We were lucky to catch up with Sophie Wizmann recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sophie, appreciate you joining us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

When we began the Ourika Soap journey , we definitely had our customers in mind. We were launching a Clean bathing lifestyle with a Moroccan twist in a pretty wide industry. We needed to convey a message and have the world discover what made us different. Each order we ship is carefully reviewed and client’s order history is taken into consideration as we include samples of our other products for them to discover. I personally include a handwritten note explaining the virtue of the added products with a thank you and a welcome to the Ourika Soap Family.
This has proven to be an effective personal touch that my clients appreciate. We receive so may wonderful e mails when items reach their home. We also specialized in personal gifts with a human touch.
I believe in todays overcrowded field, personalization and attention to details are key to a successful business

Sophie, 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?

For better or worse the reconnection with bath rituals and the stay at home treatments have helped guide us to an enriching experience of getting back to the self. When anyone looks at the line from Ourika Soap, there is this great sense of pulling back and learning to appreciate these everyday practices with an ease and desire to luxuriate in oneself.

My story is one of reconnecting with my Moroccan roots and the Berber women in the Ourika Valley and the Atlas Mountains, where all the purity of herbs, clays and oils used in my artisan crafted soaps, Dead Sea bath salts, sensual body oils and handcrafted ceramic soy coconut candles truly merge the ancient world of bath rituals and Hammam’s to that of western self care.

At Ourika Soap, we do not need superficial additives, we already are magical beings.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source for new clients is GIFTING. I truly believe you are as good as your products. They should speak for themselves. Wherever I go, I try to always have some samples not too far to gift people. Even at trade shows I gift all the buyers so they can use it while traveling.

I also partnered with the Hollywood beauty awards two consecutive years to be part of their gifting bags and created an Ourika Lounge for guests to discover our line of products. It was a great exposure.
Social media, e mail blasts and collaborations with other brands are also key marketing tools.

It’s definitely a process on a daily basis.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The book that inspired me the most was “The Healing Art of Essential oils” by Kac Young. PhD

It contains a wealth of inormatiom about essential oils, their application and their benefits. I gained so much insight in aromatherapy and the energetic and vibrational aspects of essential oils.

That mixed with the knowledge I acquired spending time in the Atlas Mountains with the Berber women, gave birth to an exceptional line of bathing products.
Argan oil, Olive oil, Shea butter, Coconut oil, Rhassoul clay, Loofah, Spices & Herbs all organic are a few of the may wonderful components of our products.

This book reinforced my thinking that all our products needed to be sourced by reputable sources.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ourikasoap.com
• Instagram: @ourikasoap
• Facebook: Ourikasoap
• Linkedin: Sophie Wizmann

Image Credits
Credit Mateo Dovarganes Agnes Azria