We were lucky to catch up with Carolyn Zahnow recently and have shared our conversation below.

Carolyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

It seems I have been artsy most of my life. I remember art classes in middle and high school. Then when I went to college I learned about marketing. I finally learned how to mesh the two together and have been loving ever since.
So I have the “gotta sell it” gene so motivates me in the right direction, most of the time.

Carolyn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I currently create soap and bath products. But my soaps are very artistic. I gather pictures of nature that contain colors that would look great as a soap. Then I have to determine a good fragrance as well as the micas I want to color the soap. There is a process at work when I make soap! And I love it.

I started making soap as a fundraiser for the nonprofit I started years ago, The Shore Grief Center. While I handed over the nonprofit to a previous attendee, I kept on making soap.

Being creative helps me with any stress I might have built up inside. And I’ve had a lot the last few years! First I was there for my husband who had leukemia and unfortunately died in 2022. I was making soap and selling at a few shows here and there during his illness. After his death I returned to a new life alone, I decided it was time to finally move closer to the ocean. While I’m happy with my move to Currituck County, the move itself was horrendous managing alone.

I find solace in creating beautiful soaps for my wholesale customers and for shows I participate in, locally and in Virginia and occasionally in South Carolina. A little bit of travel is also great for me.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love being creative because it soothes my soul. It allows me to be creative and also utilize my marketing and sales skills. Selecting the right show or craft fair is also part of the hunt! I often return to the shows that provide comfort and has great past sales (mostly beach shows!). But I still try out new shows because you just never know what type of shoppers will attend.

A poorly attended show is so disappointing to myself and fellow artists and crafters. We put our hearts and souls into our work and if no one shows up, then we take it personally. If you’re near an upcoming craft fair, by all means – attend!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

As a crafter I am always hopeful a customer will turn into a lifelong customer! I try to remind customers that I can also make soaps for baby or wedding showers. I’ve also gained wholesale accounts and love creating 50-100 bars of beautiful scented soaps for their gift shops. Having these sales takes the stress off of the need to do so many shows.

Yet craft fairs are where I learn about products that maybe I should be making. Or I get asked for a particular scent that I don’t have. Craft fairs are very useful for me as a business owner.

I know I need to spend more time online selling but to be honest, most of my sales are from craft fairs. You can’t smell the wonderful fragrances I use online, and that’s what captures many sales for me as well as creative spirit of my soaps.

Contact Info:

• Website: a work in progress
• Instagram: shoresoapnc
• Facebook: ShoreSoapNC
• Other: Etsy ShoreSoapNC

Image Credits

All by Carolyn Zahnow with Shore Soap