We are so excited to celebrate American Business Women’s Day this week. As a majority women-owned & operated business we know how important it is to support women in business!
My daughter Nikki and I started Simply Soothing in 2003, the desire of which was partly born of working with my mother in her supper club in the 70s. I really enjoyed working with her, but also liked the challenge of growing a successful business.
I wanted to have that same experience again after having worked at a chemical company for 23 years. My daughter Nikki and I, along with my mother, worked in our business in the beginning. My mom only lived a couple of years afterwards, and I was so grateful that we had the experience of 3 generations of women working together. We really enjoyed working together, many times laughing at some of the mistakes made along the way.
Nikki has been a big part of our company, but hasn’t always reaped the benefits. I had to lay her off February of 2004, and later that same day her house caught fire and she lost her beloved dog Scooby. She worked part time while going to school for the next few years until the company started to take off with our natural bug repellent, Bug Soother. I could finally afford to bring Nikki back full time.
Today Nikki is the COO of Simply Soothing, juggling a very demanding job with raising a 14 year old daughter, Emilee. Emilee has helped out during the summers, learning how to work, and again we are able to experience 3 generations of women working together to build a legacy!
Stacie, our youngest daughter, who had worked for Six Flags for several years, started her own marketing consulting firm a few years back called LadyOne Productions. Stacie is a big part of our team, working hard to help grow our business. She also juggles her career while raising our 6 year old grandson.
Our son Justin also works in the family business, concentrating on sales and production. He’s an important part of the team, too, but since we are celebrating American Business Women’s Day, we’ll have to talk more about him another time! 😉
Balancing running a business with everyday life is not always easy. The hours can be very long, some days the demands can be very stressful. In an ever changing retail world, it has become even trickier. We have learned to be flexible, to adjust our plans quickly. I believe as women with families, we are geared to be able to handle many challenges at once. We have learned the benefits of hard work. We are tough, able to bend in adversity, but also persistent enough to hang on and push through the tough times. And in business, there is always going to be tough times.
I will end with one of my favorite quotes:
“We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.”
― Thomas S. Monson
We appreciate you taking the time to read this. We are so thankful for all of our customers, friends, and families… We couldn’t do any of this without you. Happy American Business Women’s Day this Saturday. We are proud to be American Business Women! Thank you to all of the incredible business women out there. Keep up the great work!
Freda Sojka
CEO of Simply Soothing, Inc & the creator of Bug Soother
Soenen comments that while cleaning up trash is important, there are ultimately bigger issues that need to be addressed. Sediment, bacteria, hydrological changes, and habitat loss impact native flora and fauna and our quality of life. These things often can’t be seen or removed with brute force. But he sees how Iowa Project AWARE is helping to make these issues known, “By engaging in something as simple as picking up trash, these volunteers experience these issues first-hand, and as they begin to understand how they impact the river, they become more active in working together as a community to help develop solutions to these complex problems.”
When Brian Soenen talks about Iowa Project AWARE, he says the volunteers are the most uplifting and refreshing group he knows. “They are a diverse group of individuals, coming together to focus on something we can all agree on- there is trash in the river, it shouldn’t be there, and if we work together, we can do something about it.” So, if you are looking for a way to clean up the environment, consider Iowa Project AWARE. It’s real work, and there are real results. The volunteers are fantastic. Brian Soenen has a challenge for you, “Just Do It! If you’re not sure, give it a try for a day. I dare you.”
Bug Soother has always been a big fan of golf. In fact, golf courses were some of our first customers! We went around to nearly all the golf courses within a 60 mile radius of Columbus Junction, trying to sell Bug Soother. Our sales pitch must have worked, because 9 out of 10 golf courses bought it from us, without even knowing whether it worked! As it turns out, it does work, and unlike many other bug sprays, it 
Geneva Golf & Country Club
As I wrap up my summer at Simply Soothing, I can’t help but look back at my experiences the past two summers. While I have learned a lot in my many business courses, I have realized that there is no substitute for real experience! And so as I begin my senior year of college, I thought I would take a moment to reflect on five things I’ve learned from my internship at Simply Soothing.
