What if quitting your soap business isn’t failure?
What if you built something successful, served amazing customers, learned more than you ever thought you would… and eventually realized you just don’t want to do it anymore?
In this episode of The Dirty Heifers, we sit down with Sharon Reaser of Bumble and Bleat Soap, who made the difficult decision to close her handmade soap business after years of trying to figure out whether she was burned out—or genuinely done.
And that distinction matters.
Sharon talks honestly about the signs of burnout, the changes she made before deciding to close, the guilt of disappointing customers and family, the grief of deleting products she worked so hard to create, and the surprising relief that came with finally saying, “Enough is enough.”
We also get into the practical side of closing a handmade business:
• What happens to your inventory, equipment, molds, and supplies? • What do you do with your website and social media? • Should you shut down your accounts—or reinvent them? • What happens when your business has become part of your identity? • Can you be successful and still decide you’re done? • And how do you know when it’s time to stop pushing?
Sharon also shares what she would tell herself if she could go back to the beginning: slow down, listen to yourself, and remember that YOU are the most important part of the business.
Because sometimes the right answer isn't to work harder.
Sometimes it's to change the business.
Sometimes it's to take a break.
And sometimes… it's okay to close the door.
If you're a soap maker, handmade business owner, or creative entrepreneur who's ever wondered whether you're tired, burned out, or genuinely ready for something different, this conversation is for you.
💬 QUESTION FOR YOU: If you took away the fear of disappointing everyone else, would you still want to be doing what you're doing?
Tell us in the comments. We want to hear your story.
👍 If this episode hit home, give it a like. 💬 Leave us a comment. 🔔 Subscribe to The Dirty Heifers for honest conversations about soap making, handmade business, burnout, mistakes, money, and all the stuff nobody puts on the pretty Instagram posts.
And send this episode to the maker who keeps saying, “I think I’m done”… but is still trying to convince themselves they aren't.
Stay Dirty Heifers. 🐄🧼
