Founded in 2015:  the story

In 1998, my mother gave me a book on how to make soap from scratch.  It was very "English Cottage" in nature, and I bought basic equipment and made a batch of honey oatmeal cold process soap to give as holiday gifts.  Since CP soap takes 6 weeks to cure, I always seemed to forget to make it early enough in the fall for more holiday gifts.  This changed in 2013 when I finally remember to write a reminder on my calendar for Oct 2014:  "Make Soap!"  And the rest is history:  I made those gifts and suddenly had requests for more in the spring of 2015.  It was time consuming but full of joy and around that time I also began making and selling gift baskets as a hobby.

I entered my first craft show spring of 2015 in Lansdowne, PA (a very artist friendly community) and during meditation the name "Kiss My Soul" came to me.  Perhaps as a spiritual play on the "Kiss My Face" brand of face cleanser.  Kiss My Soul LLC was formed that summer and I joined Lansdowne Farmer's Market the following season.

A year or two in, someone asked if I make Soy Candles too.  I realized that I could learn, read, experiment and figure this out... as I had a candle addiction myself.  Playing around and learning what works and what doesn't, I landed on Mason Jars as the vessel as well as cotton wicks and the purest soy wax and oils I could find.  And again:  during meditation it came to me to name each candle fragrance variety after an intention or virtue.  Deciding what scent smells like "Serenity" and so on.... that was a fun project!

The following year, a friend suggested I make solid Body Butter Bars like they do at Lush.   After experimenting with different butters and recipes on the double boiler, I landed on a base of Organic Shea Butter.  Using heart shaped molds and scenting them your pleasure (or to keep bugs away!) was another exiting experiment to embark upon.  I also played around making decadent Body Scrubs (sugar or salt) and these took off too.

In 2017, 2018 and 2019 I went through Reiki trainings and attunements as I felt a strong connection to energy and healing.   Working in hospice at the time, I was afforded the blessing of being able to do Reiki energy share circles in senior living communities.  The testimonials said it all--this is real.  A room in my home in Lansdowne, PA was converted into a Reiki room with a massage table for private clients.   Lean more about Reiki here.

In 2019 Kiss My Soul's products won 1st place in the Media Art Show's largest category (Media, PA):  the "General" category.  That same year, I graduated from Hummingbird Yoga's Yoga Teacher Training 200 and began teaching Restorative Yoga and incorporating Reiki.  In 2020 and 2023 I participated in additional Yin teacher trainings and was hooked and began teaching Yin Yoga and preaching its benefits from the mountaintops.   As of 2023, I'm teaching Yin at 2 studios and have private clients out of the home for Yin Yoga and Reiki.   I'm also offering Chair Yoga and gentle yoga in senior living communities, companies and organizations in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Next chapter:  The Lansdowne Economic Development Corp's Maker Space team asked me to teach a Candle Making class in 2022.  I resisted at first but took on the challenge and found that it could be done, and people loved it!  I added Body Butter Bar and Lip Balm Making as well as several other classes.  People started asking to do them out of their homes as birthday parties and companies wanted to do them as corporate events for clients or staff. Blessings abound, I love to teach and this one took me with it like a tidal wave!  Maker Class Parties fit perfectly into my passion and are the final leg of a more stable stool to make this venture my sole focus.  And they're fun!

Summer of 2023, I was gently laid off from my advertising sales job in senior care.  The universe took away my life raft and said:  "it's time."  So here we are... making natural products, sharing the energy of Reiki and Yoga and teaching a variety of maker classes.  

Thank you for sharing in the joy of this story and I hope you can be part of the journey.  That bachelor's degree in business in 1996 and the entrepreneurial spirit was always there...but I had to find my values and build skillsets around them, come into my true "self" in midlife, to find what it was supposed to be used for.  All while making beautiful connections within communities in and around Lansdowne PA and Philadelphia for 20+ years.  Thank you for taking the time to share in this experience.  I'm truly blessed!

Love and Light,
Sara
Kiss My Soul