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

Hi Candice, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I believe the most important factor to my success in business, as well as in my personal life, is learning and growing from my mistakes. Many times, when we make mistakes, we take it hard and/or beat ourselves up for it. The reality is mistakes are our best friends! I can recount each cringeworthy mistake in my life that I have made and assure you there was always ultimately a positive leaning experience. Sure, at the time there was pain and regret, but once the dust settled, I learned something I didn’t know before and applied that new bit of information to future decisions. For example, with my new bath and body company I learned the hard way that retail is not fun! I had committed to doing mall shows all throughout the year in 2019. The year ended with me tired, defeated, and in the red. So, this year, I decided to try selling online only and wow what a difference!! I was not only selling my beautiful soaps and bath bombs with no expensive booth fees or long hard days at the mall, but word began to spread fast about me. I am now known as the Goat Soap Lady in my neighborhood!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Learning to make my own soaps, bath bombs, and other bath and body products has been one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done. I like to call it “Bath Art.” Initially, it served as a creative outlet for me but soon after it turned into a business idea. One thing that sets me apart in the bath and body industry is my insane love of goats, hence The Lavish Goat! Goat milk is wonderful for the skin and I love to put it in just about all my products. I also use high quality ingredients that are natural or as natural as I can get. I will never make anything that is not suitable for myself and my family to use. One of the products I am most excited about are my bath bombs. Oh how I love the frothy, foamy, bubbly fun a bath bomb gives in the tub. With beautiful colors, yummy scents, and skin loving additives like goat milk and avocado oil, your skin will be happy too! Kids and adults alike love my bath bombs however, for the non-bath takers I also make Shower Steamers. My Shower Steamers turn your ordinary shower into a luxury aromatherapy steam shower experience. One of the hardest things to learn was the science behind it all. Many people don’t realize this but making soap or even bath bombs is a science. Learning fatty acid profiles for each oil for example is not easy yet a very important step when learning to make soap. Knowing what each oil brings to the table helps me to create soap with a purpose. In the beginning, I just jumped right in and made soaps, but I realized quickly I was not getting the results I wanted. So, I took a step back and started studying. I wanted my soaps to have a focus on gentle cleansing and conditioning, whilst also having a few different recipes that can be suitable for certain skin types. For example, my Bastille Soap is suitable for those with the MOST sensitive/dry skin. Bastille soaps offer the gentlest cleanse with a creamy lotion-like lather as they are made with mostly olive oil. Whereas my other soaps offer a huge bubbly lather that is still gentle enough for sensitive/dry skin and offers big fluffy bubbles for those of us who like to get our lather on. I care about my skin and making high-quality natural products to keep my skin soft and radiant is very important to me. I use every product I make personally and will never sell anything I don’t personally believe in.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We are so fortunate to live in such a diverse city which brings many delicious foods to try! One of my favorite places to eat is in China Town. Here, you can find so many diverse types of cuisine. From Crawfish and Noodles, which is famous for their Vietnamese-style crawfish and my favorite dish Tamarind Crab. For lunch, try Don Cafe where you can eat delicious Banh Mi sandwiches at a price everyone can get behind. Looking for Happy Hour? Head on over to the Galleria area and visit my favorite whiskey bar and New England style restaurant, Loch Bar. The whiskey list at Lock Bar is very extensive, and I enjoy choosing fresh oysters from their menu which not only tells you where the oysters are from but gives a nice and very true idea of what they will taste like. The Maine Lobster Rolls, Roasted Chicken, and Mac and Cheese is out of this world! A visit to the Hermann Park is a must when visiting Houston! Here you can walk through a beautiful Japanese Zen garden, take paddle boats out on the lake, or watch a free show at the Miller Outdoor theater.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are a few people that come to mind when thinking about those who have encouraged and supported me throughout my life. First, I will give a major shout out to my husband Sean. This man not only stands by my side through the good and bad times but also, bless his heart, puts up with ALL my crazy ideas! My husband likes things nice and tidy, but before I had a studio, I would clutter up the entire house with soaps and bath bombs everywhere! Sean has helped me in both of my businesses throughout the years and has always encouraged me to shoot for the stars. Even when I am making a huge mess! Next, I can say with 100% certainty I would not be where I am today and who I am today if not for the love and support of my parents. My mother has always supported my ideas and she even gave me the start I needed when I opened a patient housing company. My father has also shown me, through real life experiences, that you can have just about anything you want if you put your mind to it. Growing up and watching my father work hard and achieve his own success, even though he himself came from humble beginnings, showed me that I too can achieve great success. The fact that I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth and don’t have a college degree, yet was still able to create two very successful businesses is proof of that.

Website: www.thelavishgoat.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelavishgoat/?modal=admin_todo_tour