BYRON,Minn- Shanna McCann is no stranger to being creative during difficult times. In 2008, she started making soaps at a time when the economy wasn't at it's best. Despite the situation it was in, McCann moved out here. A farm girl from Wisconsin, McCann always worked with animals. She was even given goats when she came to Minnesota.

"I was making cheeses, yogurts, and doing fun things with the milk," explained McCann. "One day a dear friend of mine showed me how to make soap and a little light went off in my head that I can use this goat milk to create a product."

The goat milk led McCann to make soap for friends and family for Christmas. In Spring 2009, she started working at the Rochester Farmer's Market.

"From that point, I created the customer base," said McCann. "I was bringing lots of produce from my garden at that time and little baskets of soap, and shortly, my stand evolved into lots and lots of soap. Even if I bring produce now, rarely do I sell it."

McCann's business Simple Soaps for Simple Folks became official in May 2009. Being creative during challenging times and facing success and challenges is something she is use to, especially when she first started.

"I didn't have much for employees or help.  It was just solely myself making the product, marketing the product, doing what I had to do," said McCann.  "It's a learning curve to figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are within your own business. Within a short time frame, I figured out I needed to outsource.  That was part of the learning curve with what I did with my business."

Now, regardless of being in a pandemic, people continue to support McCann's business and purchase her soaps.