Amanda Askew owns and operates Amanda's Country Soaps on her family's ranch in Clarendon, Texas. They have chickens, cows, horses, and, of course, goats. Amanda has always liked handmade soaps and decided to buy some goats and make her own. She currently has 6 ladies on the team - Foxy, Roxy, Ivy, Lilly, Poppy, and Sarah. She now also makes lotions and lip balm using raw goat milk.

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Amanda's advice for anyone thinking about opening their own small business is to find something you are passionate about and truly enjoy because you're going to spend a lot of time doing it! She loves to help people find products they will love that will hydrate their skin or help with ailments such as eczema. 

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Amanda said her consultant, Gina Woodward, has been helpful, encouraging, motivating, and has pushed her to go farther and do more than she thought she could have ever done. Her biggest challenge has been marketing and being motivated to do the marketing, but we think she's doing a great job. She is a one-person show and sells out of certain fragrances very quickly so if you see something on her website, order it immediately!

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Check out Amanda's Country Soaps on Facebook and Instagram!

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We also asked her some fun questions.

• What is your favorite scent that you make?

Dixie Creek is her all-time favorite. It has a nice, clean cedar scent that isn't too strong or too feminine. She uses synthetic fragrance oil, lard, coconut oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, and of course, goat milk.

 

• Tell us a funny story about something your goats have done.

During an open house for Small Business Saturday, she decided to feature some of her goats at the shop so that people could take selfies with them and tag Amanda's Country Soaps on social media, which would enter them for a prize drawing. One of the goats ate a lady's earring! Although the goat selfies were definitely a hit, she is unsure whether or not she will use this marketing strategy again.