In 2011, Stacy Hawthorne of Ooltewah was let go from her former corporate job of more than 20 years. So it’s no wonder the 48-year-old was looking for a little more creativity in her next venture.
She started playing around with making soaps; first just melting big blocks of soap down, adding colors and scents and then molding them. She made laundry soap and soap for friends. But now she’s hand-making beautiful soaps – works of art, even – from scratch and selling them, as a part of her personal business, Jolee Savon.
“Back then I didn’t really have time to pursue my creative side, so I’m happy to be able to do this now,” Hawthorne said. “I just got hooked from the very first soap. It really intrigued me.”
Her soaps are filling people’s homes and even North Shore’s Green Door Trading Company shop and East Brainerd’s Good World Goods.
“Making the soaps from scratch, well there is this artistic side to it that I really like,” Hawthorne said. “There’s so many possibilities and ways to make things different.”