Today we’d like to introduce you to Shenine Self.
Hi Shenine, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
BKind Soap & Succulents was founded in 2020 by me. North Carolina is my home!
I have a love for growing…from my very own food & herbs to my succulent plants & beautiful roses and enjoy taking nothing & turning it into something.
I love recycling anything & making it whole again.
So, I decided to do more with my herbs. Instead of only utilizing them in my foods/cooking-I researched how to blend herbs & other natural elements into soaps & essentials for everyone in the family including the family dog!
And with how times have changed and many of our favorite stores HAVE closed shop, BKind was born. Having friends & family needing a more natural, chemical-free soap due to skin issues & irritations-my natural & herbal soaps are able to play a big part in providing relief.
As I have always looked at ingredient lists… (now that’s scary)… I wanted to handcraft soaps but without the extra additives & dyes-TRULY natural.
Natural colorants & powders go into my products. I use therapeutic grade essential oils that are subtle in scent-sourced from nature.
What goes ON your body is just as important as what goes IN your body!
My soaps are made in small batches so I can give each bar that “handcrafted” attention.
This is how BKind Soap & Succulents was born!
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?
It has not been a smooth road as I am a black-owned small business. I started with no savings, no money due to losing my previous job, and all benefits to Covid. I basically had to start over and secure my own health insurance. There was time when I had to sell all my stocks and cash out my 401k account just to pay a bill. I have faced many other setbacks in getting my products out there along with securing a retail storefront space to sell my soap & plants in. I find it challenging when it comes to any type grants or small loans that would help my business grow and be more successful. There have been many unanswered calls and messages in regards to potential retail spaces/shops. I literally had our local mall’s director tell me no, he would not rent me a kiosk or small booth because I have soap & bath products. Yet, there’s many other competitive type businesses in any given mall. I felt at times I was and have been discriminated against. Especially when I direct people to my website to learn about me and the business.
With all these obstacles that I have faced, I have persevered and kept going. Many times, I have thought to just give up but told myself, “I will and can do this.”
I can be a successful business owner!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I handcraft soap and bath products for the whole family including the family dog. My specialty is shea butter and oatmeal, goats’ milk, hemp, and glycerin soaps using natural colorants and powders. Preservative, sulfate, and paraben-free soaps. I am most proud that I am able to source my own Loofah/Luffa sponges that are inside many of my soaps. I love gardening and growing herbs, roses, flowers, Succulents, and other plants.
There are not a lot of black-owned female businesses in my immediate area, so I am a firm believer this makes me different and catches eyes. Even though I have a storefront, I love vendoring community events and getting out with the public showing them who I am and what I do! I get great feedback from these community events and the people in general.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
I’m an open book. I love helping other handmade artisans and craftspeople in getting their online Etsy shops up and operating-as this is how I started. Etsy is a great online platform in driving traffic and helps teach you the fundamentals of running your own business/shop. I have taught myself SEO, algorithm help, and how to design and operate my own website.
Support me by giving my handmade soap, bath essentials, and/or plants a try. Tell a friend about BKind!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bkindhandcrafted.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/bkindsoapsucculents
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/bkindsoapsucculents
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bkind_nc
- Other: bkindsoapsucculents.etsy.com
