Interview an Expert: Candi Herbert
If you are in the Mobile area and looking for a local business to buy gifts and products for your daily life like shampoo, deodorant, laundry detergent, and more, Magnolia Soap is for you!
Thank you Candi Herbert, owner of Magnolia Soap and Bath Co. in Mobile, Alabama, for sitting down with The Squad to interview you!
Key takeaways:
- Magnolia Soap products are safe and smell good
- Find joy from giving
- Never give up
Why did you decide to open Magnolia Soap?
When traveling through Mississippi, Candi went to Magnolia Soap and fell in love with the products. They had safe, non-toxic ingredients and smelled so good! She knew she had to bring this company to Mobile.
Candi is a physical therapist and still works 1 day per week as a PT. However, she had been open to the small business world when she discovered Magnolia Soap and knew this would be the perfect opportunity.
What do you love most about your job?
Candi loves the girls who work with her and says they’re more like daughters than employees. She loves to meet new people who shop and says she has become friends with many of her customers. She also loves how wonderful the store smells and that she smells like the store all day even after she leaves. (We have to agree! It smells so good in there!)
What are some challenges you face with work?
There are many challenges with owning your own small business. Since Magnolia is still newly opened, one of the initial challenges was staffing. They were able to learn the business day and times based on the time of year and have been able to adjust schedules to meet the needs of customers.
Marketing and getting the word out is also a big challenge– Particularly when it comes to knowing where to spend and save money for advertising.
What is it about your job that brings you joy?
Candi gets so much joy working with the girls in the shop each day. She also enjoys getting to know her customers. Since many are regulars, she gets to know her customers personally. Candi loves helping people find products they love and that are also safe for them and their families. They have fun creating new soap designs for the holidays, and most items are made in-store.
What advice would you give young entrepreneurs?
Never give up when things get hard. There will be days when you don’t feel successful and business is hard. Don’t give up! The good days will come.
How do you feel you help the community?
Magnolia Soap loves supporting its local community, and they have three main ways they help out.
One way is by providing donations to organizations for auctions. They often donate multiple times per month!
They work with a program where a student from USA with disabilities does an internship with them.
They work with One Happy Herd which is a program for adults with special needs.
We Appreciate Magnolia Soap in Mobile, AL
Thank you Candi and Magnolia Soap for welcoming us into your store, giving us a tour, and allowing us to smell your incredible products. We learned so much and had fun.
You can find Candi over on Instagram at @magnoliasoapandbathmobile.
[Read more about small business owners and their lessons learned here]