Have you ever dreamed of dropping everything and chasing your dream? Well, that's what Sonya Ann Legault did when she went into business making soaps and skincare products.
A family resemblance
Soap making has always been part of Sonya Ann Legault's family. It is an art that has been passed down from generation to generation for a long time and has materialized into a fruitful endeavor for Sonya Ann.
For many years, Sonya Ann indulged in making handmade soaps for her own pleasure. But soon, his products became popular with friends, family members and co-workers. The growing demand has Sonya Ann wondering if she should bring her product to market.
Sonya Ann Legault
It was in 2012 that Sonya Ann finally decided to go into business. She left a lucrative office job to pursue her passion. “I think I've found my calling. I decided to leave everything and go for it. »
She is also aware that not everyone dares to try their luck and live their passion. "One of the things people often say to me is 'you're lucky, you do what you love. “” What she always wants to answer “But you, why don't you do what you love? »
From Simple Beginnings to a Booming Business
During her first year in business, Sonya Ann only sold soaps. Then, by popular demand from her customers, she started manufacturing bath bombs and continued to develop a variety of products such as candles and various bath, body and hair products.
A strong community
The life of an entrepreneur is not without challenges. For Sonya Ann, people made all the difference. Artisans she has met in salons have come to form a family with whom to share stories and people on whom she can rely. Having tended to rely only on herself in her early days, she had to learn how to approach her contacts in order to obtain certain knowledge that would be useful to her. “When you learn to speak, you find that help is not that far away. »
Today, she is proud to say that she is now the one who can help other members of her community. “Sharing your resources is the best gift you can give someone. »
Three central values
Three principles have guided Sonya Ann in her entrepreneurial adventure: softness of the skin, zero waste, and pleasure in use.
After experimenting with different variations for her products, Sonya Ann found a formula that leaves skin feeling soft after showering, made with olive oil. “Olive oil is one of the best for the skin, it's an oil that cleans and repairs. »
For Sonya Ann, using natural ingredients to manufacture her products is essential in order to provide a product with beneficial effects for the skin, without harmful side effects. “People want to know where the product comes from, why it's good for them. »
The beneficial effects of Saponaria products are not limited to the human body. Sonya Ann firmly believes that it is possible to find ways to do things without hurting the planet. Even the packaging is zero waste!
As for testing the products, she does not hesitate to ask the opinion of family members, friends or loyal customers in order to improve the quality of her products. "We don't test on animals, we test on children! » (adult and vaccinated children, of course). Moreover, customers love to test products and are very honest in their evaluations.
Letting go to allow the company to grow
Sonya Ann's family is very involved in her business. She works every day with her husband, and her mother also helps her on occasion. This is one of the challenges she now faces: opening up her business, her life, to new people in order to expand her team, and overcome exhaustion. “I love what I do, but sometimes I overwork myself. (…) My challenge is to let go of my baby. »
Trusting others when making the highest quality products is so important to Sonya Ann is not easy. That said, she would like to be able to not always count on her family to help her, and above all to “go back to the laboratory” to develop new recipes or new products.
Where will Saponaria be in a year?
Sonya Ann is embarking on a project to build a new workshop for her business, which she hopes to have completed before the fall. She also takes pleasure in participating in various markets during the summer season, then prepares for the events of the holiday season, an intense period for Saponaria. To manage to find the “different energy points” during the year, Sonya Ann will give herself a rest period between January and March. "It's harder to stop working
With more free time, Sonya Ann also hopes to be able to contribute more to her blog by providing recipes or answering questions frequently asked by customers.
In the pursuit of happiness
Saponaria at the Signé Local store
Sonya Ann has put forward a spirit of perseverance to make her business flourish. She knew why she was leaving a good job behind to pursue her dreams: because happiness matters. “Me, my happiness, I knew where he was. And you, do you know where your happiness is?
Find Saponaria this summer at the old Aylmer and Ange-Gardien markets , on social media or on their website !
Reviewed by Marie-Pascale
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