1000 Words is a podcast that paints a picture about the creative process. This is a lens to focus on the unique perspective of a specific artist. Hopefully drawing insight into inspiration as we brush up on how imagination provides a groundwork for artistic exploration. We continue that journey today with Jenny Frech! Jenny Frech spent a lot of time in her own imagination as a kid, like most artists and entrepreneurs. Drawing and imagining worlds that don't exist. As an entrepreneur, her first business was a lemonade stand at age 6 or 7 on a dirt road that no one traveled down. By the time she was in her teens she had started oodles of short-lived businesses including: selling tiny plants, golf balls, handmade stationery; sitting for kids, dogs, and horses; even a window-washing business. As a Gen-Xer, her parents wanted her to find a long-term job with a company and get a retirement watch. She struggled with what she wanted to do as a grown-up and ended up with a degree in Animal Science. Even in college, she was checking out books called something like "How to Start a Business from Home". Frech eventually went back for a teaching degree and taught off and on for ten years. Looking back, she thinks she should have studied art and graphic design because I love the whole process of creation and design. In 2012, she left teaching and worked at the University of Notre Dame as an Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Center for Sustainable Energy. She enjoyed the work and discovered some skills she didn't know she had: like networking, leadership, and coaching. Meanwhile, she made soap for the first time in 2012 and it was an utter, messy disaster! Out of 3 batches, only one was usable. At Christmas that year, a friend suggested that they try to make soap for Christmas presents, that time it worked and was fun! She started experimenting and making all sorts of batches, trying out new recipes, scents, and color combos. Her husband suggested that she start selling at the farmer's market in Goshen. It happened to be great timing, the former soapmaker had just left, and there was a space open. She sold $70 of very ugly soap, but with a great recipe that she developed at the first market. In the fall of 2013, she was able to quit her job at Notre Dame and go full-time with her business. In 2014 she opened her shop with her husband! Since then, they've moved two more times into bigger and bigger stores and have an amazing support team. She says she is not a fine artist, but does consider herself a maker and an artist. Frech likes to explain soapmaking as one part art, one part baking, and one part science. She spend a lot of her time in artistic and creative endeavors from designing soap, creating branded materials, designing labels, creating beautiful eye-catching store windows, and choosing merchandise assortments for the store. As an entrepreneur, she loves the creation of something from nothing. She start with a vision of what could be. Then, gathers up the ingredients to make it happen: a great team, influence from their customers, and the right mix of products. While the mix of products they make today is what she envisioned nine years ago, the business has taken on a life of its own! Sort of like raising kids...it's fun and exciting to watch them grow up into who they want to be. In this case, her community and customers have a pretty big say on which way they grow. Find out how a quiet customer helped her create her favorite line...
