Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Manka.
Hi Kelsey, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in South Austin. After graduating from James Bowie HS, I moved to New York to attend Culinary School to follow my dream of becoming a Chef. I ended up working in Michelin-starred restaurants for 10 years in NYC. This was an extremely formative time for me. I honed my understanding of not only cooking, hospitality and service, but how different ingredients and aromas play well together.
Come 2020, Covid shut down restaurants for 7 months in Manhattan. I was left with a lot of time to reflect on my life and my passions and interests. By the end of 2020, I decided to leave NYC and the restaurant industry for good.
During a camping trip in Big Sur, California, I was struck with what felt like a bizarre urge. Almost out of nowhere, I felt that I wanted to learn how to make all-natural soap.
After a summer full of books on soap-making and weekends full of trial-and-error, I ended up with about 12 foolproof recipes of soap bars ranging from Carrot Lemongrass to Blue Tansy Chamomile to Charcoal Tea Tree. I realized quite quickly how much of an advantage I had to making soaps. My years in the kitchen taught me to easily understand how and why specific ingredients play a role, how to effortlessly pair different aromas together, organization and sanitation in production and trusting my intuitive creativity.
I ended up with two bathrooms full of essential oil bottles. Needless to say, expanding into soy-based, paraffin-free candles was the natural next step for me. Candles have always been my go-to for gift giving or treating myself. Having a candle burning makes the mundane feel special.
From the start of what I thought was just a summer hobby, I always knew it was important to make products from ethically-sourced, organic and non-toxic ingredients. I believe this core value is how my products have reached the right audience. I feel so lucky to produce such beautiful and aromatic goods that I know are safe and nourishing for my customers.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
From the start, I made a promise to myself. I was never going to put pressure on myself and this new found hobby of mine. I would never let the pressure of being successful dampen the joy creating these products brings me. I truly believe this mentality has made this winding road so enjoyable. I create from a place of joy and play.
The biggest struggle is getting my products in front of the right people- who will really love Sol Del Sur for what we stand for: Nourishing products that are safe and spark joy.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Sol Del Sur is a brand that was sparked from an intuitive idea while staring up at the moon one night in Big Sur, California. The brand has been constantly bred from the joy and playfulness of making. We believe every ingredient matters. We use only ethically-sourced ingredients and never cut costs by using less-than ingredients or ingredients whose harvesting might damage our earth in any way.
In my past life as a Michelin-starred Chef, we swear by the quote, “You can taste the love that goes into making a dish.” I know the love, attention-to-detail, and joy that goes into our products is translated through all of our offerings.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
We live in such a unique time with instant access to the internet, YouTube, other entrepreneurs and makers. I reached out to many women in similar spaces that I looked up to. I would ask questions, get curious, hear their story and listen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://0eaabd.myshopify.com
- Instagram: soldelsur_la
- Other: https://soldelsurla.etsy.com
Image Credits
Photo credit: Skye Grace (@skyebethgrace)
