Simply Driven celebrates the scrappy, brilliant, and often-overlooked small business owners redefining entrepreneurship. From side hustles and gig-driven startups to solopreneurs in non-traditional trades, these founders are shaping the future on their own terms. While they take the leap, Simply Business is building the tools to help support them — because the businesses rewriting the rules today are the ones defining tomorrow.
Meet Karen
Karen McDougald is one of the many small business owners we’ll feature in Simply Driven, a series that celebrates the often-overlooked entrepreneurs redefining what it means to run your own show.
For Karen, skincare is about more than beauty — it’s about helping people feel good in their own skin. As the founder of Tangaza Bath & Body Studio, she crafts gentle, natural products that nurture both body and spirit.
In this Q&A, Karen shares how she turned a personal need into a growing brand — and the lessons she’s learned along the way. This interview was slightly edited for length and clarity.
What inspired you to start Tangaza Bath & Body Studio?
Tangaza began as an endeavor of love, not business.
In 2011, I started making soap to help soothe my young daughter’s eczema.That quickly blossomed into skincare products for friends and family, but I didn’t know how to build a business, so I got frustrated and stopped.
When the pandemic hit, people were asking for my products, so I started making them again. But it was still, in my mind, just a hobby.
When did you make the leap to full-time?
In 2020, I was working as a financial planner for a big company doing 12-hour days, but I just didn’t want that rat-race pace of life anymore. So I resigned in 2021 to focus on Tangaza full-time.
What does Tangaza mean?
Tangaza is an African Swahili word that literally means “arrive.” I want my customers to experience that feeling — a sense of arrival into a new level of value and worth.
What were some of the initial challenges you faced as a small business owner?
I suddenly found myself having to learn a whole new language. I spoke financial services, and now had to speak “small business owner,” learn about certifications, get a whole new set of credentials, and start marketing. I didn’t have a big company to do those things for me anymore -— I had to learn them myself.
How did you learn to promote your business?
When I started, I went to every event I could find just to see what other business owners were doing. It helped me figure out what works and how to promote my business locally for free. In-person events are more labor-intensive, but they generate so many new customers. People get to try out my products, and word-of-mouth marketing has been tremendous for me. Customers are constantly asking, “Can I come by?” But I still work from my house.
As a home-based business, what made you decide to get insurance?
I needed a certificate of insurance for a small business expo. So I went online and found Simply Business — it was so seamless. I got the certificate I needed within minutes. It was just phenomenal. And then I did a comparison with different insurance organizations, and the rates were wonderful.
Have you thought about opening a storefront?
I just actually applied to be in a 9-week incubator program with the Charlotte Center City Partners, a local business development non-profit. After completion, they offer you a space for 6 months in one of their retail locations. Hopefully, I’ll get accepted so that I can have a space where people can come. I’m excited for that.
How are rising costs affecting your business?
Some of my packaging suppliers have already said they may have to go up in price because a lot comes from overseas. So I did a little public service announcement on Facebook recently just to let my followers know that I may have to increase my prices. I make my own labels so I don’t think it’s going be that bad.
Your products are beautifully handcrafted — how do you manage it all?
This year has been my best year in terms of streamlining my process, especially for the in-person events. It’s a well-oiled machine — I now prep, pack, unload, and set up really efficiently.
I grew up in a very manual generation, but I simply can’t continue doing everything myself. So I started using Shopify for their e-commerce email campaign and marketing tools.
I also use ChatGPT. Instead of being all over the place, it can help me navigate through some of my thoughts.
If you could go back, what advice would you give your younger self about starting a business?
Don’t use your retirement funds! There’s value in investing in yourself, but I wish I’d known more about small business loans and grants. There are so many programs, you just have to put yourself in the right spaces to learn about them.
Small business owners like Karen are reshaping what success looks like. Simply Driven celebrates their vision, and Simply Business is here to support them every step of the way with the tools to grow, manage risk, and stay protected.