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Meet Duane and Nancy Porter     

Where do you live?  Please give us a description of the area.
Hansen, Idaho, located in the central portion of Southern Idaho. We are within driving distance of several wonderful ski areas for winter fun including the famous Sun Valley, Idaho. Our area is a high desert area so our weather is fairly mild. It has been said that you can barbecue your Christmas Turkey out on your deck in shirt sleeves. Summers can be warm during the day, but most nights bring sweet cool relief.

We are close to the Snake River Canyon where the Snake River roars through. Before dams, it used to be one the wildest untamed rivers in the United States. When this area was settled, the pioneers would catch sturgeon so big from the Snake River that they would load it into a wooden wagon and the tail would hang off the end and it wasn't because of some trick photography.

One of the most beautiful waterfalls is the Shoshone Falls, which is called the Niagara Falls of the West. During farming season and in low water years, it is nowhere near as spectacular as when the water level is good and it isn't being diverted for farming.

We love our area and have spent many weekends and vacations exploring locally. There is so much more to tell and it would be so hard to stop, but if you're ever in our area at least give us a call. If you don't mind a chaotic house, we will even invite you to stop in.

(City, country, etc) and a little bit of history as to why you live there.
I was born and raised in Wyoming but when I was 16 my Dad's nomadic ways caused him to decide that we would relocate to Oregon to start afresh. As usual, his grand ideas always lacked planning and when we got as far as Hazelton, Idaho, he had run out of money. He went to work for a local farmer and although he eventually left the family and moved on, our roots set in and this became home. I graduated from a local high school, went to college in Kirkland, Washington for a couple of years. After that I spent a year in Salt Lake City as a youth pastor and another two years at a church in Denver, Colorado, before returning to the Magic Valley (the name given the general location of where we are). Nancy is 3rd generation to live in this area so our grandkids make it the 5th generation. Now is that the beginning of roots or what?

Tell us about your family, as much or as little as you please.
We have a 21 year old daughter, Jamie, who is finishing her degree in physical therapy. She and her husband Mark are the parents of Jaedan and Ashlynn. Our son Joshua is 19 and works at a local produce supply company where he was recently named a supervisor over one of the departments. On Nancy's side of the family, we can take three different 5-generation family pictures, 2 different 4-generation pictures on my side, all of these relations live locally.

Here is the question you know is at the forefront of all Soapnuts' minds...how did you and Nancy meet and marry? (HA!  You thought it was going to be, How does she put up with you, right?? SMILE)
My mother and sisters had been attending a local church where my sisters had made a good friend with a girl named Nancy. The first time I saw her, I was 22 just returned from college and she was 14. I glanced at her and noticed that she was in pony tails and I still remember the dress she was wearing. It is actually still hanging in her closet this very day.

I didn't pay any attention to her, after all she was just my little sister's friend. But as I went off to Salt Lake and Denver and did some other gallivanting around, by the time I came home and took a second look, decided that she was the girl for me. We started dating (I was 26 and she was 18), a few months later on Valentine's Day I asked her to marry me and she foolishly said yes. She didn't want to marry until she was 19, so we celebrated her 19th birthday on August 21 and on August 22 we married almost 23 years ago.

Any insights for all of us in longterm relationships, advice, comments, etc?  This is your chance to be fatherly and wise for your fellow Nuts....
Nancy came from a family that has an established record of longevity in both marriages and life. I, on the other hand, had a rather dysfunctional family that would take many years of therapy just to resolve, so we won't go into that here! But because we had very similar belief and value systems and really are in love, we discussed early on (and continue to this day) what our reaction as a couple would be in situations. I've not been the easiest man to live with and Nancy has been very patient and forgiving. On the other hand I believe I've loosened her up a little so that she isn't as stern as she once was (at least so she lets me think). One of our little secret ways to convey a message when were newly weds was this: There is a scripture that says it is better to dwell on the housetop then to live in the house with a nagging spouse. Whenever we were in social or family situation and the other spouse began to cross the line with complaints or storytelling (you know how those stories have a tendency to be stretched), the offended spouse would just quietly and calmly say, "Drip.... pause.... drip..... drip" and that was the secret message to the other that they had better back off. We used it frequently and with success then but not so much necessary anymore.

How did you get into making soap?  What made you decide to go into business?
Nancy worked for a local company that decided to completely leave the area. They offered for her to go with them and pay for her to move, but I had a better paying job and we preferred to stay here. So she looked around for another job for a while. We had been buying hand crafted soap from a lady that I believe was called the Soap Lady or something like that. We had seen the article in a Country Home magazine. I suggested to Nancy and her Mom, who was a stay at home farm wife, that they look into making our own soap with the goal to eventually perhaps even sell some on the side. They ordered
a couple of books and tested many recipes until they found one they liked.
 
Looking back, I remember our handcut bars and realize that we've definitely come a long ways. After they felt comfortable with the process, we began to go to craft shows and Nancy started doing cold calls, approaching local business to see if they would purchase our product. We effectively became a licensed business in October of 1996.

What is the division of labor between you and Nancy with regards to making soap and business affairs?
Nancy if very good at detail and organization. She can track a penny until it surrenders. She doesn't like surprises and she doesn't really like change. I lose track of details but I like to look at the overall picture. I tell her often that "change is good". Despite this very obvious opposite characteristics, it allows us to complement each other's strength and weaknesses. Nancy makes most of the soaps although she leaves the goat's milk soaps for me to make. She always does everything by the book while I will try my own thing. When we make soap together, we even make our soaps differently. She shakes her head at me and wonders how in the world it ever turns out while I kid her for always trying to have it exactly right. I make the lip balms and do all the computer work from Quickbooks to labels and on line purchasing as well as our website. She puts together all the orders and makes sure everyone gets what they ordered, keeps all our customer files organized and I pour all the oils. I have a steady hand and can fill a lip balm tube or a 1/2 oz. bottle with hardly a tremor. We both clean soaps and
label. 

Where do you want to go with your soaping and your business?  What goals have the two of you set for yourselves in regards to growth, new products, etc.
The business continues to grow despite the economy. Our biggest boost came last year when we decided to release our first product rep and sign with a different rep. The new rep plus our own craft show and internet efforts saw our business grow 30 percent. So far, year-to-date, our growth this year compared to last is maintaining that same rate. Our goal is that this will eventually pay Nancy a livable wage. The business has made my house payment (including taxes and insurance) for that past few years! We try to keep abreast of what current trends are but are usually are a little slow to jump
on the bandwagon. We hope to continue with slow, sure and steady, sustainable growth.

It sounds from your posts as though your business is doing very well, and growing all the time.  Do you have any advice for those Soapnuts who are new to soaping as a business?
Prepare yourself for hard work. It is amazing how much work and money it takes to generate the income you need to earn a good wage. The rewards that somehow can be overlooked, anyway in our case, is that Nancy was able to be a stay-at-home mom and grandmom so that when our kids were little and now with our grandkids, is able to be available when needed. Find out what you can do and do it well. Don't be afraid to seek out mentors who are willing to share their experience and help guide you.

It is pretty unique to have both of you soaping together...any advice on getting your spouse involved with your soapmaking?
If please doesn't work, get a big stick! Seriously, it depends on the spouse. If they don't have some kind of interest in some aspect it may be hard to get them involved. What comes to mind is a man who loves sports but would surely hate to have to go with his wife to watch the ballet. I am involved with Nancy because I enjoy the opportunity it gives me to express my artistic interests (graphic design) and I like the soaping process (chemistry in action). It may be that a spouse just won't get involved because there is not the interest. Others will, just because they enjoy working with their spouse. Other then that I'm afraid I have no profound advice!

What is your favorite soapmaking tool, and why?
My favorite tool was the stick blender and now the whip we use with a power drill (think just a step up from the stick blender). I would never have the patience to stand and hand stir a batch of soap with a spoon. But the whip brings the soap into trace so easily, helps to tame the ricing or problems associated with seizes and is definitely what makes soaping an enjoyable time for me.  Right now Nancy would say her favorite tool is the new mold and cutter we are using. Because she can do the same amount of soap in 1/3 the time now, she feels like she isn't making enough soap to keep up but the evidence is on the curing shelves!

What is your favorite thing about making soap? 
I love the saponification process. Watching the lye hit the oils and then as it turns to that lovely creamy substance at light trace with all the ingredients that have been added and pouring into the mold and knowing that just by looking you have made another successful batch.

Any tips or ideas for your fellow soapers, based on your experiences?
I feel very humble in the presence of my fellow Soapnuts because there is such a strength of experience and talent out there. I glean a lot of information and help from all the posts and because of the willingness to share tips and ideas on list. My best advice is that Soapnuts is one of the best resources available to any of us. Becky has put a lot, and I mean a lot of work into providing information in the library. I have been a member of the list for a long time and have never regretted joining. Prior to finding this list, I actually helped monitor another active soaper's list, but none have the atmosphere that this one has.

What interests and hobbies do you have besides soapmaking?
I read, I paint, enjoy all types of music, play the piano and sing, garden and my most favorite interest is as a grandpa. I loves being a 'pa-pa'! Nancy likes to read but she is such a work-a-holic that it is a rare occasion when she sits down to do that.

How did you first get involved with Soapnuts? What do you like most about the list?
I can't recall how I found Soapnuts. We had begun our journey about a year before we had internet so when we finally got internet, I spent a lot time eagerly searching for anything that would help us become better soapers. And although I like all the soaping tips I have gotten from this list, what I like and appreciate most about this list is its' feeling of community. This list was there and offered so much support when I lost partial vision in my right eye, in turn losing my job after 15 year of service. The list was there when our daughter came and told us she was expecting our wonderful grandchild at the age of 17 and unwed, when the biological father decided to let her go through that all alone. There when a wonderful young man came into Jamie's life and treated Jaedan as his own, and then they married and Mark adopted Jaedan. It is the community of this list, nurtured and
developed by our List Mom Becky and her wonderful assistants, as well as all the great people that populate this community. 

How does it feel to be one of the only male soapers active on Soapnuts?
Sometimes I have to close my ears and blush but otherwise it doesn't bother me a bit! It's not at all intimidating when you're with friends.

Is there a recipe (soap, food, whatever) that you would like to share with us?
One of my favorite recipes is this one that Nancy makes, from  an Atkins' diet book but I think anyone would enjoy. It is good chilled or warm, Nancy has tweaked it a little bit for our personal tastes. She uses precooked unbreaded chicken strips that she picks up at Costco:

About 1 1/4 lbs cooked and chunked chicken
2 dill pickles chopped
3 hard boiled eggs
3 green onions (or red is my favorite)
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbl of your favorite mustard (we use coarse stone ground)
2 tbl capers drained
2 tbl dill (fresh or otherwise)
1/2 tsp pepper (I like the white pepper)
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup chopped pickled asparagus
1/2 cup cubeb jalapeno cheese (optional)
1/2 avocado chopped (optional)

Mmmmmm! enjoy.

Any other comments, etc?
Thanks for asking us to participate.

Duane and Nancy Porter
Nature's Best Soaps
http://www.naturesbestsoaps.com
dunan@magiclink.com

~ Duane and Nancy Porter