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#59: Soapsmith: Pawning Her Wedding Rings to Launch a Handcrafted Soap Brand with Samantha Jameson (Founder)
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Episode notes
Sam Jameson is one of many UK-based, Black and female founders that are transforming the beauty and wellness space, one product at a time. A born creator and leader, Soapsmith isn’t Samantha Jameson’s first endeavour into the world of Entrepreneurship. At the age of just 24, Sam launched and ran a successful event chocolate fountain business; the assets she later went on to sell to Thorntons Chocolatiers. Sam then turned her attention to starting the Soapsmith journey in 2010; marrying her talent for fragrances and desire to bring joy and new energy into everyday moments, through scent.
Soapsmith is the result of Sam's true love; taking her hobby of artisanal soap making and scent creation, she soon transformed it into a viable business. In a true act of faith, Sam poured all her savings (topped up by cash made by pawning her engagement ring - that she later got back) into setting up a home in the Old Clockworks in Walthamstow. In 2012, Soapsmith officially launched with a small collection of products and just herself making each one.
Sam sought inspiration for her scents from the real world around her. A born and bred Londoner Sam is constantly inspired by the raw, vibrant energy of the people and places she grew up around and still lives today. One of her first, and still best-selling scents is Hackney, which was inspired by Sam’s childhood home. The fresh, grassy scent is evocative of Sam’s teenage years and long summer days spent on the Marshes with her brothers and friends.
Eleven years on the collection has grown exponentially, now offering a full range of products and 8 London scents and one international scent which is a limited edition Christmas scent, that has been brought back due to popular demand since its launch in 2022. Soapsmith has also launched their first ever homeware product, the limited edition Whitechapel diffuser. Products are stocked Nationwide in leading luxury retailers, hotels, restaurants and independent boutiques. The brand has also garnered a large, loyal online community through its online shops.
Sam’s love of bringing fragrance into tangible products comes from her innate curiosity and her ability to take huge inspiration from her surroundings and make something beautiful that reflects it. A huge lover of travel and high-energy places (Las Vegas is her second love after London!) Sam and her team of Soapsmiths are developing the brand further with global inspiration as the world opens up again.
Sam is also passionate that the business serves a purpose for the wider community. Soapsmith donates soaps and scents to charity; from mental health and homeless charities to a small charity set up to support parents who have lost their babies. Sam is a firm believer that scent can bring great comfort, solace or joy to people when they need it the most.
Sam still resides in East London with her partner and little girl, Eva. After scent (and family), Sam’s other great loves include music, discovering new places, fashion and mojitos!
Soapsmith products are available to shop at soapsmith.com, Liberty London, Fenwick, and Debenhams to name a few.
Find out more about Sam Jameson via: LinkedIn.
Find out more about Soapsmith via: their website, Instagram and Facebook.
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