Little Hat, Big Cattle

Texas Indie Embodies The Indie Revolution

If you want to describe someone who is all talk and no substance, you might say "big hat, little cattle." I guess if you describe someone as "big hat, big cattle," they are really walking their talk. But if you are "little hat (or lots of hats), big cattle," you might be Indie. And if you're in Texas, you might be a particular Indie I know named Maggie Hanus, a member of the Indie Beauty Network almost since it started and the proud owner of A Wild Soap Bar.

    

Maggie's Indie husband is a landscaper, and the couple raised their sons Jory and Cael to be Indies as well. In fact, along with Maggie, Jory is featured in the video. What Maggie has done with her business is truly amazing. She told me that they added 40 new wholesale accounts just in the past two months. All of their products are made in the small shed Maggie built behind their home. Little hat, big cattle indeed.

To enjoy my interview with Maggie about her business and how this wonderful video was produced, and enter to win some of her soaps, keep reading.

dM: What was the impetus for the video?

Local media personality Cile Spelce with Electro Fish Media called me to see if I would help her and her film maker husband, Chris Elley, pitch their video services to a national health food grocery chain. They wanted to show that they could produce a video showing how locally harvested and manufactured products are produced.

They found me on the store shelves, saw that I was local and asked me if I would help out. Because I believe in the importance of buying locally, after thinking it over for about a zillionth of a nonosecond, I eagerly jumped on the opportunity. Cile felt we had an interesting story because our unique natural products are enriched with local native plants and lovingly handmade by family members who care.

dM: How long did it take to film the footage for the video?

It took almost 5 hours to make this 1.5 minute video. We halted soap production for a half day to get it done, but other than that, it cost me nothing.

dM: How are you using the video to promote your business?

We don't do many trade shows anymore, but if we did, it would be a great addition to our booth. I include the YouTube link in my email signature line. We've gotten a tremendous response from customers who've seen it. Any time you put friendly faces and a unique story behind a product, you automatically increase sales.

dM: What cool and new stuff do you have for the holidays?

Our decorative soap wreaths and mini-loafs for the holidays will be up at the site soon. In the meantime, we've got a new 2 Bar Gift Box with our newest soaps: Mustang Grape Soap (with grape skin, organic oats, sea salt and essential oils) and Gulf Sea Scrub Soap (with sea salt, sea clay and essential oils).

dM: Who makes your business successful?

It's a family affair here. One of my sons already works here and I recently hired my older son's girlfriend.  Even my 8-year old grand daughter (pictured) wraps soap and helps out around the shop when she comes over to visit.

               

We will soon break ground on a new shop addition that will triple our production capacity. Business is exploding and I have never worked so hard in all my life. But I love what I do. I always tell other Indies who are just starting out to be careful what you wish and work for … it just might become a reality!