Meet Jackie Panebaker of Pine Tree Road Soap

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Panebaker.

Jackie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Pine Tree Road Soap grew from a passion for soap making, experimenting + all-out love for making something with my own hands.

I opened a small retail shop in Ocean Beach, CA in February 2010, where I made all of my products in small batches every day. My customers loved watching me make soap right in front of them, so they could see exactly what was going into the soap they were about to use on their skin.

In 2016, I decided that although bittersweet, the best decision moving forward for the company was to move from my one retail location + to focus on spreading the soapy love of PTRS around Southern California and beyond.

I began working with more + more stockists, opened small booth spaces and started focusing on getting PTRS into more shops, events + markets. Today, I still make all of my soap in small batches, by hand, in my soap making studio in the Southern California coast town of Leucadia. I love the small, boutique feel of PTRS + hope that you will too!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t think operating a small business is ever a smooth road. And yes, there were many challenges along the way.

I think the biggest struggle for me was feeling like I had to offer many different products to my customers, only to find out, or rather realize years later that what my customers loved the most, sold the best and what I truly enjoyed making were my cold process bar soaps.

So, eventually, I got rid of everything else and focused only on bar soaps. I wish I would’ve come to these realization years earlier!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pine Tree Road Soap – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am the sole owner and operator of Pine Tree Road Soap. Which means that I do everything from scratch, start to finish.

I specialize in cold process bar soaps and in recent years, have become quite well known for my little bridal shower and wedding soap favors.

I’m most proud of the hard work and dedication I put into my business each and every day. Even when I feel like I’m not making huge strides, I still get up, go to the soap making studio and make soap–always looking for new and unique textures, scents, techniques that I think my customers would really enjoy.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
For now, I plan on expanding Pine Tree Road Soap to include special occasion curated gift boxes and a monthly subscription box.

I’ll always be working on new seasonal bars or specialty bars for my customers.

The one thing I have always wanted for PTRS is to stay a small boutique business that I can run from anywhere in the country. And I’m currently working on getting a soap making trailer to do just that.

Who knows, this time next year, I might be making your soaps from across the country!

Pricing:

• Full-size (5-6 oz.) bars $8 each
• Facial + Shave bars (3 oz.) $4 each
• Favor soaps (3 oz.) $2 each (minimum order applies)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pinetreeroadsoap.com
• Email: pinetreeroadshop@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinetreeroadsoap/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pinetreeroadsoap/

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