We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Edith Torkiya. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Edith below.
Edith, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Who would have ever imagined that a birthday gift request from a ten year old would result in a creative idea for a successful business? I have my niece Macy Taylor to thank for requesting a bath bomb as a gift in August of 2016, which led to the development of Sassy Bubbles, a factory of love that hand makes deliciously smelling and adorable bath bombs. As a single mom of two amazing young kids, I was struggling to make ends meet. With the generous help of a loving mentor, a stranger I reached out to for help, I was given secret recipes to start a new business. I will forever be grateful to her for her generous heart to help out a fellow single mom get back on her feet. And four years later, Sassy Bubbles has been invited to participate in gift shows, junior league events country clubs, corporate events, musical events, school events and vendor events all over the DFW area. We also exhibit at the Dallas and Atlanta Gift Markets and sell to stores around the country.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
If you had told me when I graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a Journalism degree that I would be happily making bath bombs to support my kids, I would have looked at you cross eyed. I am thankful for the 10 years I worked in the public relations field working with amazing companies such as Texas Instruments to roll out their Digital Signal Processing technology that has changed the way we live with smart technology, and years I spent at the Creative Marketing Center of Sprint Business, learning how all facets of marketing work together for product development and rollout. But the satisfaction I get from interacting with other creative entrepreneurs, and the excitement people share with me after seeing and using products I hand make with all my heart, is priceless. It has been wonderful participating in the GoTexan Pavilion, General Store at the State Fair of Texas, and it was an honor to have been selected as semi-finalist for the Texas Works Awards in 2018. Also very honored to have won Second Place, People’s Choice Award at Zest Fest 2020. As a result of our involvement with Go Texan, we have met some amazing business owners, and have learned very helpful lessons from them. Having a network of entrepreneurs to exchange ideas with makes being self-employed more manageable.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I took a sabatical in 2002 to start a business with my now ex-husband, I left a career that I loved and excelled in. I was recognized for my skills and was given incredible opportunities to work with the smartest engineers in the world and was given a voice to share their message. I loved what I did. But, I also wanted to do what I thought was best for my family. I helped my ex-husband develop a brand and an extensive product line. We very successfully sold our products worldwide. Our team of two and a handful of contract workers created a business to be admired. What I wasn’t expecting is that my husband would leave me and my two small kids and take all the money with had worked so hard to make together. I was 43 and I had to start all over. He took everything except for my creative spirit and determination to suceed. As I mentioned, I turned a birthday request into a thriving business, along with the help of my mother and my kids. My creative muses, my 17 year old daughter, Emily Vivian, and 15 year old son, Albert Joseph, get the final word on yea or nay for production. If they think it’s cute or cool, I move forward with the idea. And thankfully, I am greeted with nonstop compliments at every event on how adorable the products are, and that they look almost edible. I also listen very closely to feedback shoppers provide as well, and I have incorporated their advice in the development of the line because I realize I am ultimately producing product for them. As a result, we have developed a loyal base of customers.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
I handmake all the products I sell. I learned all about the best ingredients with the first company I helped create and vowed to keep my ingredients simple and moisturizing for the skin. It took a few years for me to create the extensive line I have, and being greeted by kids with their eyes wide open and smiling ear to ear when they see my creations is priceless.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sassybubbles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sassy_bubbles_bath_bombs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BathBombsShowerSteamersBubblingBathSalts