SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – Andrea Davis once worked at bank, but one day everything changed.
That tragic day was when she lost her child, 21 months into her pregnancy.
When she returned to work, she noticed flowers on her desk.
Immediately, her co-workers began to ask her if the flowers were for her birthday.
Right away, she felt that was a sign that she may need to move on from her job and take some time to recover from the loss of her child.
This time of healing led to the discovery of a new passion.
“I don’t recommend anyone to do that…just quit…but I was fortunate enough to have a supportive husband and just to say…’you need to take care of yourself and do that’ so I found soap making through youtube,” said Andrea as she explains what led to her learning how to make soap.
Once she started to feel more comfortable with her soap creations, her company, Motherland Essentials was created.
She said what sets her soap apart, from what you may find in a normal retail store, are the ingredients, which are all natural products.
“For me, it was just a matter of how can I create something that is affordable and accessible and know that I’m giving someone something that’s good for them,” she said.
The business began in 2015, but she was able to finally open her own warehouse in September 2020, making her the first black woman to own a soap manufacturing warehouse in Summerville.
She has used her role as a black business owner to even spread some extra knowledge as she has created her own “Black History Month soaps” with biography cards that highlight different black women in history.
Motherland Essentials mainly only offers their products via their website but they do have one day of the week where people will be allowed to come by the store and purchase products at the store: Saturday.
Some Saturdays, Andrea opens the door to other local businesses to have their own products available to the public, which also gives them some added exposure.
She believes, as someone who was blessed with her own warehouse, she has a responsibility of helping other local business owners flourish.
“I have the space. It’s my responsibility, as a black woman who owns a business, to reach out to another black woman and say, ‘hey i have this space, here’s what you can do.’ You can create this opportunity. If you want to come, come,” said Andrea.
For Andrea and Motherland Essentials, this is really only the beginning.
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