This week in our ongoing Meet the Maker series, we’re getting to know Lynn, the woman, mother, and big hearted entrepreneur behind the brand Emma’s Friends Soaps & Lotions. This is a brand that is near and dear to our heart and we absolutely adore what Lynn is working towards, and working for.

 

 

LBC: What inspired you to take the leap as an entrepreneur?
Lynn: For me it was a backwards representation of the old saying: necessity is the mother of invention, in that for me, it was: motherhood illustrated a necessity for invention.

Our daughter Emma, who just turned 13 (!) was born with multiple disabilities. She is an amazing girl, full of life and brings us so much joy. Having a child with disabilities, meant, for me, that I would submerge myself into this new world and learn all I could; do all I could to help Emma live her life to its fullest. I began serving on Boards of non-profits that provided services to individuals with disabilities, and I became aware of the types of work available for adults with disabilities. I began to think about Emma and what I hoped her life would be like when she was older. I wanted a place where she would be appreciated for what she can do, not what she can’t; a place where she would be valued for all the things she is able to do, when she is able to do them, not to be judged or compared with a fully-abled body; where she could create things other people would admire and where she would enjoy her work.

Meanwhile I had been making bath and body goods to gift “Team Emma” for all they did to help our daughter grow and develop. Soon after, I began to receive requests to buy the gifts I had been making. An epiphany occurred: we could create a place where adults with special needs are celebrated, enabled, enjoyed, loved and are productive, creative and valued. And advocate for them, always sharing with others about all the joy and value their lives bring. And so, Emma’s Friends was born.

 

LBC: How would you describe what you create?
Lynn: We are handcrafters of luxurious, cold-process olive oil based hand-poured, hand-cut bar soaps, fabulously foaming liquid soaps, crazy good cocoa butter, jojoba oil creams, lip loving balms, sumptuous sugar scrubs and simple but wonderful line of scratch made goods for the face including an aloe and honey face wash, sweet cream scrub and botanically infused moisturizer… and more! Our soaps are wrapped by our Friends, with custom packaging designed to fully engage them in the process from start to finish. They also weigh, mix and bottle our dry bath goods. Did I mention they adore their work? We strive to engage them in as much of the process as is possible while keeping their safety and the safety of our products at the fore.

 

LBC: When you first got started, how did you envision your business would be defined?
Lynn: I believe we have achieved what I had hoped in terms of how people think of Emma’s Friends. The response we get from people when we share our story has truly been wonderful. I know that before I had “an Emma” I didn’t understand there could be such joy and so much life in a family situation like ours. I would see families, like ours now, and think the situation surely had to be sad. Wow, that couldn’t be further from the truth of our lives. Different, absolutely, and, at times more challenging than most families deal with, but so very much joy and happiness. That is what I hope people take away when they come in contact with all of us at Emma’s Friends. From an internal perspective, it is my goal for Emma’s Friends to be the employer of choice for adults [and their families] with special needs.

 

LBC: Where can we find your products?
Lynn: You can find our goods in our two brick and mortar locations, located in Tamaqua and West Hazleton, PA, various regional spas, retail and gift shops, online at our website and Amazon, as guest room amenities at the Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, in their Spa and Gift Shop and at juried show schedule in the Mid-Atlantic region.

 

LBC: Walk us through a typical work day.
Lynn: My day starts after Emma is off to school as she is fully hands on for her daily needs. Then, I take some time in the morning for devotions. After the commotion of the getting Emma off to school, it brings me a sense of peace and focus. I check emails in my home office, then head off to our shop. Mondays and Tuesdays our store is closed and I have no staff on hand so I can focus on office work and production that requires my solo attention. The rest of the week, our production/store staff is in and we work on group production tasks, and we have two smaller teams of Friends in the store working, with our larger team of Friends working off location. I’ll make product, they will bottle, cap, label and shelf it. Or wrap cured soaps; make our dry goods and bottle, cap and label. It seems there is constant movement and we are always looking to make sure our process is efficient. Our production schedule rotates, so there isn’t a set schedule per se. And, in between production, we have customers coming in to the store to purchase goods and meet for custom work.

 

LBC: What are the some things makers should think through when they initially decide to start a business?
Lynn:  1) Good question! Of course, finances are a concern. How are you going to finance your start-up and for, say, the next 3 years. I’m a planner. 😉 I think we, as a whole, underestimate how much it will cost to open, build and establish a business. Most businesses flare out in the first 5 years for lack of funding or burn-out. If you don’t plan for more than just the first year, I think you set yourself up for failure. And, set up, from the get-go, separate accounts for your business. I recommend an operating account (checking) and a savings account for your business. I would “sweep” my sales tax amounts from shows immediately over to my savings account after the show so I wouldn’t be trying to figure out how to come up with that sales tax money weeks or months later. I also didn’t pay myself for a very, very long time. I was fortunate that I was able to reinvest everything back into the company.

2) Scale: is your business scalable? How will you manage to growth? I would suggest writing every step in your process down as soon as you can. A) it will develop what will later be known as your SOP (standard operating procedure) that others, as you grow, can then pick up and do the work you alone have been doing when you are ready to grow and B) it will help highlight inefficiencies in your process. I did not do this and I highly recommend not doing it the hard way [my way!]. I struggled with getting myself out of the production so that we could grow the business. I am still working to fully establish this and can. not. wait. for it all to be in place. Then, I celebrate!

3) How much do you really LOVE doing what you are doing? I know for me, if it weren’t for the passion I have for our Friends and our mission, there were times when I might have thrown in the towel. The B+B business is tough because of the low cost of entry and the densely populated field. Were it not for the fact that why we do what we do being the driver for Emma’s Friends, I don’t know that I would have made it to this point. But, I truly am completely and passionately madly in love with what we do.

 

LBC: When you’re overwhelmed, what brings you back to focus?
Lynn: Cleaning off my desk. With all that goes on in our daily lives and the upsets that Emma’s life can bring on in an instant, I have a tendency to pile things on my desk. And, I really don’t like piles, but sometimes life gets away from me. When I feel completely underwater and I feel like I can’t move, I start throwing and filing. Getting down to the wood on my desk is like clearing out my mind. Once that desk is cleaned off, I feel like I can focus. See the problem, find a solution or work-around and get the team on it. Chocolate helps too. 😉

 

 

LBC: Tell us about a few of the best business decisions you’ve made to date.
Lynn:Setting up separate business accounts and sweeping over sales taxes, and now, payroll taxes.

Not really a decision as I was pushed into accepting it, but accepting help from some amazing friends of mine in the first few years. Angie and Tina, two of my awesome friends, would join me in my basement and cap and label their hearts out until 3, 4, 6 am and then go home, shower and join me at a show to sell it too. Seriously, without them pushing their help on me, we couldn’t be here. Angela Gadola, there is a eucalyptus scented crown for you in heaven! Then, it was hiring my first part time person, Marie. Life. Saving.

Learning to scale thanks to Lela Barker and the trilogy of course that taught that to me in full: LBU, GMP, Selling to Spas. That combo of courses brought me so much knowledge and practical application, it is really ridiculous. An out-growth of that, our pneumatic filling machine. I seriously love that thing, it has changed my life. Just about kiss it daily (then mist with alcohol, don’t worry, I follow GMP).

 

LBC: Please share one mistake or obstacle from your business experience. 
Lynn: If I could go back and get a re-do, I would roll back a few years and learn/put into place what I am doing now. I would implement process. I would recognize that I need help, that not only is it not healthy to try to do it all, but it is not effective to try to do it all when you get to a certain point. We were there a few years ago and I just kept pushing through. Mostly because I couldn’t figure out how to get to the other side. I know have a map and a coach to kick me, kiss me, troubleshoot too. Invaluable.

 

LBC: Is there a cause or organization that you’re particularly passionate about?
Lynn: Absolutely and you can probably guess that our hearts are geared toward those with special needs. So, locally we support organizations that support, encourage and celebrate them. We also have a fundraiser program to work with regional organizations in support of their mission. And, we give through our Church and have helped “our” orphanage purchase acres of land so they can plant their own crops to feed the children and sell to support their mission, helped drill wells, as well as build a church.

 

LBC: What are 3 essential resources in your business toolbox you can’t do without?
Lynn: 1) My husband. It might sound a little strange, but he has, from the beginning, been a solid counselor. Coming with the experiences he has had with his own business, he has offered an ear to listen to my challenges [as well as both arms to load, unload, setup and break down at shows] and a persistent spirit over the years it took to get through my thick head to recognize that I needed help.

2) A website that communicates to shipping software that prints to a shipping label printer. Why, oh why, did it take me so long? I am working to sync up more of our processes to further streamline our process.

3) Lela. I am not saying that to ingratiate myself to her or because this is going up on her blog. She’s small in stature, but mighty in knowledge, experience and wit and her willingness to share all of that to help others succeed is extraordinary. She has an ability to bring clarity to a situation, truly a gift. Her input has been a game changer for me.

 

 

LBC: Suppose we had a time machine. If we blasted ourselves forward a few years, where would we see your company?
Lynn: What an exciting question! I see Emma’s Friends with a staff fully equipped to do the daily tasks without my direct input so that I can do more communicating our message, advocating for our Friends and working to develop relationships with other organizations to move the ball forward for people like our Friends. We would continue to grow our team of Friends and bringing a sense of purpose, pride and fulfillment to more lives. This would all lead to our products being available in more retail locations, and our communities recognizing the value and joy our Friends bring to life. I tell you, I can’t wait to live out our future!

 

LBC: If you’ve been a client of Lucky Break Consulting, please detail which specific products or services you’ve utilized and how they’ve proved helpful.
Lynn: I will forever be grateful to have had the experience of enrolling in and completing Lucky Break University.  The course was truly amazing.  I had no idea how much I didn’t know about how to position Emma’s Friends for the wholesale market.  I walked away with so much practical application to improve our wholesale program that I am still working on implementing all of it.  The content, and application, of it is that dense, yet provided in a way that doesn’t make you want to turn and run, or, stick your head in the sand.  What I have been able to apply thus far has already increased the quality of the wholesale accounts we have as well as the order volume and dollar amount.  And the LBU Coaching Group; invaluable.  Not only the access to Lela and the monthly business building projects, but the amazing group of makers who share and share alike.  Aside from our recent male addition, it has become  something of a sisterhood to me. One that offers constructive feedback, ongoing support for your whole person (business and real-life) and shared experiences and resources.  Amazing.

 

LBC: Share one of your guiltiest pleasures.  
Lynn: A book, a beach, a (baby) sitter

 

LBC: If you could hire someone to do just one thing that you sort of loathe doing, what would it be? 
Lynn: Paperwork – every type there is to be done… anyone, anyone? Buehler? Buehler?

 

LBC: What’s your favorite quote, and who said it? 
Lynn: “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?”  ― Robert Browning

 

Thank you, Lynn, for sharing your talent with us (and your incredibly giving spirit)!  We absolutely love your line and we look forward to all the wonderful things ahead for Emma’s Friends Soaps & Lotions! We’re cheering you on…

 

Want to see your brand featured in our continuing “Meet the Maker” series? Drop us a line: hello AT luckybreakconsulting.com. Please use “MEET THE MAKER” as the subject line and be certain to include your web address. We look forward to hearing from you!