Of our five senses, scent is perhaps the most powerful touchstone for memories. The trigger of smell is so powerful, that many adults can remember the smells of their childhood; the fabulously fresh aroma of Mom’s laundry detergent, the marvelously musty smell of the promise of hidden treasures in Grandma’s attic, or the endearing earthiness of Dad’s work shirts. Sometimes it’s easier to remember smells than it is to remember actual details from years ago. To put it simply, scent can transport us back in time.

What if there was a way to harness these fragrant flashbacks and bottle them? Would you buy them?

Lucky for all of us, Tamee Knapp, the sole proprietor of Good Lather Soaps, has built a business around aroma, creating a line of hand soaps and candles that has allowed her to transition from corporate businesswoman to business owner in less than a year’s time.

For over a year, beginning in 2022, Tamee balanced working 50 hours a week as Field Marketing Director and Catering Coordinator for Bojangles while quietly building her side business. 

After much consideration, on March 1 of this year, Tamme took a huge risk.

She walked into the corporate offices of Bojangles and quit her job of seven years to commit full-time to her burgeoning business. 

“I told them that they needed to hire someone… so I began training the different stores to handle the catering side of things. I stayed as long as I could, and then I left the first week of May.” 

When asked how her business has been going since leaving the corporate world, Tamee states simply, “I’ve more than doubled my sales in the first month after leaving my job.”

Leaning heavily on nostalgia and reminiscence, soy-based candles such as Dad’s Old-Fashioned Root Beer, Bacon and Waffles, Kettle Corn, Dill Pickle, Buttery Popcorn, and Fruity Pebbles are so unique that Tamee, who sells her soaps and candles at festivals, events, and shops throughout Tennessee, does not get concerned by her competition. 

“My products are unique, so even if I go to an event and there are three or four other candle vendors there, I don’t worry about it, because my candles and soaps are so different from other vendors. These are scents that you’re not going to see everywhere, every day.''

The use of skin-safe fragrances and essential oils, in addition to clever branding helps to make Good Lather Soaps stand out from the crowd. To that end, the labels on Tamee’s candles feature creative illustrations that reference each fragrance, allowing prospective buyers to imagine the scent of a product before it’s actually been smelled.

In many ways, Tamee’s foray into the candle business was a natural segue from the corporate world. While it would be easy to chalk up the move from side to primary business as a simple, “leap of faith,” one conversation with Tamee will prove that this was a well planned move.

The story of Good Lather Soaps wouldn’t be the same without Tamee’s experience in the corporate world. In an interesting twist of fate, while working for Bojangles, Tamee became a board member of the White House Chamber of Commerce and participated in a Chamber sponsored, “Women in White House,” candle-making event at Deja Moo Creamery & Coffee Co. 

At this point, Tamee had already been making and selling bars of soap, “I started out making bar soaps, then added the candles after that. One thing led to another, and people started taking requests for scents. ‘Laundry,’ for instance, smells like detergent because someone requested a candle that smells like Gain. I created Bacon and Waffles because my husband requested a candle that smelled like bacon, but I thought it was too strong, so I added a maple fragrance.” 

In a nod to the beginning of her candle-making adventure, Tamee approached Deja Moo Creamery & Coffee Co. with the idea of creating an ice cream-themed candle to sell in the shop. The result was a banana split candle layered with banana, strawberry, vanilla, and “Sugar High,” a whipped cream scent that is Tamee’s personal favorite. It’s named after the store and is exclusively available at Deja Moo.

Currently, Tamee’s business is growing so fast that she’s selling over 100 candles per week through selling at least five events, including festivals and farmers markets. Additionally, Tamee can accommodate large candle orders with custom labels for wedding and birthday favors and for corporate gift baskets.

In fact, Good Lather Soaps is growing at such a fast pace that the company is in the middle of the application process to become a product supplier for Buc-ee’s, a move that would greatly expand Tamee’s business, “The goal is to build sales online and in stores so that I can slow down on events. With the number of events I’m currently attending, it would be difficult to keep up this pace forever.”

Regardless of how much or how fast the business expands, Tamee Knapp knows that the key to a product’s success is its quality and unique brand. Add to that a bit of business savvy, and there’s no limit to where we might find Good Lather Soaps products sold in the future!

For now, Good Lather Soaps products can be purchased online at https://www.goodlathersoaps.com/, and on the shelves of Deja Moo Creamery & Coffee Co., White House Florist, Grace and Faith Boutique, White House Produce & More. 

Additionally, Good Lather Soaps is booked to sell products at five events per week from now until the beginning of November. A partial list of upcoming events includes the following:

June 24- Dickson Street Festival. Downtown Dickson, TN.

July 1- Springfield 4th of July Festival. Springfield, TN Fairgrounds.

July 6/7/8- Sunflower Festival. Springfield, TN.

Check out their Facebook page for more information.