I want you to think back to when you were eleven years old. What was your big dream? Maybe you wanted to be a famous singer or athlete, have a castle, adopt a certain pet, or maybe you wanted to be the “youngest person ever” to do something amazing. I want you to think of your big, limitless, maybe a bit less-than-realistic dreams. I had plenty of dreams just like that growing up, and I still have some of the same dreams today. However, at 11 years old, I had my heart set on buying a goldendoodle puppy. My dream was to have a sweet little ball of fluff to call my own — to play with, to love. I had brought up the idea to my parents multiple times, to which they said no, over and over again. As a persistent and determined child, I kept asking despite getting the same answer, holding onto hope that my dream would one day come true.

One day, on a car ride, I asked again. This time, the answer wasn’t simply a no — my mother’s response was a challenge. 

She told me I could have a goldendoodle puppy if I raised the money to buy one myself. It didn’t quite register to my eleven-year-old self that she was only joking, assuming it would be impossible for a little girl to raise the thousands of dollars necessary to buy a puppy. 

But I believed that no matter the challenge, the sky was the limit as to my capabilities, no matter how unrealistic my goals and dreams seemed at the time. I accepted her challenge and instantly started brainstorming ways to make money. A lemonade stand? Jewelry? A fundraiser?

That’s when it hit me.

I looked down at the magazine resting in my lap — a copy of Willow and Sage. The magazine taught me how to make natural soaps, scrubs, and body butters. Little did I know, picking it up earlier that day, that very magazine would inspire my business and shape my future so deeply. I flipped through the pages until I landed on a section about melt-and-pour soap making. It seemed simple enough for someone my age, and like something I’d enjoy.

 In an instant, I had my big idea: I wanted to start a soap business.

I shared the idea with my mom and sister, who were in the car with me, and they loved it just as much as I did. My sister, who also wanted to save up for a puppy of her own, asked if she could join. We started to discuss name ideas, and just like that — Sister Soaps was born. Not just a business with a goal behind it, but a way to bond as siblings and work toward our dreams together. Looking back now, I couldn’t be more grateful for my mother’s challenge.

Starting a business at such a young age taught me something important: age doesn’t define an entrepreneur. Passion, ambition, creativity, and persistence do.

That’s exactly what this blog is about — the stories behind our soaps, the big dreams we have for our business, the adventures we’ve had along the way, and everything that’s to come. Thank you so much for reading this blog and following along as two sisters turn a simple idea into something bigger than we ever imagined.

Love, Alexi

*CEO and Founder of Sister Soaps*