Movie stars aren’t the only ones making statements this awards season- local business owner Monica Leonard is brushing shoulders with celebrities big and small as her line of all-natural soups and supplies catch the attention of Hollywood bigwigs!

"It all started when I began to realize how much stuff is in our household products," says Monica Leonard, "There are hundreds of chemicals that seep into your skin and effect your body, and we’re in contact with them all day." In 2006, Monica created Molly’s Suds, a business based around completely non-toxic laundry detergents. Since then, her business has flourished and continues to expand beyond Tampa bay.

Molly’s Suds was initially established in Georgia, where Monica and her husband would sell their soaps in large tubs at local co-ops and farmer’s markets. "Have you ever been to a Georgia co-op? They’re entirely different from the ones in Florida," she explains, "So when we moved here, we realized it was time to reconsider our business." When they relocated to St. Petersburg, the couple rebranded their image and packaging, and began to contact local businesses about placing their product in stores.

"The first store to carry Molly’s Suds was Rollin’ Oats," tells Monica, "and they still have our things today, including our new dryer balls which we just got in this week." From here, Monica continued to call small businesses and promote Molly’s Suds.

Clean up Fido with some Molly’s Suds Dog Shampoo- squeaky clean ingredients only in this sudsy soap.

Her business has five products, ranging from laundry detergents to dryer balls to dog shampoo. Each has been specifically formulated to be completely non-toxic, ingestible, and free of harsh chemicals. From the website, "Molly’s Suds is dedicated to using the most natural of sources and USA derived ingredients. We are on the Leaping Bunny Cruelty Free Shopping Guide, the Green Hotels Association Vendor List, and our ingredients are Certified Vegan."

Most recently, Monica was invited to attend Jayneoni Moore’s Pre-Golden Globes Baby Boom Boom Room, an exclusive gifting event held Los Angeles. "Initially we were really excited, but after everything was over, we really had to wonder if it helped us out at all," she explains. "We gave a lot of our product out for gifts and samples, and could only hope that it would get our name out there." Fortunately, a few weeks after the Boom Boom Room, Monica received an email from Miranda West, who was interested in promoting Molly’s Suds.

Molly’s Suds at the pre-Golden Globes event

The next step for Molly’s Suds will be advancing their brand to the West coast. In March, Monica will be packing up and attending the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, California. She hopes to attract retail buyers, brokers and distributors that will help place Molly’s Suds on west coast shelves.

For more information on Molly’s Suds, check out their website.

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