Lessons Learned

Carolina were measuring where the flood waters had been . They were overcome by the gnats, my sister sprayed them and the bugs instantly cleared out . They bought my entire inventory the next day . That set a pace for that first year, we would make a gallon batch and instantly run out . Over the next few years we focused our business on Bug Soother, with much skepticism in the beginning that it was a fluke . The revenue from that product was over $4 million the season before we sold it .

It takes a Village.

insurance man had asked me if I had any peppermint essential oil, he said it repelled mice in his cabin in the Ozarks . We came up with a product called Mice Be Gone, crushed corn cobs soaked in Peppermint essential oils We took muslin bags and screen pressed a mouse on the bag We sold thousands of these over the years 2008 the economy was not doing well We could not make a candle for what the candles from China were costing retailers Although our products were very good, stores could get a much cheaper version from China, the whole economy had switched from quality to quantity . We were again flailing, ready to give up Came the flood of 2008 I had started researching essential oils that could repel bugs . The Buffalo gnats were fierce at that time . A fairly new breed that came out of Canada and thrived in flooding waters, and were not only driving people crazy, but killing chickens by suffocating them . I had made a small batch, which happened to get tested on the Cedar at my sister’s . Her place had flooded, and surveyors out of South

All along the journey of Bug Soother we had devoted people that believed in what we were doing, and rolled up their sleeves and jumped in, even on holidays Our family was very involved, grandkids learning to fill bottles, put on labels, make boxes A niece that helped reformulate when the government changed requirements Our kids who were a big part of running the company The daughter that I laid off in the early Simply Soothing days was CEO until it sold . We utilized CIRAS, an incredible federal program under Iowa State When the business exploded, we were completely lost They came down for several months, sitting with us with a whiteboard, helping us to organize and plan . The other resource was Curt Nelson and his team at EDC, Economic Development Center in Cedar Rapids . Hooking up with the energy of the Corridor was a big part of our success . The Founder’s Group at EDC was where I met Steve Shriver of Eco Lips, who in 2021 we later passed Bug Soother along to, to grow in a way that would have been very difficult for our little company

PAYING IT FORWARD.

We believe that we were blessed with the success of Bug Soother With the money from the sale of Bug Soother we were able to buy an old church camp near Letts Iowa and convert it into Cedar River Ranch Resort and Event Center and launch another chapter of our lives My daughter Nikki Salek is COO of the businesses . Since shortly after 1983, I have had a vision of helping other women to learn a new way of life I realized early on I was very lucky to keep a good paying job, to still have those children and family in my life . I had a home Many, many women that struggle with addiction are not so lucky . I went into Mt Pleasant women’s prison to work with women, and felt helpless that their chances of survival were slim No skills, no home, no money, no support system Over the years, that vision never left me We built Cedar River Haven, a 10,000 square recovery center with bedrooms to sleep 24 women, a classroom, workshop, offices and a kitchen I wanted businesses that could provide employment and to teach life skills to the women coming to stay with us

We transformed the camp into a resort www .cedarriverranch .com . 11 cabins on their third season bringing guests from all over the country, 5 more cabins being remodeled by the residents We also launched Haven’s Hope Thrift Store, a store ran by the residents to learn to run a business of their own . Cedar River Ranch Catering, utilizing a brand new state of the art culinary kitchen . The Box Lunch food truck that stays very busy traveling around SE Iowa feeding 1000s of people . Cedar River Ranch Event Center that is getting started hosting weddings, retreats, family reunions, graduations, and even a prom this year We are preparing to open Bake & Brew on 92, a café with a cause, across from Caseys in Columbus Junction We are learning lessons daily how to make the many pieces all fit together, and I am fulfilling a lifelong dream of passing my blessings along n