guru with all things salty, fizzy, and botanical, creates some amazing bath salts, bath teas, and other items, so we’re starting to add those to the lineup as well.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m still learning a lot every single day, whether it’s which markets to vend and which to avoid, what sells well and what doesn’t, or how to make a Tiktok (which is still incredibly daunting, by the way). It’s especially challenging to handle pop-up markets when I’m 5’0″ and built like a twelve-year-old because my tent outweighs me. But I would say one of my biggest hurdles has been learning how to avoid getting ripped off. I’ve been taken advantage of a few times by businesses supposedly wanting to carry my soap, and I’ve signed up for markets that ghosted me after taking my vendor fee. Every situation is a learning opportunity, but it’s painful to lose the money along the way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have a background in social work, and I have a passion for mythology and folklore. I have built those things into my brand by designing products to bring awareness to worthwhile causes, to educate people about interesting feminine figures, and in some cases to highlight the vilification of women that has been all too prevalent in cultures throughout the world. Feminine monsters in mythology serve as dire warnings against women who fall outside of social norms, who are too sexual, too independent, too strong, etc. I choose to celebrate the story of feminine power in all its forms by crafting soap and other products inspired by monsters, goddesses, and feminine figures in history. I have soaps inspired by the banshee, the valkyrie, the succubus, Baba Yaga, and Medusa, and goddesses such as Hecate, Ixcacao, and Persephone.
I also have limited edition soaps inspired by cocktails and sweet treats, such as Red Velvet Cake and Piña Colada, because it gives me an excuse to make soaps with fruit juices, purees, teas, coffee, and other fun things. I use luxury ingredients, such as coconut milk, goat milk, clays, butters, and silk in most of my soaps, and every detail, from the ingredients to the fragrance to the design, is meticulously crafted to go with the theme of the bar. And, because I will always be a social worker at heart, proceeds from some bars go to great charities, such as the Bee Conservancy, the National Alliance for Mental Illness, and the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I have an ever-growing collection of books on cryptids, urban legends, mythology, and folklore, my favorite of which is Women and Other Monsters by Jess Zimmerman. I also have a stack of books about notable women in history. My brain never stops coming up with new soap ideas, and I love getting inspiration from these stories.
I still have a full-time day job, plus my business, so free time is hard to come by. When my brain needs to disconnect, I tend to escape into comedic podcasts, such as Food Crime and Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. Or I nerd out on soapmaking channels on YouTube.
Pricing:
- Soap ranges from $10-$12
- Sugar scrub is $8
- Lip balm is $3
- Other items typically range from $8-$12
Contact Info:
- Website: www.FireWithinApothecary.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/firewithinapothecary
- Facebook: facebook.com/firewithinapothecary
- Other: tiktok.com/@firewithinapothecary
Image Credits
All photos: Jamie Pope
