Today we’d like to introduce you to Darcy Geho.
Hi Darcy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always loved learning new things and then helping other people realize they can do them too.
That started with my blog in 2018, PreservingMySanity.com, where I write about food preservation, natural living, gardening, and making everyday life feel a little more intentional. My goal has never been to convince people they need to homestead or do everything from scratch – but to share that small, practical changes can make a big difference.
With an overall theme of “learning by doing,” along the way I learned how to make my own goat milk soap. What began as a personal hobby quickly turned into a business after I shared with friends and family and they started asking how to buy more. Today, my online shop has grown to include not only goat milk soap but also goat milk lotion and other thoughtfully made skincare products, many of which feature ingredients sourced from local Minnesota farms and gardens.
At the same time, I’ve continued growing my marketing business, Digital Darcy, where I help vacation rental owners simplify their marketing through strategy, coaching, and content planning. While the two businesses seem very different on the surface, they actually share the same purpose: helping my customers simplify things that often feel overwhelming.
Whether I’m teaching someone how to preserve tomatoes, plan a year’s worth of social media content, or choose skincare made with ingredients they recognize, I love helping people feel more confident and capable than they did before.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Entrepreneurship definitely isn’t a straight line. One of the biggest challenges for me has been balancing two growing businesses while still protecting the flexibility and freedom they can provide.
There are always more ideas than there are hours in the day. I’ve had to learn that growth isn’t about saying yes to every opportunity – it’s about choosing the opportunities that align with my values and serve my customers well.
Another challenge has been learning patience. Handcrafted products take time. Goat milk soap needs six weeks to cure before it ever reaches a customer, and building trust with an audience is much the same. You can’t rush either process.
I’ve also become much more intentional about building businesses that are sustainable for me personally. I care deeply about creating quality products and resources, but I also want to enjoy the work and have time for family, hobbies, and the slower pace of life that inspired these businesses in the first place. With previous experience in a continously on-call and demanding corporate environment, maintaining a sustainable work-life balance is extremely important to me. I don’t get it right all the time, but … I keep trying.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At their core, both of my businesses are about helping people make thoughtful choices with confidence.
Through Preserving My Sanity, I create handcrafted goat milk soaps and natural skincare products while also sharing educational resources about food preservation, gardening, and intentional living. I’m especially passionate about sourcing ingredients locally whenever possible and creating products that are gentle enough for people with sensitive skin – including myself.
One thing that’s always been true about me is that I love learning. That curiosity led me to soapmaking in the first place, and it’s also why I’ve earned both Beginner and Advanced Soapmaker certifications through the Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetic Guild (HSCG.) I enjoy continually refining my skills so I can create better products and serve my customers well.
Through Digital Darcy, I work with vacation rental owners to simplify marketing. Instead of chasing every new social media trend, I help clients build practical systems they can actually maintain. My focus is on long-term strategy rather than quick fixes.
What I’m probably most proud of is the trust I have built with the people who work with and purchase from me. Whether someone is buying soap, reading my blog, or hiring me as a marketing strategist, they know I’m going to provide quality products and give honest information – not just sell them something. That trust has led to valued repeat customers and long-term client relationships, which means more to me than any single sale ever could.
I also enjoy finding creative ways to bring my two worlds together. I love designing custom guest soaps for vacation rentals, combining my love of handcrafted products with my background in hospitality marketing. It’s been fun to discover those unexpected intersections between seemingly unrelated businesses.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I definitely haven’t built these businesses alone.
My husband has been one of my biggest supporters from the beginning. Whether it’s helping me load vendor show supplies, listening to new ideas, or simply encouraging me when things feel overwhelming, he’s always believed in what I’m building. As a fellow maker – of Marshall’s Minnows fishing lures – so MANY of our home conversations involve lots of talk about soap and fishing lures!
My mom is also always happy to lend a hand when needed. Since I started my soap business, I don’t think she’s been to my house for a visit without helping me put a label on something! There are also a few very special colleagues who are always there for me, and their insight and support are invaluable.
I’m also incredibly grateful to the mentors I’ve learned from along the way. In the soapmaking community especially, experienced makers – as well as those I’ve learned alongside – have been remarkably generous with their knowledge. The willingness to share information within this special community inspires me daily to keep learning and improving.
My customers and clients deserve a tremendous amount of credit as well. So many of my best ideas have come directly from conversations with them – whether it’s a requested soap scent, a new skincare product, or a marketing resource that would solve a problem they’re facing. Their trust, feedback, and repeat business have shaped both of my companies into what they are today.
Finally, I’m thankful for the local farmers and small businesses I work with throughout Minnesota. Being able to source fresh goat milk and other ingredients locally is something I’m incredibly proud of, and those partnerships are an important part of the story behind every product I make.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.preservingmysanity.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preservingmysanity
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preservingmysanity/
