Women Wednesdays Series | Lindsey Rose Arnold
Photo by Sarah Van Liefde
Our Women Wednesdays series features a woman in business, non-profit, or volunteer position the first Wednesday of every month. These women hale from diverse backgrounds and industries, but all have one thing in common, they are shining, helping others, and following their dreams! The goal of this Women Wednesdays series is to encourage, honor, and promote these women and the notable work they are doing!
Our October 2019 feature is Lindsey Rose Arnold, Owner of Heart & Arrow Handcrafted.
We’ve been wowed by Lindsey’s handmade luxury soaps, candles, and bath products for years— always looking forward to new scents and blends! We’ve even had the pleasure of designing her company’s logo to encapsulate the love and focus that goes into each and every creation. Each soap is truly a work of art and absolutely natural and luxurious. Whether you’re looking for a spa like bath experience, the perfect gift, wedding favor, or guest bath accoutrement, Lindsey has handmade the perfect match at Heart & Arrow Handcrafted.
Photo by LACE Photo Media
Tell us about what you do, who you serve, and your favorite part of it all.
I make luxury plantbased soaps & candles with unique designs & decorative botanicals. I serve people who want more out of their daily selfcare routine and who appreciate nature, quality ingredients & environmental sustainability. My customers care about empowering women around the world, which we help do through our Fair Trade ingredient choices and annual charitable giving. My favorite part is delighting customers with experiencing soap in a way they never have before. I love when customers tell me the soap has changed their lives, whether because of how they feel when they use it, or because of how they feel knowing they are supporting a better world through buying and using it.
“I serve people who want more out of their daily selfcare routine and who appreciate nature, quality ingredients & environmental sustainability. ”
What started you on your business journey?
I have always been an entrepreneur because I love working for myself and I love the challenge of making an idea successful. I ran a gardening business in Upstate NY as a late teen/early 20s and then a co-owned a farm in Northern California from my mid twenties to early 30s. In 2016, I made a decision to leave an unhealthy longterm relationship on the west coast, my shared farm business to move back to NY to be around my family and attempt to start anew. In 2017 I turned a hobby of vegan soapmaking (which I had learned from masters at a 3-day Soapmaking Bootcamp in San Francisco, hosted by the Nova Studio) into a business and have been working hard at growing it to be self-sustaining financially. I'm almost there ;).
Photo by LACE Photo Media
How long have you been in business and what have you learned along the way?
I've been in business running Heart & Arrow for nearly 2 and 1/2 years. I have learned that it's more profitable to stay focused on a creating/maintaining/curating a cohesive product line rather than make any whimsical idea that comes up. As a creative entrepreneur, this is sometimes tough but makes total sense. I've learned that going the extra mile to make customers (especially dedicated repeat customers) happy is a key to longterm success. I've learned that positively contributing to your business & social community returns 10-fold in building trust and mutually supportive relationships.
“I’ve learned that positively contributing to your business & social community returns 10-fold in building trust and mutually supportive relationships.”
What are your current business and branding goals?
Where I hope to be from a brand perspective is to rethink my packaging- keeping its feel but to have cohesive pre printed packaging with a much smaller line of soaps and candles. I’d like to become a national and international brand. My dream right now is to have a full packaging overhaul and have my products sold in department stores and key boutiques like Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Smith and Brit, and CAP Beauty.
Photo by LACE Photo Media
What is your ultimate business goal?
I would like to grow it to a medium size - one that does a half a million dollars in sales - that’s kinda my goal. It would let me scale, hire employees, have a studio space to fit the team and our production, while paying myself a full salary and allowing me to focus on creative and business aspects. And then I’d like to be bought by a larger company at some point. I’d be interested in working with a company that values our charitable giving and sustainability partnerships.
What has been your biggest business hurdle and what did you learn/how did you grow from it?
I think the biggest business hurdle has been building a brand on a limited budget. Sometimes I've compared myself or my company to those who have a larger budget for design work, and have found ways to be creative & get the most sophisticated, unique look I can while building brand loyalty through newsletters, blogs, events, etc.
Photo by LACE Photo Media
What would be your biggest tip/takeaway/piece of advice to anyone starting their own business?
Persevere!!! And plan! Execute your plan, reevaluate, plan again and keep persevering. If you are a creative person looking to build a business doing what you love, I recommend taking some basic business, accounting, etc. classes and programs with business mentors you trust. There is a lot to learn between making beautiful things in the studio or on your computer, and actually getting them into the hands of your ideal customers enough to actually make money from it. And don't take anything personally. Examine a "No" objectively, learn or change what you can from it, and keep moving on with your plan.
“If you are a creative person looking to build a business doing what you love, I recommend taking some basic business, accounting, etc. classes and programs with business mentors you trust. ”
So true!!—A supportive network, strategic planning, big dreams, and ethical practices make for great plant based products that enhance self care—We know you’ll love Heart & Arrow Handcrafted soaps and candles as much as we do!
Find Lindsey and her amazing Heart & Arrow Handcrafted products here:
Website: www.heartandarrowhandcrafted.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/heartandarrowhandcrafted
Facebook: Facebook.com/heartandarrowhandcrafted
Photo by LACE Photo Media
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