Conversations with Tiffany Bates

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Bates.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
At the end of 2017, after the passing of my father, I felt a deep need for change—both emotionally and financially. At the time, my husband and I owned two stores on the square in Covington, Georgia: a home décor shop, Jaymes & Co., and a clothing boutique, Sweet River. Jaymes & Co. wasn’t thriving, and on what felt like a mix of grief, instinct, and hope, I made the decision to close it.

I knew I wanted to bring something fresh to our town—something with multiple price points, where anyone could walk in and find something they loved, no matter their budget. After tossing around countless ideas, it suddenly clicked. One evening I told my husband, “I’m going to open a soap and bath bomb store.” And just like that, The Soap Box was born.

I dove headfirst into closing Jaymes & Co. and creating The Soap Box—researching suppliers, learning ingredients, and studying formulas to make products with fewer, simpler ingredients. From the very beginning, this store felt like me. It reignited a creativity I hadn’t realized I’d lost, and I fell in love with the process. Creating mostly natural products with something for everyone quickly became my passion.

Soon after, we also closed Sweet River so I could focus fully on The Soap Box. As a mom of three boys, that focus was something I needed more than I knew at the time.

In the beginning, I stocked the store with products from reputable small businesses while I slowly learned to make my own. There were plenty of mistakes along the way—probably more failures than successes—but each one taught me something new. Over the following year, I learned how to create every product we carried. Today, I make about 90% of what we sell both in-store and online. Due to demand, I’ve brought back a few items from trusted suppliers simply because I couldn’t keep up as a one-woman operation.

For the past eight years, The Soap Box has been kept alive by the most wonderful local customers and visitors alike. Tourism plays a huge role in our story. Located in what many know as “Mystic Falls” from The Vampire Diaries, we welcome customers from all over the world—many of whom continue to support us long after their visit through online orders.

The Soap Box is more than a store. It’s creativity rediscovered, healing through making, and a space built with heart—one bar, bomb, and bottle at a time.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Retail is hard in general. Learning to pivot when things are not doing well was hard. Knowing just because you love something doesn’t mean everyone will. Learning online trends are not always great local. Is all part of the process. I tried to offer to many things in to many scents in the beginning. Creating a custom scent bar with 40+ items that can be scented on the spot in any scent you choose was huge for us. Because everyone’s scent preferences are not the same.

COVID was a huge struggle , we were not sure what would happen but luckily we survived

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create all our bath and body items by hand. Everything from candles wax melts to bath and body items like creams ,body butters,facial care sugar scrubs bubble bath Soaps To non toxic cleaners detergents to mop soaps , car fresheners aroma beads Reed diffusers Then choosing scents that everyone will love. With over 140 non toxic fragrance options we literally have something for everyone and every skin type.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Risk taking is scary. That’s more of my husbands personality than mine He had to push me to make big moves. Like opening the soap box. Or going into retail from the beginning. Believing in what you offer is the most important thing and makes the risk easier to swallow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Thesoapboxcovington.com
• Instagram: Thesoapboxcovington
• Facebook: Thesoapboxcovington
• TikTok: the soap box Covington