My Story of Why & How I Created
The Expedition Soap Company
by Spencer Kelly, teen entrepreneur
My story starts one afternoon at the beginning of summer 2016 when I was 14 years old and just out of 9th grade. My friend and I were walking out of a restaurant when to our dismay, our bicycles had been stolen! This upset me greatly because that bicycle had gotten me everywhere! It was my set of wheels that allowed me my freedom, my "car" before my car! To my luck, my dad bought me a new replacement bike, as he knew how important my bike was to me. But he had one condition - that I figure out a way to repay him by the end of that summer! Being brought up with a capitalistic mindset and having read many books on business, I instantly began my quest for a way to make the money to repay my dad.
I figured out a way to turn the bad luck of having my bike stolen into good luck! I decided to create my own retail online soap company. You see, I was in the shower and I didn't want to use the liquid soap that my mom had put there. I wanted bar soap, something that I could hold onto and scrub with. I didn't want ordinary bar soap with those harsh and unhealthy chemical ingredients. I wanted a soap bar that had gentle, natural ingredients that could lather great. I thought, Why can't I make a better soap? That was my ah-ha moment!
Well, you probably could imagine what a 14-year-old boy making soap in his home would look like, so I set out with my idea to find methods that would support my vision. I started 6 years ago with less than 100 bars of soap, but since, my skincare product line has grown. All of my soap bars, body butter, lip balms, sugar scrubs, shower steamers, and bath bombs are handcrafted. Our customers love our products! They love to use them, and they love even more... to gift them! Word of mouth advertising by our customers has kept my business consistently growing strong over these past 6 years.
Every one of my soap bars begins with 5 skin-loving plant oils to delight your skin, including coconut oil, olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil. Then, organic Shea Butter is added into this base and this is THE basis for each one of my cold process soap bars. My bars differ in variety due to the various add-ins of the highest quality, skin-safe phthalate-free fragrance oils (and/or essential oils) and colorants, as well as some additional all-natural skin treats for scrubbing, exfoliation or detoxing. An added bonus is the creamy, dreamy lather you'll experience when you wash with my soap bars.
Now you can understand why we say that "We Are What's REAL in Skin Care"! All of my soap bars are premium luxury REAL soap bars that are scented so deliciously, you just might be tempted to bite into the bar, like I was and did! ...Warning! Do not sniff the soaps when hungry! (Just joking!)
In February 2017, I added to our product line skin-softening handmade vegan organic Shea Butter body butter. In September 2017, I have added handmade organic Shea Butter bath bombs into our product line. In October 2019, I added handmade organic Shea Butter Luxurious Lip balms. In October 2020, I added handmade organic Shea Butter Sugar Scrubs. All of these product lines are just an amazing sensory delight, from smell to feel and superb quality. Just wait until you give these a try!
I am Spencer Kelly, a 21-year-old entrepreneur and Oakland University graduate with my BS in Accounting in the Honors Business program. I also happen to have Asperger Syndrome (an Autism Spectrum Disorder) and part of my company mission is to give back and create awareness about autism. I live in Lake Orion, MI. Having been inspired back in 5th grade when I began reading business books, I knew running my own business was right for me! I have big entrepreneurial dreams & my company began with a dream, an open mind, a lot of hard work, and some amazing bars of soap!
I found that starting a business from scratch is challenging in many parts, like even coming up with a good company name & logo. But every challenge that I encounter is worth the reward of creating this awesome business that I did!
When I created the name "The Expedition Soap Company", I remembered reading about the struggles of the Victorian explorers of Africa, and I wanted to tribute my site to my love of history.
Being that I am an avid reader and study of words, just look at the definition for:
ex·pe·di·tionˌekspəˈdiSH(ə)n/ noun1.a journey or voyage undertaken by a group of people with a particular purpose, especially that of exploration.
The Expedition Soap Company name is just fitting, as we're all on a journey in life. But, when we are open to exploring new experiences, your mind will grow and your whole life can change (and smell better!)! Now, I have a business that I never dreamed possible, and I couldn't be more grateful for this expedition that I have embarked upon.
If you would, please join me in my expedition, and you will be sent into sensory heaven with my delightfully scented soaps, amazingly silky-smooth body butter, plus luxurious relaxing bath bombs, exfoliating sugar scrubs, and moisture-locking lip balms. Your shower will never be the same again!
Even better than just owning a business, I give back to communities far and near, through ExpeditionSoapsFundraising.com, my other website which is dedicated just to fundraising! We give back 35% on my products, and our fundraiser can rival even the biggest companies, with our 35% returns! NOTE: FUNDRAISING PAUSED IN 2023.
The entire fundraiser is very simple and user-friendly, as well! I also have given back to USAutism.org, and OU CARES, two autism organizations that I love to support, as well as additional others such as The American Cancer Society, Game On Cancer, The United Way, The Judson Center and The Barn Sanctuary! I also hold random giveaways on Facebook and via e-mail, so be sure to follow along on these social platforms to participate. There is one lesson in life that I learned young: You Get Back What You Give! It's important to me to give back when I can, as this is an important part of my life expedition!
Spencer Kelly, 21-year-old owner
& founder of The Expedition Soap Company
ExpeditionSoaps.com * ExpeditionSoapsFundraising.com
