Let’s Go Behind the Scenes at East Tennessee Soap Works
It might just be the best-smelling business in town.
Tucked into an unassuming storefront between Sanderson and Gill street is East Tennessee Soap Works, where you can find shampoos, scrubs, room sprays, and—yes—soaps in a variety of seasonal and classic scents. Come with us behind the scenes at East TN Soap Works to see the true heart of this business.
Proprietor and chief soap wizard Sunny Tune started the business with her husband Phil in 2016 as a home hobby, and it has grown over the years from a basement workshop to the current laboratory and shop space.
It all started because Sunny and Phil’s son was diagnosed with eczema, and they started making soaps that would be gentle enough for the toddler’s sensitive skin.
“I never expected to own a business,” Sunny said; “My background is in theater and sign language interpreting.”
But now, she, Phil, and their two employees concoct their products with an eye toward future trends and old favorites. Because soap takes six weeks to cure, they’re always working a season ahead: Right now, all their focus is on spring.
“I really love making a product that people enjoy and love,” Sunny said. “I’ve had customers tell me that they can tell we put a lot of love and heart into our items and they feel good about using them.”
Watching Sunny and her team at work is somewhere between watching pastry chefs and mad scientists. They measure and mix the ingredients to precise proportions (which Sunny has researched), but it’s obvious that they have fun along the way. Both of her assistants, Megan and Ash, agree that the best part of the job is… the job! (Everybody’s least favorite thing is washing the dishes: We can relate.)
Sunny has a wide selection of scents that she experiments with to get just the right combination, taking up most of one wall in the workshop. That’s her favorite part of the process: The creativity behind the selection and creation of new scents, offering a peek behind the magic at East Tennessee Soap Works. Her Holy Grail scent, she confided, is the smell of mimosa flowers while biking along a paved trail at sunset. She’s still pursuing that one, but right now you can get a wide variety of her winter and permanent stock, including scents like pistachio, caramel, birch, ginger matcha, lavender, sage, chai—and many more.
Sunny loves connecting with other entrepreneurs, as well as with her customers. She’s worked with Sky City Entrepreneur Center and one-on-one with other colleagues in soap and related fields to help bridge a gap in our local market. Sunny offers wholesaling ingredients to make it easier for smaller creators and busineses to source materials. She rejects the notion that small-business owners need to be combative. “There’s plenty of customers to go around,” she said with a laugh. “I like connecting with others.”
The soaps, shampoos, and sprays are available online via the East Tennessee Soap Works’ Etsy shop, and they can be shipped or picked up at the store. Find her products at 347 Sanderson St., Suite A, or online at easttnsoapworks.com.
At the end of the day, Sunny said, she loves the flexibility of an entrepreneurial job, and “I really enjoy making something I’m proud of.”
hello@letsbeblount.com
(865)240-0297
