Creating youth leaders, one skincare product at a time

THIS BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT SHINES ON

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Feel good. Do good. It isn’t just the new tagline for Huntsville-based Soapstones Natural Skincare, it’s a way of being.

For owners David and Joanne McLean, who bought the company earlier this year, it means feeling good about their product and their support of their community, and also helping their customers feel good by providing natural products that are gentle on their skin, gentle on the planet, and supportive of youth leadership.

“Joanne and I believe in the potential for youth to be developed as leaders,” says David. “And when they are developed as leaders then issues such as bullying, low self-esteem, and dietary issues like anorexia and bulimia, suicide, depression, all of those terrible things, that they can be averted to some extent.”

At Soapstones, we are committed to supporting our youth (ages 12-18) in ways that help build self-esteem, that stop bullying behaviours, that engender confidence, that focus on well-being and that develop their leadership potential. A big idea? It is, and we believe that by working with like-minded partners, we can help to create change. Because, let’s face it, healthy, engaged youth will create a bright future.

“Youth can stand up and navigate those things better when their leadership potential is developed in all kinds of ways,” adds Joanne.

They have already supported local youth sports teams and the Children’s Foundation of Muskoka through product donations for silent auctions. And going forward, the company will dedicated a portion of their proceeds to initiatives that support youth leadership. In addition to providing financial support to local organizations that support youth, they are looking at other options like an essay contest that would provide a bursary to a young person, microloans for youth starting or expanding businesses, or sending youth on leadership development experiences.

“It could be a multitude of things that fit with the notion of developing to their fullest self,” says Joanne.

Leadership is their passion – David has a doctorate in leadership from Antioch University, both are on the leadership faculty at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and they have another company focused on leadership coaching. And they want to foster that passion in youth.

“It’s our way of giving back in a socially responsible way to the community and all the communities we serve,” says David.

They also have big plans for Soapstones, including a dedicated manufacturing facility that will employ more people, and retail stores in locations beyond Huntsville.

“The company has a very solid reputation in the community and the products are quality products,” says Joanne. “We want to honour the genesis of that with Darla (Stipanovich, Soapstones’ founder) and take it to the next level.”

The company’s social campaign carries the hashtag #letsfaceit – and launches today (December 1). Follow along on their Facebook page or on Twitter @soapstonessoap.