Welcome to the Shit Show. 

Episode 1: So... We Bought a Building.

There are two kinds of people in this world.

The ones who carefully think through every major life decision...

...and then there's us.

Now, before anybody starts giving us too much credit...

No, this wasn't some perfectly planned business expansion.

Just one random conversation.

And somehow...

We ended up owning a building.

Funny how that works.

It Started Like Most of Joey's Ideas...

If you've met Joey, you already know.

He doesn't really collect hobbies.

He collects projects.

He has this incredible ability to look at something old, worn out, or completely forgotten...

...and see what it could become.

It's one of the reasons Soap de Jolie exists in the first place.

 

One minute we're talking about making more soap...

The next minute...

"We oughta go look at that building."

"Just look?"

"Yep."

"We're not buying anything."

"Nope."

"Promise?"

"...Sure."

If you've ever been shopping with someone who says,

"We're just looking..."

You already know how this story ends.

Why Purvis?

We've probably been asked this question more than any other.

"Why Purvis?"

The answer has nothing to do with extensive market research.

It has everything to do with home.

I moved to Purvis in the fourth grade and graduated from Purvis High School.

Joey attended Purvis High School too. 

Long before Soap de Jolie.

Long before the soap shop.

Long before four retail locations, early mornings, late nights, shipping orders, and laundry soap took over our lives...

We were just two kids moving through life. 

Some of our oldest friendships started in Purvis.

Some of the people who encouraged us before Soap de Jolie was even an idea still live here.

That's something you never forget.

So this never felt like opening another store.

It felt like coming home.

Not because we had to.

Because we wanted to.

There's something really special about getting the chance to invest in the town that invested in you first.

And maybe that's our favorite part of this whole project.

The Tour

The first time we unlocked the front door...

We weren't looking at an old building.

We were looking at possibilities.

Shelves full of handmade soap.

Laundry soap lined up.

People walking through the door saying,

"We've been following this from the beginning."

Joey was already mentally building things.

I was already mentally decorating.

Hope has a funny way of doing that.

It lets you see tomorrow instead of today.

Now don't get us wrong.

We knew the building was old.

We knew it needed work.

That wasn't a surprise.

We expected paint.

Flooring.

Replacing some studs or some ceiling joists.

Some new lights.

A little plumbing.

Maybe a few unexpected repairs.

Basically...

A really good facelift.

What we didn't realize...

Was that this building had much bigger plans for us.

The Moment Everything Changed

It didn't happen all at once.

It happened one little discovery at a time.

Kind of like pulling a loose thread on your favorite sweater.

You think you're fixing one tiny thing...

Until suddenly you're holding half the sweater.

The more we looked...

The more we found.

The more we found...

The more questions we had.

And every time we thought,

"Okay... surely that's the last surprise."

The building screamed,

"Hold my beer!"

We're going to stop right there.

Because trust us...

The next chapter deserves its own story.

Let's just say...

Our original renovation plans changed.

A lot.

Why We're Bringing You Along

Social media usually shows you the finished product.

Fresh paint.

Pretty shelves.

Grand opening.

Everybody smiling.

What it doesn't show you are the moments in between.

The phone calls.

The setbacks.

The unexpected expenses.

The conversations that start with,

"Well..."

...and end with,

"I guess we're doing this now."

That's the part we want to share.

Not because it's perfect.

Because it's real.

If you've ever chased a dream...

Built something from nothing...

Or wondered if you were just a little bit crazy...

You'll probably feel right at home here.

So Welcome to the Shit Show.

We're really glad you're here.

Next Time...

Remember that "little facelift" we thought this building needed?

Yeah...

About that.

Turns out...

Some things are better left for Episode 2.

Stay Tuned.