How Iron Lion Soap Created its Saga of Cleanliness and Earned Over $160k in Sales

Avi didn’t know that an unfortunate bout of ringworm would one day pave the way for a new ecommerce empire.

After discovering the benefits of Tea Tree oil for himself, he embarked on a “sage of cleanliness”, creating a product that would bring true value to modern consumers.

Focusing on a mantra of “People over Profits”, Avi developed the Iron Lion Soap brand as the “alternative” to traditional hygiene products, introducing his audience to the unique qualities and benefits all-natural ingredients could provide.

Now, he’s looking forward to a bright future, leveraging his team’s expertise, knowledge, and experiences over the last year to take his business to the next level.

Keep reading to find out:

• How an illness inspired Avi’s entrepreneurial journey
• The philosophy that drives the Iron Lion Soap business
• The signature products that makes this company unique
• Avi’s approach to promotion and traffic sourcing
• How Iron Lion Soap puts customers first
• The biggest challenges Avi has faced when running his business
• How much profit Iron Lion Soap has made on a “slow year”
• The greatest accomplishments of the brand
• What Avi wish he had knew when he got started
• Avi’s biggest mistake, and his advice to newcomers
• The platform Iron Lion Soap uses for ecommerce
• The innovations to expect in 2024
• Avi’s vision of business success

… and much more.

Meet Avi – Before we start, please tell us a bit about yourself.

Shoot- where do I even begin. Should I go cliche?

Husband, Father, Son, Brother and Soap Dude. Ok, but for real, I'm Avi and most notably recognized for building Iron Lion Soap for the people, by the people. Grew up training BJJ and listening to loads of reggae, funk and R&B.

Please share the story behind starting your business. What inspired the creation of your brand?

Iron Lion Soap was born out of necessity. Almost 16 years ago, after contracting a nasty case of a ringworm infection and not being able to get rid of it with Western medicine, my family and I discovered Tea Tree Oil.

After months of experimenting and loads of trial and error, we landed on our first solid bar of soap. The rest is a saga of kleanliness.

Is there a particular philosophy or values that drive your business? How do you ensure these are reflected in your products/services?

We have written a manifesto that holds 9 core values which drive every aspect of Iron Lion Soap and how we do business.

People Over Profits.

Klean 365 24/7

Putting soap in your hands.

Our greatest offering

Only wholesome elements.

Critical attention to detail.

Always striving.

We care that you care.

Start here, or don't.

What are some signature products that your brand is known for, and what makes them unique?

Our bread and butter, the thing that got us to where we are today, is our all-natural, handcrafted bar soap. Leveraging God-given ingredients and the slow and steady cold process. These bars of soap are the furthest thing from a simple shower product.

How do you promote your products? What is the main traffic source?

Since our inception the strongest channel for us has been word of mouth. The long and hard early days of ILS really proves it worth – the product speaks for itself.

Our bar soaps, liquids, solid perfume and deodorant out perform most comparable goods on the market. There’s a reason we are THE ALTERNATIVE!

How do you ensure a memorable and satisfying experience for your customers?

We do a lot of stuff that doesn’t scale. Real handwritten notes, authentic customer relationships and of course, a gentle and kind guiding hand for picking your products or walking you through the transition of going all natural.

Our customers are everything to us. It really is People over Profits.

What have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced in running your business, and how did you deal with them?

The challenges in running a small family business are never ending. With constant flux in raw materials, an ever changing social landscape and maintaining a positive outlook are regularly occurring challenges.

Have a solid true north and understanding our mission and purpose here allows us to face these challenges with grace and confidence. Don’t be fooled, they are never easy to slay but we keep going.

How much is the business earning per year? Only if you’re comfortable to share.

This year has been one of our “slowest” years in recent history. While we are still growing, its been slow. We should finish this year with over $160k in sales.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishments so far?

This is an easy one. Creating a product that has a genuine and positive impact is the greatest gift of them all. The feeling of accomplishment comes via customer testimonials of praise and shock of the solution our products provide.

What do you wish you knew when you started?

Actually, nothing. Im happy to take the path less traveled. Ill always take the stairs vs the elevator. Ill take the streets instead of the freeway. And I would much rather chop fresh veggies than pop em out the freezer.

I am so incredibly grateful for all the lessons, pain and failures ive endured over the last decade+

What was your biggest mistake?

This is a tricky one, if you asked me two years ago my answer would be so different than today. However, the biggest mistake ive made recently is assuming our communities needs rather than actually keeping my ear to the ground and listening to them.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to start their own business in this industry?

Don’t rush a thing. There are a ton of “gurus” and experts who suggest this or that, but if you want to build an honest, respectable, and healthy hygiene business, it's going to take a long time, loads of patience, and a ton of learning.

In what ways does your brand strive to have a positive impact on the communities where it operates?

In everything we do, there is a nod to Mother Nature, Father Time and the living things we share space with. Using recycled goods, minimal waste, and natural ingredients, we are confident that we are helping, not hiring our communities.

Can you please write a few lines about your current platform you're using (Shopify, Woocommerce etc). What are some pros and cons of using it?

We have only been on Shopify for the last two years. Coming off Squarespace with a focus to shift from a brand to a business – Shopify offers a lot more of what we need and less fluff and distractions.

It's been a solid platform, although a bit restrictive unless you know a nerdy thing or two.

Looking to the future, what innovations or expansions can we expect to see from your brand?

Moving into 2024 our focus is going to be leveraging our expertise and knowledge in building brands and products. We are shifting a bit of focus to grow our B2B side of things.

So if you are brand looking to expand into the skin care game. Holler.

If you have an AirBnB or run a retail shop, we have something for you!

What does the ideal version of online business success look like to you?

This is a reality I struggle with pretty much every day. While we want to grow into a staple for those who appreciate our goods – we also want to expose our alternative soap and products to those who need it most.

The ideal version of success looks like catering and nurturing our current customer base while ensuring its a pice of cake for them to share and tell other folks about ILS and the wonders our natural products can do for them.

What is your biggest fear in the digital marketplace?

I am not to fearful generally speaking – however, I do often wonder what would happen if folks took a step away from ecommerce and focused more on brick and mortar.

After all you cant smell goodies through the screen.

What aspect of your leadership style do you think needs improvement?

I need serious help with delegating and trusting the process. This has been one of the greatest challenges since building a team and oppering ILS with a group of like minded folks rather than solo dolo with help from friends.

What trait do you find most challenging in business partners or competitors?

Fortunately for me, Ive been blessed with the ideal business partner. We started as friends, turned into roommates and have been blessed with an incredible friendship. This has cultivated a really strong business relationship that allows us to thrive as individuals and partners in suds.

Which entrepreneur in the online space do you most admire?

This is a tricky question; the online entrepreneur space is super messy in my opinion. More frauds than folks actually doing it.

Huge fan of Mr. and Mrs. Hormozi. I love the work style of Khe Ky and the ideas of Tim Ferris.

What has been your most significant investment in your online business?

Month after month, our largest investment is our products. We take no shortcuts, cut no corners and ensure that our goods are reliable, consistent and true to the test.

What aspect of your business's public image would you like to improve?

This year, we experimented with “removing the vail” and sharing a more personal side of the folks who run and operate ILS. By nature, I am a shy person and fairly private.

I would like to maintain the closeness ive created with our community but be less “public” if that makes sense.

What leadership quality do you value most in fellow entrepreneurs?

For me it has always been and always will be work ethic. I am a big believer in failure and the learning opportunity it gives us.

If you could change one decision you made in your business, what would it be?

The one decision that I wish I had made sooner would be running ads. We only started this year and due to the extreme quality of our products, most customers just need the introduction and exposure to all that is ILS.

What tool, resource, or asset do you value most in your current business?

Its two things; My pen and paper notebook that I use as a scratch pad, history/archive and of course my calender. Timeboxing and creating a tight routine is crucial to my daily function.

What activity in running your business brings you the most joy?

At heart I am a creative. I love designing, I love sharing the magic of nature, and most of all, I love speaking with customers whose lives have been transformed by letting Iron Lion Soap into their lives.

What distinctive trait do you believe sets your business approach apart?

See our manifesto. This is something that we truly believe in, its something that allows us to move intentionally and with a pure heart.