Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige Irby, Brandy Jacobi and Will Irby.
Hi Paige, Brandy and Will, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My sister, Brandy, my husband, Will, and I started this business because we wanted something fun to do as we are in our 50’s and are doing that empty nest thing. We wanted to shift gears for our next chapter, but we all wanted our next chapter to be something that we enjoyed and that we were really passionate about. Enter Buff City Soap… Buff City Soap was founded in Memphis, TN by a Jen and Brad Kellum. Side note- I live in Memphis part-time and McKinney part-time. I happened on Buff City Soap one day as I was scrolling through Instagram. I saw the words “plant-based”, “hand-made” and “soap makery.” The hook was set and I went searching for this soap store.
As I entered the tiny store, I was completely taken in with all of the colors and the amazing smells. Each bar of soap is unique and all of the products were made in the store by the people standing in front of me. I just fell in love with the concept, the laid back vibe and the amazing customer service. Over time I became a really good customer. I purchased gifts, teacher treats, and products for my home often. I walked in one day to do some shopping and Brad said “You should own a soap store.” Those words got me thinking and the rest is history. My sister has lived in McKinney for 25 years and we just thought that McKinney and Allen would be a perfect fit for a new concept store. Fast forward to today, we own three Buff City Soap stores and are looking for the perfect location for store #4. We could not be happier!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Owning your own business is a challenge and the learning curve can be like Mt. Everest sometimes. For example, I am a speech pathologist by degree and worked in a hospital for most of my career, so running payroll was completely out of my wheelhouse! Trying to navigate a retail business during COVID has been a little tricky. However, we love, love, love what we do and what we have built and we wouldn’t be doing anything else. We have the most amazing staff and customers. We have been overwhelmed with support from our community and blessed with growth!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Buff City Soap is a plant-based soap makery. You could say it’s like a bakery, except we make soap. Our bath and body products are hand-made in our stores daily by our makers. We are known for our beautiful soap, colorful bath bombs, rich body butter, shower oil, shower fizzies, body scrubs, and last but not least, laundry soap. Everything is totally customizable! We are also known for how our store smells, and it “smells wonderful.” Customers can pick the scent that they love and we can customize their favorite product to their specifications in about 3 minutes! Shoppers are always amazed when they come in to see our makers actually making products and giving out samples.
Our makery countertops are always filled with one-of-a-kind products. We also love to host events and parties! Just a few examples are; bath bomb birthday parties for all ages, girls’ night out, team building, bridal showers and fundraisers. Everyone who participates in a party goes home with between 6-8 bath bombs! It’s so much fun! All you have to do is bring friends and food and we will do the rest! We also have soap-making classes. During our soap-making class, each “student” has one-on-one time with our soap makers. Our Soap Makers guide participants through the process of soap making and each person goes home with their own customized 1/2 loaf of soap (that’s between 6-7 bars). We love everything we do! Health is a huge focus in today’s world. At Buff City Soap, we think health should also include what goes “on” your body as well as what goes in your body. After all, your skin is your largest organ! Let’s take care of it! Come see us and our staff will tell you all about our plant-based products and how good they are for you and your skin.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
At Buff City Soap, we love to be involved in the community! We have found that community immersion is the absolute best way to network and grow our business. Really connecting with people and causes by supporting community projects, local teams, and organizations is what we are all about. We do this in many different ways 1) We donate goodie bags to schools, hospitals, and police departments 2) we host Spirit Nights for school organizations, so they have an alternative way to raise money for their team, organization, or PTA 3) We donate bath bomb parties to silent auctions. We want our customers to walk out of our stores and say, “That was so much fun! I can’t wait to go back!”
Pricing:
- Soap $8.00
- Bath Bombs and Shower Fizzies: $7.00
- Laundry Soap: $18.00
- Shower Oil: $15.00
- Body Butter: $18.00
Contact Info:
- Email: paige@buffcitysoap.com
- Website: www.buffcitysoap.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/buffcitysoap.allen, http://instagram.com/buffcitysoap.va and http://instagram.com/buffcitysoap.mckinney
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/buffcitysoapallen, http://facebook.com/buffcitysoapvanalstyne and http://facebook.com/buffcitysoapmckinney
