We had the good fortune of connecting with Christopher Ketchum and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christopher, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
The length of time it takes soap to cure! It can take 4-6 weeks for a loaf to cure. This means that a lot of what we do is speculation; trying to “guess” how well a product will sell, so we know how much to make and timing it so our Christmas scents are ready for Christmas, not New Year.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a family owned business. A true “Mom & Pop”. My wife, Mandi, creates all the soaps, lotions, balms, bombs, milk baths, etc. I’m in charge of creating our beard care products and handling the sales. You can usually find our kids helping us at one of our pop up shops at a market.

Real Soap. Real Simple. That’s our motto and what makes us different from other soaperies. We use natural, plant based ingredients in our products, and use essential oils instead of fragrances wherever we can. You’ll never find sulfates, phthalates or paraffin waxes in our products.

The second side of OGSC is our Soap For Hope Project. It’s a charity that started as a way to provide necessities to members of the Homeless Community. Through donations and fundraising, we are able to create Care Bags that contain items like gloves, hats, emergency blankets, first aid items, notepads, sewing kits, nail clippers and feminine products; things that take the back burner to food, but are no less important. We also supply blankets and jackets in the colder months. In 2024, we’re taking our project to new heights by branching into helping orphanages and nursing homes with things like gift baskets, to brighten spirits around the holidays. In fact, thank to our supporters, we were able to orchestrate a Valentines Day Party to a group of 50 kids at an orphanage in Macon, Ga. complete with themed decorations, plates, flatware and tons of candy! OGSC also donates $1 from every bar of our Musky Goat sales, (Outselling every other bar 13:1) to our Soap For Hope Project.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Savannah Georgia is always fun! So much to do and you can walk to it all! Plus, there’s TONS of history.

Being a fancier of historic places, Blakely, Ga, Macon,Ga. and Tallahassee, Fl. are teeming with the history of the Creek and Weedon Island tribes. We’d definitely hit all the mounds.

If we’re in Macon, we’d definitely head to the tiny town of Juliette, shop the local shops and eat at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Fried Green Tomatoes are always in season and they have the best damn Barbecue I ever ate!

Music is a big part of our life, so I’d definitely take them to see some of our local favorites play. Claude Bell and Dustin Herring can normally be found playing somewhere here in the Wiregrass area, as well as our pals, Few Miles South with Southern Fried Studios just 2 miles down the road. Maybe head to Dothan, Al. and catch one of John Shaw’s “Play the Cafe” shows at Mural City Coffee Company.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
While we have many who support us in different ways, 2 really standout. First, I’d have to say that Few Miles South delivers a huge amount of love, encouragement and support to our business. Whether it’s lending an ear so we can bounce ideas or jumping in with a full performance to support one of our charity fundraising projects, our Few Miles South friends are always at the ready and we really couldn’t ever thank them enough.

Second would be Pretoria Fields Brewing. From sponsoring our Soap For Hope Project, to allowing us use of their facilities for whatever crazy idea we have to their relentless promotion of our company, Pretoria Fields Brewing and Pretoriafieldsradio.com have always had our back, and we definitely wouldn’t be where we are without them.

Of course, we need to mention our faithful customers because, without them, we’d just be an idea.

Website: www.oldgoatsoapco.com

Instagram: @oldgoatsoapcompany

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OldGoatSoapCompany?mibextid=ZbWKwL

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