Oregon Soap Shop Hits 5 Years After Pandemic Launch

Angela Rhodes transformed her deepest grief into a gift for her community, and five years later, her small business is thriving against all odds.

Penelope's Soaps and Such just celebrated its fifth anniversary in downtown Madras, Oregon. The milestone is especially remarkable because Rhodes launched her storefront in February 2021, right in the middle of the pandemic when small businesses were closing left and right.

Rhodes started making soaps at home after losing her daughter Penelope to an infection. Each product label carries actual-size replicas of Penelope's footprints as a way to keep her memory alive.

"This is our small way of memorializing our little one," the store's website explains. "For those that have lost little loved ones, we never forget them, and the best we seem to be able to do is to live around the loss."

What began as grief therapy in her home grew so popular that Rhodes eventually ran out of space. "My whole house was jam-packed full," she said. "There was nowhere to eat, everything was covered up."

So Rhodes took a leap. She opened her storefront on Fifth Street just as Covid-19 was reshaping the world. Because her shop was considered an essential business, she stayed open while many others couldn't.

Brenna O'Sullivan-Fulks, the Jefferson County area director for Economic Development for Central Oregon, says reaching five years is huge. Nationally, only about half of small businesses make it this long.

"People value the experience and craftsmanship," O'Sullivan-Fulks said. "Customers can see soaps and products being made right in the store, and the heartfelt story behind the business creates a genuine connection with the community."

Sunny's Take

Rhodes describes her shop as having constant "good energy," and customers feel it too. "It's the space to be open and free," she said. "It's pretty much a party in here all the time."

Employee Kelly Shepherd connected with Rhodes over their shared experiences with child loss. "The energy that she had is just so incredibly natural and genuine and authentic," Shepherd said. "You don't find a lot of people like that."

Today, the shop offers about 50 different soaps, 13 bath bomb scents, and various candles. The mountain huckleberry soap and clear soap with Lego toys inside for kids are customer favorites.

Rhodes credits her team for many of the creative ideas. "There's a lot to be learned from another person's brain," she said.

Now Rhodes is expanding to sell items from other local creators, spreading her success to even more people in her community.