An Interview with Joy King of Sweet Surrender

Joy King is the owner and Mastercrafter of Sweet Surrender, a home-based business where she makes bath and body treats such as soaps, bath bombs, and whipped body butter. Everything is handmade from scratch. Some of the additives Joy enjoys to use are Kaolin Clay, Colloidal Oatmeal, and/or Goat Milk powder, for their soothing, softening, and conditioning properties and like all other ingredients she uses, they're organic or plant based. All of her soap recipes are formulated by her and they're handmade using the cold process method using natural minerals (Micas) for colorants and fragrance oils that are skin safe and phthalate free. 

Joy makes sure to research and source the highest quality, oils and butters from cruelty-free and sustainable sources and create high quality, all natural, luxury products that are not only enjoyable to use, but most importantly they moisturize and nourish your skin. 

What was your motivation to start your own business?

As a mother, wife, and consumer, I understand the importance of having a product you can trust and rely on to do what it says it will do. My family and I have very sensitive skin so we can't use just anything. At some time or another, we all have struggled with finding high quality products that are effective, yet gentle; moisturizing without being laden with chemicals and/or GMO's. Like most people, I found myself either settling for the brand names I was most familiar with, or the best economical choice for my household budget. 

Over the years, I've spent so much time and money on special brands and products to cleanse and moisturize my family's skin, only to have to spend more money on expensive prescription creams and ointments to reverse and correct the damage done from the harshness of the products I was buying! It was a very frustrating and expensive cycle! 

When I replaced store bought lotions, creams, and soaps, with my handmade products, the change was almost instant! Our skin was clean, soft, supple, and moisturized and we no longer needed prescription creams and ointments to keep our dermatitis under control! It was very empowering to be able to choose every single ingredient used in my soaps and body butters and know they would be safe and gentle. I thought, "Who wouldn't want the same for their family'? I understand not everyone shares my passion for soap making and not everyone is into D.I.Y. (Do-It-Yourself) so when my husband suggested I sell my products, I went for it!

Walk me through some of the first few steps you took to get to where you are today? 

In 2014, I noticed my hair (which was permed) started thinning in the front so I began researching different products to help nourish my hair and scalp and prevent hair loss. With every product, I kept finding ingredient lists that contained more chemicals than natural ingredients so I asked myself, "Why would I use more chemicals to fix a problem caused by chemicals in the first place"? It just didn't make sense to me so I decided to go natural! I tried transitioning for a couple weeks but go so fed up with the different textures of hair, I cut all my hair off and that's when the real work began! I was on my computer every chance I had researching essential oils, natural oils and butters trying to find the perfect combination to heal and nourish my chemically burned scalp and damaged hair follicles which was causing "scab hair". 

After weeks and weeks of testing and research, I came up with a recipe that my hair and scalp loved! While applying to my scalp one day, I rubbed the excess on the back of my hands which is where my dermatitis is the worst. An hour later my hands were so soft and moisturized; I knew I was on to something! I went back into my kitchen, made a couple tweaks, and Voila! My body butter was born! A few weeks later, I came across The Soap Making Studio in Lemon Grove, CA, and from the very first class, I knew I found my passion and I was hooked! 

What has been your biggest challenge so far?

Marketing...ugh! As time progresses and technological advances are made, it changes the way we do business. Word of mouth (Network Marketing) has been around since the beginning of time, but with the advent of social media, it's a must! 

I've always been a very private person so engaging on social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and the like take me far outside my comfort zone. I struggle with quality content! I say quality content because I really don't think anyone cares about the supplies I'm ordering, then again I could be very wrong! LOL

I know I'm a bit late, but I'm really starting to dig Instagram! One of these days I'll join the rest of the population in the 21st century! LOL I find Instagram more my thing because I don't have to "say" a lot, my product photos speak for themselves. I'm no great photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but I believe the love, time and attention to detail I put into my products can be seen.  

How did you overcome this challenge?

I'm a work in progress. I'm very aware of my limitations, which I believe is a good thing because I'm constantly learning and trying new things to figure out what works best for me. 

If a young person walked up asking your advice and only had a few minutes, what would be your best advice?

Be persistent, consistent, and open to constructive criticism, and always follow up with contacts and leads. If you provide samples of your products to people, don't just put it in their hands and walk away. Follow up with them every couple of days until they try them and find out what they liked about your overall product, packaging, etc. More importantly, find out what they didn't like and keep notes. Some criticisms/suggestions will be personal preferences, but if you see a pattern, it's an issue you need to deal with. You should already know you're products are great, so you're not looking for accolades but ways to improve your products to convert those prospects into loyal customers. A sale here and there is okay, but you want loyal customers that will keep coming back and refer you and your products to their friends, family, co-workers and so on.....network marketing and excellent customer service has always been, and still is key! 

Are you someone who enjoys natural bath and body products? I definitely am. Did you enjoy learning about Joy's company? If so, and you want to see more of her amazing handmade products, be sure to visit her website Sweet Surrender.