“I’m here to introduce one of my good friends and co-workers at my hometown coffee shop, woman entrepreneur, Dakota. She is a small business owner here in our area, and she’s been doing really cool things on social media and just in general. We thought we would bring her on to share a little bit more about a product-based business.”
Listen along to the podcast version HERE
Tell us a little about yourself outside of your business
I am 23 years old. I’m married, and I’m a mom of two. I am a barista at the local coffee shop in Sun Prairie that Liv works at. I originally, you know, got out of high school and wanted to be an elementary teacher, it didn’t work out and then I became a barista and started my own business.
Now, tell us about what you do and what kinds of products you make.
So I make bath and body products. I handmake like liquid soap, bar soap, bath bombs, bubble Scoops, lip balms, all that sorts of things.
What is the name of your shop and how did you come up with that?
The name of the shop is actually Shop Rosie Bee, and my daughter’s name is Bella Rose so it’s kind of like a spin-off of her name.
Is there a certain product that is your favorite to make or a best seller?
The main product I sell is bar soap, but I like doing everything else too. I’m slowly adding onto that.
How did you get into making bath and body products and how did it become the business that it is today? Did you always plan on selling it in this quantity?
No, not really. When I was in high school, I did all of those DIY beauty things that you do in High school. I loved doing those. I grew up with very little money, and so I was always making my own stuff. And when I was pregnant with my daughter, I had to take a little leave when she was born, and I was baking too much. We were getting very very overweight. I had to figure out something else to do, so I started making bath salts and melt and pour soaps and it grew from there.
What are some of the challenges that you face as a product-based business?
Coming up with new ideas. Coming up with new ideas that I feel like everybody will like. I have so many ideas–sometimes too many ideas. It is kind of like figuring out which ones are a priority, and getting those out first, then slowly bringing everything else in.
How do you decide what to do and how far ahead do you plan?
As a soapmaker, you are actually planning two to three months in advance, because the soap itself takes over a month to make. Then you have to plan out what you want and that takes about a week or two, and then you have to order the supplies for it. You are planning it like two to three months in advance. I’m like Christmas in July right now.
Let’s talk about social media because you are amazing at it. How did you learn how to capitalize on platforms like Instagram?
My mom does search engine optimization. Last year I kind of interned with her over the last summer while on a maternity leave situation. I really like the social media aspect of it, and I kind of took what I learned from her, the online courses, and everything, and I have implemented it in there my like social media pages.
Then like I’ve been following my other social media managers and just kind of like collecting tips from them all. It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot more work than you could ever imagine. There is so much to do on Instagram and everything else.
That was one of the biggest things I’ve learned, since Instagram and Tik Tok are kind of competing right now they are really pushing those reels out. The more reels you get out, the more they push your content out, then more followers and more engaging.
Most people have heard about the changes coming to Instagram- a focus more on the video side of the platform. How have you already begun to adapt & what are you planning to do?
I’m really trying, it’s really difficult. Instagram just used to be just a photo app and that was it. You know you post a photo three years ago and you would get a hundred thousand likes or whatever. Now it is just like everybody wants to see those reels, IGTV, youtube, everything.
Has making those reels and posting developed your confidence at all?
The more I go, the more I realize I know what I’m doing and it’s not so scary. It’s just like oh, I have to make this content for my page.
What is your favorite part about running your own business?
You know what? It’s honestly like the stuff that I’m making. It’s just so much fun. I’m going to the studio every day, and I’m just creating things. I’m just making things. It’s so fun to me, I’ve just always loved making things with my hands. I really really like doing this, and I’m getting a lot better at it. Cause at first it was not great, but practice makes perfect.
Has being a young, successful, woman entrepreneur changed your thinking about your future and what you want to do? Have you ever thought about combining your passions of teaching and this business?
Definitely. When I graduated high school I wanted to be an elementary teacher. I wanted to teach kids, and that was exactly what I wanted to do, and I went to school for it, and it didn’t work out. It was just like a side business, like Christmas money, and then it started growing even more.
And now I’m getting a studio, and opening a shop in person. It’s weird but it’s like now I find myself scrolling through people’s Instagram pages who do the same thing as me, and they are just so inspiring. One of the many many many ideas written down in so many notebooks is that would like to [combine passions] and I have my shop set up currently to have people come in and do those classes where they can learn how to make bath bombs, bar soaps, all that fun stuff.
How do you separate yourself and your business from what other people are doing very similar?
Yeah, it’s definitely difficult. I try my best to use everybody as inspiration rather than just straight-up copying something. So if I see some sort of bath bomb that everybody’s doing, that’s like okay everybody likes that. Okay, maybe I’ll do that, but I’ll do my own design on it.
I just made something I’m really excited about which is a bear soap. I haven’t seen anyone do it yet, but the bottom half is a brown teddy bear and the top part is green. I took one of those woodsy scents, that everyone is doing, and I was like yes! A bear!
For those starting out or wanting to start a small business of their own–what is something that you wish someone had told you when you began?
You know it was it’s not even that. It’s more of what people did tell me, and I just didn’t listen to them. People say this all of the time but literally, go at your own pace.
Do not overestimate. Do not.
Because that’s what I did, and then I made way too much, and then I sat on product for 6 to 7 months because I was like, I made way too much of this, and I way overestimated.
A note from AVL x RGT
We loved speaking with Dakota about the business that she has developed & her experience as a woman entrepreneur. If you want to see more of her products and support her, check out her Instagram & Etsy page below!
If you want to hear about more amazing woman entrepreneurs, check out this page on the blog!