Today we’d like to introduce you to Kat W.
Hi Kat, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your back story.
Beginning this labor of love began with understanding life’s necessities for myself. There is a lot that people take for granted, and with a whopping 27 food and contact allergies, it was increasingly more difficult to find basic items that worked for me. We take for granted necessary items such as soap, shampoo, lotion, candles, even spiritual supplies such as the religious wafers or incense. It is hard to believe that folks out there cannot use these items, and when I became one of them, I wondered if there was help out there.
The Sugarwitch Co. began several years after attempting to perfect some of these needed items for myself and my family, spanning about 7 years. To this day, I still don’t have soap down, but I began to make bodycare, candles, and spiritual items that I would not have an adverse reaction to. Family and friends were testers, and finally, sometime after the pandemic, I felt comfortable enough to share these items with others by bringing them to local outdoor markets. It was nerve-wracking, but it was also interesting to find that they were well-received.
Here we are a few years later, and I still try to find ways to improve our recipes. I hope to continue to build trust in our local communities by providing the items I take care to make.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Having prepared these items for myself for quite a few years prior to bringing these to the public, the production portion has always been smooth. One of the challenges was creating attractive packaging, which, of course, had to be different from what I use for myself because who would want their lotion in an old yogurt tub? Packaging these days matters greatly, and if an item has confusing or horrendous packaging, it will just get lost amongst the others.
Other challenges were finding reputable outdoor markets. In our first year, having been out of the loop from going to outdoor events after years of enduring the pandemic, many new markets emerged, and while most of them were great experiences, there were many that may have been scam-like in nature. We found the same thing to be true of “maker market” themed stores, so I always encourage folks to do their research before committing. There seems to be a trend of store owners charging artists rent to make up their own lease rent with no true intent on helping to sell the artists’ work. Money gets lost, but you live, and you learn.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Currently, my brand is a collection of 100% natural soy candles with metaphysical and aromatherapy properties, as well as lotions, room and body spray, body oils, metaphysical oils, and other similar products that are carefully prepared.
Our body care and spiritual care items are free of the top 11 allergens and free of coconut, and our soy candles are produced in a separate area to avoid cross-contamination. Letting folks know about this surprises many, but the customers that truly need this attention to detail often thank us for doing so. You never know who you will meet that requires this to survive. It is those folks that keep me going.
What matters most to you?
Inclusiveness and accessibility matter the most to me. I can’t tell you how many times I hear at events, “Sorry, I can’t come near, I’m probably allergic,” to which I respond, “Wait! I have 27 allergies! Which are yours? I made these for people like us!” And from a distance, the people I meet will explain their own allergies, and about 90% of the time, they find that they actually can use my products and thank me for creating something like this. Pricing was also an important part of the accessibility of my brand, and as a person who has been gluten-free for much of my life, I do not believe in overcharging for the convenience of a product tailored for someone’s medical needs, which is why everything we make and sell is priced reasonably compared to others in a similar market. I would rather someone find that there is something out there for them than take advantage of the fact that there may not be any other options for a person with extreme needs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thesugarwitchco.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/thesugarwitch_co
- Facebook: Facebook.com/thesugarwitchco
- Other: Allergies.net
Image Credits
The Sugarwitch Co.
Quinn Rios Photography
