We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kasia Krawczyk a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kasia , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Before the pandemic, I discovered my passion for creating handmade soaps using natural and familiar ingredients. I was driven by my curiosity and dissatisfaction with the complex and sometimes questionable ingredients found in many commercial soap brands. As someone who cares about the environment, I also wanted to minimize the impact of my products’ supply chain, avoiding plastic packaging whenever possible.

I took matters into my own hands and researched recipes for soap that are gentle on most skin types and have a minimal carbon footprint. This led me to develop a line of vegan products that I started gifting to my friends. After receiving positive feedback and requests to purchase, I decided to turn my hobby into a small business. My mission was to offer high-quality, ethically sourced raw materials that wouldn’t break the bank for my clients, especially those who prioritize supporting small businesses and sustainable causes.

I’m proud to say that all of our products are cruelty-free and certified by Leaping Bunny. Moving towards sustainability has been a critical step for me, and I’m committed to continuing to make strides in that direction. Supporting ethical and environmentally conscious practices shouldn’t come at a premium, and I’m excited to offer our customers the best of both worlds.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello, I am Kasia, originally from Poland but now residing in Toronto, Canada. I work as an architect and have played a role in the construction and design of some of the structures that you may have seen around the city. My day job as an architect kept me busy but I craved the ability to channel my creativity into something that would be both therapeutic and practical. I wanted to use simple and organic ingredients that people could recognize and trust without having to question their origins. Moreover, I was determined to reduce my plastic usage and decrease the environmental impact of my consumer choices.

At first, I started making soaps just for myself, but after receiving encouragement from friends who loved my creations, I decided to create my own brand. My goal was to create high-quality, ethically sourced products that my clients could enjoy without breaking the bank. We started selling our goods at local farmers’ markets and loved the opportunity to receive feedback and ideas from our customers. Listening to their needs allowed us to expand our line to include vegan candles, face serums, creams, moisturizers, lip balms, and soon-to-be-released shampoo and conditioner bars..

I’m passionate about giving back to the community, and I thought I could achive that by sharing my knowledge and empowering others to create their own products. That’s why I run workshops in Toronto where people can make their own candles and bar soaps under my guidance. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see others discover their own creativity and learn how to make more sustainable choices in their daily lives.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

When I first started out, cost was a major concern in setting up my online store. I explored various platforms and opted for a cheaper one that required some customization, thinking that it would be more cost-effective as my partner could handle the customization. However, I soon realized that the cost of making changes and customizations was coming at the expense of valuable time, and the end result was not visually appealing.

Eventually, I made the switch to Shopify, which proved to be a wise investment as it not only saved time but also led to better outcomes. This experience taught me a valuable lesson: prioritize quality and invest in the right tools rather than opting for quick and cheap fixes, unless it’s feasible.

Other reasons for choosing shopfiy:
Better for my partner to do SEO
We could get a POS system which helped us in farmers market
We can get discounts from Canada post for Shipping
The checkout process looks much cleaner
Manage inventory without adding any plugins
Easy to customize
Good customer service
Tons of resources to study

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Our product sales are highly effective, when people can see and smell them. So the biggest source of new clients for us were Artisan markets, closely followed by word of mouth, and finally local SEO and digital presence.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://madebymeco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madebyme_co.to/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadeByMeCo.To/