LOUISVILLE, Ky. — We usually hear “It’s never too late to start,” but entrepreneur Bailey Griffin in Louisville is proving just the opposite: That it’s never too early to start, given the 9-year-old owns her own business called Bath Wonderland.
What You Need To Know
- Bailey Griffin started Bath Wonderland when she was 7 years old
- Bath Wonderland sells products like soap to body butter, all made by Bailey
- The inspiration was twofold: her severe eczema and watching her mom run a business
- Bailey said helping people with their skin keeps her motivated
When school’s out, Bailey is usually in the kitchen whipping something up. When Spectrum News 1 visited, she was making lavender salt scrubs to fulfill a customer order.
“I love that it is healthy for your skin, and it’s easy to make,” Bailey said, regarding the products she makes for her business. Those products include soap, hand sanitizer, salt and sugar scrubs and body butter.
Bailey started Bath Wonderland when she was 7-years-old. Now, two and a half years later, and the soon-to-be 10-year-old is still motivated.
To learn Bailey’s inspiration for starting her business, you have to meet Brittiney Griffin, Bailey’s mom, who said her role in Bath Wonderland is “quality control.”
“You gotta remember that Bailey is nine, and when it comes to sanitation, she’s nine,” Brittiney joked as she was sanitizing some bowls Bailey uses to make her products in.
Brittiney's role in Bailey starting Bath Wonderland is twofold. First, when Bailey was diagnosed with severe eczema, Brittiney made oatmeal soap and body butter because the prescribed medication didn’t work.
However, Bailey also watched her mom run her own in-home health care business, which, obviously made an impression on a then 7-year-old Bailey.
“'If you got a business, what my business going to be? Don’t you think that I should have everything that you should have,'" Brittiney said Bailey asked one day. “‘And I’m like, ‘Well, wait a minute. I didn’t think that you wanted one, but absolutely. It has to be something people want or need, preferably need.’ You know, and it got her gears going.”
Now, Brittiney said Bath Wonderland brings in $5,000-$6,000 per year. However, the business isn’t Bailey’s main priority.
“No ma’am, we have homework that we need to do. If it’s an area that I feel like you need help, then that’s what we got to focus on and then Bath Wonderland,” Brittiney said, regarding Bailey’s priority being school and her grades. “And then like I said, she has to let me know when she’s tired or exhausted because I don’t want her to get burned out.”
“I like helping people with their skin, and as people keep on coming back, it’s people really motivate me because [they say] like, ‘Go Bailey, go!’, especially my mom,” Bailey answered when asked what keeps her motivated.
While Bailey gets to do a lot of fun things with her business, from making the product to making money, they aren’t her favorite aspects of running a business.
“I like being in charge all the time. Sometimes, I take it too far,” Bailey laughed.
Making product, taking orders, managing money, those are some of the lessons Bailey has learned by starting and running Bath Wonderland. However, those lessons don’t compare to Bailey’s biggest take-away so far.
“Never let yourself down,” she said.
Brittiney told Spectrum News 1 that Bailey recently received a $5,000 business grant through the Louisville nonprofit Change Today, Change Tomorrow’s small business program. Bailey’s mom said she is currently redoing her basement with some of that money so Bailey can expand Bath Wonderland and so mom can have her kitchen back.
You can learn more about Bath Wonderland or purchase its products online, click here.
Bath Wonderland products are also available at Pocket Change in Louisville, located at 1753 Bardstown Rd., Louisville, Kentucky 40205, or check Bath Wonderland’s Facebook page for events it sells products at, such as pop-up events, craft fairs and farmers markets.