We were lucky to catch up with Kathy Zygula recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kathy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
Ravish Soap Co. was created because we believe high-quality soap and skincare products should be made available to anyone who wants or needs them without pretention. As a life-long sufferer of itchy skin conditions, Kathy wanted to create quality skincare products that made a difference, were as natural as possible, and had an accessible price point. Everything we produce is made with thoughtfully-sourced ingredients that meet our standard of value – simple, high-quality, real ingredients. No parabens, no phthalates, no sulfates, no SLS, environmentally friendly, and only tested on cool people, not animals! But we’re not a crunchy soap and skincare company – we have a sense of humor and a brain. And we know our customers are above that kind of hype too.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
At Ravish Soap Co. we use only the highest-quality real ingredients to make our luxury cold-process soap and skincare products. Our products are made for people who care about good ingredients, good quality, and are environmentally conscious. Ravish Soap Co. officially launched in August 2019 by owner Kathy Zygula. Kathy is a U.S. Air Force veteran and is the driving force and passion behind Ravish Soap Co. Along with a classically trained culinary background, Kathy also has undergraduate and graduate degrees in education, which have been key in her journey towards learning cosmetic chemistry. As a life-long sufferer of itchy skin conditions, Kathy wanted to create quality skincare products that made a difference, were as natural as possible, and had an accessible price point.
There is a saying that goes you should always begin with the end in mind. That’s exactly what we did when we began to envision what we wanted Ravish Soap Co. to be. We put in just as much effort into designing our brand and packaging as we did for formulating our amazing products. We wanted Ravish Soap Co. to have a voice and a persona, and we wanted people to recognize and remember who we were and what we stood for. Our customers always comment on how wonderful our products are, as well as our brand.
We have been in business for 4 amazing years, and each year we continue to grow our product line and our customer base. We are most proud of the times when our customers tell us how our products have helped their skin condition or how they love our products!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Little did we know that when we launched in 2019, we would be facing one of the most unprecedented economic crises to impact a small business that could be imagined. Since, two thirds of our revenue income came from in-person vendor events, we were wondering if we were going to be forced to stop before we had even gotten started. However, we had the insight to pivot the focus of our sales channels to our online store and offer free shipping to our customers who were quarantined at home. We grew our social media presence by launching new products during this time, as well as promoting contests and giveaways. These efforts not only helped us to survive; they helped us thrive. Our creative entrepreneurship got us through a time in history when over 40% of small businesses in the U.S. closed their doors. Lastly, Ravish Soap Co. wouldn’t have succeeded without the support and love from Kathy’s amazing husband (aka “The Sud Stud”) who has believed in her vision since day number one, as well as friends and family near-and-far. We think that we can ALL agree these past few years have shown us how important small businesses are to our everyday lives. From the small, downtown coffee shop to our favorite boutique, life just isn’t the same without them. And there’s something to be said about having that sense of community with these businesses – I mean, they are our friends, family, and neighbors after all. They are US!
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think from a business standpoint, many creatives start their businesses too soon. I believe the biggest thing that has helped our reputation within our market has been time. Before we launched our business, we spent a solid three years researching formulas and investing in a solid brand design. I have witnessed so many other businesses like mine struggle because they did not take the time to truly understand their product, their target audience, and brand development. Those things communicate so much more to your customer than people understand – when you have the confidence to speak to your product on every level AND have a solid brand, that confidence transfers to your customer. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ravishsoap.com
- Instagram: @ravishsoap
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ravishsoap