LDSPMA

Empowering Latter-day Saints to spread light and truth by connecting them at the intersection of faith, creativity, and professional skill

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Building a Skincare Business from Scratch

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Lauren Tyson, founder of Salt City Soapworks, became seriously ill after the birth of her fourth child ten years ago. When doctors couldn’t find answers to help her, she dove into research on how food and mindset influence overall health. She began changing her eating habits and shopping choices and understanding the importance of using skincare products with all-natural ingredients. Over the next two years, Lauren steadily improved and regained good health. Lauren notes, “Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and it absorbs whatever we apply to it.”

Lauren’s background in geology and passion for health led her to make her own line of skincare products. She uses a local natural resource—unrefined salt from Redmond, Utah, which is known for its high mineral content and detoxifying properties. “The salt was deposited around the time of the dinosaurs, which is really cool, and it contains over 60 essential minerals,” she says. Combining the salt with coconut oil created the foundation for her exfoliating, skin-nourishing salt soap recipes. This blend became the cornerstone of Salt City Soapworks, a family-run business rooted in community and environmental values.

Here are some key lessons Lauren has learned for anyone looking to start a soap and skincare business.

1. Allow Time for Research and Development

Soapmaking is a scientific process, and Lauren emphasizes the importance of getting the chemistry right. “It took almost two years to perfect my recipes,” she says. Adding salt alters the chemical composition, making the process more complex. “The salt makes the soap brittle, making cutting or removing it from molds difficult. Even a slight mistake with timing or temperature can ruin the batch.”

Lauren is meticulous about every step in the process. She measures everything down to the gram and keeps notes on what works and what doesn’t. “Scent development was a whole other challenge,” she admits. “I spent a lot of time experimenting to find natural and pleasing scents that appeal to many customers.”

She stresses the importance of patience and research. “You really need time to perfect your recipes and make sure they’re exactly what you want because your passion, or lack thereof, comes through when you sell your products.”

Lauren Tyson removing new soap from molds.

2. Perfect Your Craft

Lauren uses the cold-process method for soap making, which requires precise attention to detail, particularly regarding temperature control. “The first step is to mix lye with water. The mixture heats up naturally, so you have to wait for it to cool to the correct temperature,” she explains. In the meantime, she melts her oils and allows them to cool to the same temperature as the lye solution.

Once they reach the perfect temperature, Lauren mixes the lye and oils with an immersion blender. This process starts the chemical reaction of saponification: turning the oils and lye into soap. “If the mixture is too hot, it will burn off the essential oils, which will ruin the batch,” Lauren says.

After blending, the soap is poured into molds and allowed to set. “When the soap is firm but not too hard, I cut and stamp each bar.” Technically, the soap can be used after 24 hours, but Lauren lets the mixture cure for at least three weeks for a harder, longer-lasting bar. “It’s all about timing,” she says.

The process is more straightforward for lotion bars and lip balms but still requires precision. “It’s a bit of a mad dash to get everything into molds before it sets,” Lauren explains. “You’ve got to work quickly to get the consistency just right.”

3. Focus on Quality and Transparency

Lauren is committed to using only simple, eco-friendly ingredients that are safe to wash down the drain. “I won’t use anything I can’t verify as real and natural,” she says. She colors her soaps with natural ingredients like kaolin clay, charcoal, and oxides.

Her dedication to sourcing high-quality ingredients stems from an incident she experienced before starting her business when she ordered what was supposedly 100% organic beeswax from an online supplier. “I opened the box and was hit with a whoosh of petroleum odor. The beeswax was the same color as processed cheese,” she recalls. As a beekeeper, she immediately recognized that the product wasn’t authentic and wondered how many others would have been fooled by the imitation beeswax.

“I went online to return it and asked about their quality control procedures for sellers. That’s when I realized there were no checks and balances,” she adds. This eye-opening realization strengthened her commitment to sourcing ingredients she can personally verify and trust. “I also make sure to source my beeswax from local suppliers.”

She is also mindful of packaging materials. “Packaging is part of the ingredients,” she points out. “I try to minimize waste by stamping labels directly on the soap and using tin and glass containers that can be reused.” She wants to assure her customers that the ingredients in Salt City Soapworks are beneficial for their skin and safe for the environment.

4. Launch Your Products by Starting Small

Lauren’s marketing approach has always been organic and cost-effective. “The best thing about starting small is that you get to learn cheap and learn fast,” she explains. “It’s a low-risk way to figure out what works and what doesn’t.”

She built Salt City Soapworks by relying on word-of-mouth, repeat customers, craft fairs, and Christmas markets. She runs her website on Shopify and engages with customers through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. “I try to use social media to share what we’re doing, why we do it, and how our products are different.” Lauren also stays away from high-fee platforms like Etsy. “The fees eat into your margins. I’d rather keep the prices affordable for customers without compromising on quality.”

5. Keep Learning and Adapting

Lauren’s scientific education laid a foundation for developing her products, but she continually seeks to broaden her knowledge. She’s currently enrolled in the Master of Business Creation program at the University of Utah. “I want to learn as much as I can,” she says. “Understanding how to structure my business is just as important as the products themselves.”

She also gathers valuable insights into her product line by engaging with her customers to learn what they love and want from her products. This feedback serves as inspiration for new ideas. She shares, “Recently, a friend mentioned how much she enjoys using our salt scrubs on her face. It got me thinking about creating an unscented charcoal salt scrub specifically for the face. I haven’t had a chance to make it yet, but I’m excited to see if it might help with acne.” Another time, a customer requested an exfoliating soap. Lauren added finely ground pumice stone and coffee grounds to her soap to create a gentle, non-abrasive exfoliant that is safe for sensitive skin. Engaging with her customers helps her refine her offerings to fit their needs.

6. Stay True to Your Business Goals and Values

Lauren’s values form the foundation of her business’s success. “It would be easy to churn out higher profits by using cheaper ingredients, but I’m not even tempted. That’s just not who I am,” she says. Her passion for Salt City Soapworks motivates her to stay stubbornly focused on her vision, while her commitment to remaining true to her values fosters creativity.

She emphasizes that people should be curious about the things they put on their skin. While Lauren’s customers have come to trust her advice and judgment, she states, “I would like to take it a step further by providing documentation so they don’t have to rely on my word. I also want to educate them about the benefits of our products and raise awareness about the dangers of preservatives and chemicals used as stabilizers in commercial skincare.”

She says the best part of her work is hearing from satisfied customers. “There’s nothing better than someone telling me they love a product I’ve made and that they appreciate the time and care that went into it.” Through persistence, research, and staying true to her values, Lauren transformed her health and created a business that helps others.

Headshot of Kami Pehrson.

Kami Pehrson

Kami Pehrson lives with her husband and five teenage children in Stansbury Park, Utah. She recently finished her master’s degree in English and creative writing and has written three novels—but is still trying to figure out what to do with them. She loves editing, reading, and playing word games on her phone. She also enjoys listening to audiobooks while half-heartedly doing Pilates in the living room.

    How to Find Your Golden Idea

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    One of my favorite quotes comes from business magnate Richard Branson: “The best businesses are built by solving a real problem that people have.” A great place to start is to ponder on this statement and let it brew in your creative mind until you’ve formed a list of problems. Then you can brainstorm potential solutions. Some solutions may ease the problem while others temporarily numb it. The idea that comes closest to completely and permanently fixing the problem is the golden foundation on which to build your business.

    I had a problem effectively keeping a journal while serving an LDS mission in the Philippines. I was having great experiences, but on some days I couldn’t find the motivation, time, or even willingness to record them in my journal. It felt like a very mundane task, so I found ways to make it more fun. I decided to break up my records into several different journals. In one I would record memories about my companions so I wouldn’t forget the small details that made them unique. In another journal, I would dedicate a few pages to each transfer, highlighting the best moments from that area. A tradition on my mission was to give notes and pictures to other missionaries when they went home. I had nowhere to store all these wonderful and creative cards, so I kept a third journal where I would glue or staple them onto the pages. Though it was a lot to store, I soon found joy in journaling. It even became something I looked forward to every day. Fast forward a few years after my mission and I had my idea: to create a journal for missionaries that would allow them to do everything I did all in a single journal.

    Identify Your (Small and Specific) Audience

    Now that you have a potential solution to a problem, you have a business idea. It’s time to figure out who this idea best serves. It may be tempting to assume that the bigger your market, the better, but there’s actually power in starting with a smaller and more specific audience. According to We Can Track, conversion rates for niche e-commerce sites are 29% higher than broad markets, and niche websites experience 53% more user engagement than general topic sites. The more specific your audience, the easier it will be to speak to them and learn from them.

    I asked, Is there real demand for my business/product idea? Before going all in, it’s important to know what the demand level looks like. I wanted to know if other returned missionaries struggled with journaling while they were in the field. How many of them even purchased a journal for their mission? How satisfied were they with their journal? What would make my audience more satisfied?

    Once Identified, Master Your Audience

    You can never know too much about your audience. The better you understand them, the better you’ll be able to serve them. Here are some strategies:

    • Create surveys. Post these surveys on social media groups and send them to friends and anyone else in your small and specific audience. Be prepared to provide an incentive for them to take these surveys. My first survey got me thirty responses. With my second survey, I offered two $10 gift cards to two random participants, and the $20 investment got me over 250 responses. The incentive drove people who took the survey to ask their friends and family to take it as well. Be sure to include questions to verify how well each respondent fits into your audience. I knew to value the answers of respondents who served missions and purchased a journal more than those who didn’t serve missions or didn’t prioritize purchasing a journal, and I couldn’t have distinguished that if I hadn’t asked.
    • Make a focus group. Once I had a sample of my product, I wanted to see my audience’s reaction. The feedback was brutal, but I knew as long as I was growing in knowledge of who my audience was and what they wanted, I was winning. This data taught me to take myself out of the equation and focus on what my audience cared about. The two focus groups I used provided me with the additional information I needed to make a more refined version of my product that my audience overwhelmingly approved. A business or product idea often begins with what you want it to be, but it should then progress and develop into what your audience wants it to be.

    Once Mastered, Build Your Audience

    You don’t have to wait for your business to be off the ground before building an audience. If your business is a landscaping service, try starting a social media page with beautiful before-and-after landscaping photos. If your business is selling a product to an LDS audience, try starting a blog centered on topics that the audience may find engaging. This way, come launch time, you’ve already built a community that you can continue to nurture—hopefully for years to come!

    Build Your Idea and Find a Supplier

    Using the data learned from your audience, begin the building process. I used tools to design journal pages and components such as Adobe, Canva, and other sites to find template inspirations.

    Do your due diligence in finding a good manufacturer. A popular platform that I prefer to use is Alibaba. After speaking with over fifty manufacturers on the app, here are some things I’d recommend you prioritize:

    • Experience. Find their profile or website and ensure they have years of experience working with sellers.
    • Verification. Find suppliers who are verified by third-party companies. This reduces the risk of anything going wrong.
    • Reviews. Find out how others who worked with the supplier felt about the service.

    Many suppliers offer good deals if you order in large quantities. I recommend starting small and then building out. I began with a modest order of 100 copies. This allowed me to test the waters and see if the demand level was accurate without being left with too many extra copies and a nonexistent audience. Once the data in our sales numbers verified the demand level, I ordered a greater quantity.

    Misconceptions That Keep You Stagnant

    • You don’t need a huge team to start. You will need to wear a couple of different hats, but it only takes one person to turn an idea into a business. With the help of services like Fiverr, it’s even easier to start without a big team.
    • You don’t need a lot of money to start. My wife and I used funds from donating plasma to start our small business, and because we started with a smaller supply quantity, it didn’t take much capital to launch.
    • You don’t have to succeed in order to win. The fear of failing or making a stupid mistake is what has previously kept me from giving any business venture a try. But I hope this quote by Henry Ford helps any reader as much as it helped me. It reads, “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” Your first business idea may not be the one that brings the most revenue, but as long as you are learning something, you are winning.
    Headshot of Junior Germain.

    Junior Germain

    In addition to operating a small business with his wife, Junior works as the head of the marketing and sales department at a real estate marketing agency based in Utah. He graduated from BYU-Idaho with degrees in Marketing and Communications, and welcomed his first child a few months ago.

      A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Your Online Business

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      Megan LaFrance’s journey into entrepreneurship started during the COVID-19 pandemic when she was home with her three young sons and facing a never-ending cycle of messes. She found that the towels she was using were ineffective at absorbing spills and cleaning sticky surfaces. On top of that, their boring, one-sided designs left much to be desired. These insights sparked the idea for Bloom Towels, a line of efficient microfiber dishcloths with vibrant patterns printed on both sides. Through research, hard work, and determination, Megan has grown her passion into a thriving business that supports her family and employs other moms of young children.

      Bloom Towels owner Megan LaFrance

      Here are the steps Megan recommends to start your own online business.

      Step 1: Choose Your Product

      To start, Megan had to think of a problem that needed to be solved. She first tried selling tiered trays and wall decals, but she wasn’t passionate about the products. Dish towels proved to be a perfect fit, as they are lightweight, easy to ship, always in demand, and they solve an everyday need.

      Step 2: Research Suppliers and Order Samples

      After brainstorming an idea, Megan had to source her supplies. She ordered towel samples from various suppliers and tested them at home to compare quality and functionality. She prefers to buy through Alibaba— a business-to-consumer (B2C) platform that keeps prices low by requiring a Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ). The MOQ is usually higher for custom designs and lower for items they already have in stock.

      Step 3: Design and Brand Your Product

      Megan, along with her mom and sister, comprise the design team that shapes the aesthetic of Bloom Towels. They brainstorm pattern ideas based on seasonal themes and customer feedback, drawing inspiration from places like Pinterest and other image sites. Together, they develop cohesive design themes like bright pinks for Valentine’s Day or neutral tones for autumn, creating three to five trendy towel designs for each launch.

      Step 4: Start Small and Test the Market

      Megan recommends starting small when launching an online business. Instead of committing to a large inventory, focus on a limited selection of products. Test the market and assess customer interest without overextending your finances. Selling out of your products can benefit your business, as “out-of-stock” products create a sense of urgency and exclusivity among your customers. As demand for your product grows, you can gradually increase your orders. If the product you are trying to sell isn’t successful, you can pivot to something else. However, Megan cautions against switching products too often. “I’ve seen many businesses jump from one product to another, leading them deeper into debt without becoming successful,” she says. “Make sure to sell your initial batch of products before moving on to the next.”

      Step 5: Build Your Online Presence

      Megan uses Instagram and her website as her primary marketing channels. She has also expanded to Facebook and TikTok, but she advises focusing mainly on one platform to avoid spreading yourself too thin. She says, “Put up a lot of videos and pictures on whatever social media platform you’re using because when you reach out to influencers, that’s the first place they go. If you have no images or videos to show them, they won’t want to represent your brand because they can’t see what you’re selling.” She sends samples of her towels to a professional photographer who takes “flat lay” photos for the product catalog. Her sister oversees content on her social media sites, including stop-motion animation, lifestyle videos, and slow-motion clips of people using the towels.

      Step 6: Use Influencer Marketing to Grow Your Audience

      Influencer marketing played a significant role in growing Bloom Towels. Megan markets to influencers in the cleaning and home organization niches who resonate with her target audience. She uses an outreach strategy to get influencers to notice her messages by commenting on their posts before sending direct messages to ensure her message goes to their main inboxes. She explains, “I’ll leave a message that says, ‘Hey! We have these cute towels, and we’d love for you to try some. Let us know if you’d like more details.’” She then offers influencers affiliate marketing opportunities, allowing them to earn a commission from sales generated through their posts.

      Step 7: Create a Reliable System for Affiliate Marketing

      Affiliate marketing systems help business owners facilitate partnerships with influencers who promote their products. Megan uses UpPromote to streamline her affiliate program and organize her sales data. The software tracks sales, assigns discount codes, and calculates commissions. She says, “When an influencer signs up to be an affiliate, the software will assign them a coupon code that gives their followers a 15% off discount. The system will track sales for us so when we pay our influencers, we know exactly how much we owe them.”

      Megan likes to reach out to influencers a couple of weeks before her launch days to get them on board. Influencers will share sneak peeks of the product leading up to the big launch party when the towels become available, including their unique affiliate link.

      Step 8: Engage with Your Customers

      Megan listens to customer requests and suggestions to guide her designs. She uses her email list and social media to engage with customers, build customer loyalty, and decide on new products and themes.

      Step 9: Invest in Coaching and a Support Network

      Megan credits much of her success to using a business coach and following their process. She explains, “I used the program ‘0 to 100K’ from Alison Prince. She was also a mom who started a business selling online and then taught others how to do it too.”

      As her business grew, Megan sought out different coaches who specialized in areas she wanted to improve, such as wholesaling to retail stores. Networking with other business owners also provided her with valuable advice and support that helped her when her business reached a plateau in sales. She shares, “When I started my business, it helped to have a group of other business owners I could talk to all the time who were on the same level as me because we could grow together.”

      Step 10: Adapt and Evolve Your Strategy

      Over time, Megan expanded her product line, tried out new opportunities, and fine-tuned her influencer marketing strategy. She also started selling her towels on Faire, a wholesale platform where retailers can buy products to sell in their stores. By earning a “Top Shop” ranking, Bloom Towels got a huge boost in visibility. Then a team of sales reps reached out, wanting to represent her products. Today, customers can find Bloom Towels in 180 brick-and-mortar stores.

      Step 11: Celebrate Your Progress

      Megan enjoys running a business that allows her to support her family financially, explore her creative side, and give other moms the opportunity to earn extra income. She says, “Starting out slow has been a gift. It took me five years to get to where I am now, and I’m growing steadily and doing well, which is exactly what I want. I don’t want it to be overwhelming for anyone. Don’t measure your success against others—just focus on yourself. If your business is growing even just a little bit each month, you’re doing great.”

      Headshot of Kami Pehrson.

      Kami Pehrson

      Kami Pehrson lives with her husband and five teenage children in Stansbury Park, Utah. She recently finished her master’s degree in English and creative writing and has written three novels—but is still trying to figure out what to do with them. She loves editing, reading, and playing word games on her phone. She also enjoys listening to audiobooks while half-heartedly doing Pilates in the living room.

        How LDSPMA Changed My Life—- and Can Change Yours

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        Some lucky people know what they want to do early in their lives. Their career paths are clear straight lines. Far more frequently, though, career paths wind and twist and turn and tumble. They’re bumpy; they have ruts and potholes. They split off into the trees without road signs or mile markers. Maybe that’s why they’re called career “paths” and not highways or boulevards.

        A few years ago, I was on a particularly winding, rut-filled path myself. But in the world of creation, no matter whether you are on a straight path or a winding one, we all are going to need help at some point. We will need guidance, information, or encouragement.

        I needed all of that. And that’s what LDSPMA gave — and still gives — to me.

        Starting to find direction

        When I returned from my mission to Russia in August of 2018, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I had dabbled with health care and law in high school but found both unsatisfactory. I liked sports, I wasn’t interested in it as a career.

        When I first got home, I believed what many missionaries do, that I could continue my mission by teaching seminary. That idea faded quickly, and I was left in limbo. 

        We all are going to need help at some point. We will need guidance, information, or encouragement.

        While I drifted in uncertainty at Utah State University, I took a humanities class taught by former LDSPMA Education Director Joseph Batzel. In the class, we discussed various types of art and media, and learned to evaluate and think critically about their value.

        Near the end of the semester, we had a large assignment. I wrote a parody of Sherlock Holmes where he works as a janitor at an elementary school. Watson is split into two separate teachers, Ms. Watson and Mrs. John. There is a little mystery about a tipped-over garbage can and hidden treasure. It’s a piece I’m still proud of today — although I probably would have forgotten about it if it weren’t for Professor Batzel’s reaction.

        He wrote a thorough evaluation of my story, brought me in to talk about it, and sang a few of its praises to my classmates. I was embarrassed, but proud at the same time. I’d worked hard on that Sherlock Holmes story, and Professor Batzel recognized that. He knew it wasn’t going to win any awards, but he saw its potential and encouraged me. 

        Not long after that, he introduced me to another of his writer friends, who was another LDSPMA member. This friend was putting together an anthology of short stories. I submitted a story, and a few months later I had my first published work ever. And, my first milestone on my new path.

        Meeting others on the path

        I attended my first LDSPMA conference in 2019. I was nervous, and didn’t know what to expect. Beyond connecting and working with Professor Batzel and a few students in my creative writing classes, I had never really networked before. But on the first day that I walked into the conference, I felt welcomed. 

        We started in the Conference Center on the Brigham Young University campus. In the large crowd, I was waved down by Professor Batzel. He introduced me to a member of the Osmond family, Justin Osmond. 

        Five minutes later, I was listening to Elder John H. Groberg (as in John H. Groberg of The Other Side Of Heaven) give the keynote address on creating uplifting media. I checked the rest of the schedule. There would be presentations from Lisa Magnum and Chris Schlesinger from Shadow Mountain Publishing, T.C. Christiansen the filmmakers, Janice Kapp Perry the composer, and Jennifer Sterling, sister and assistant to Lindsay Sterling.

        I listened to professionals and enthusiasts from all branches of publishing and media present their advice and passion purely for the benefit of others over the course of the weekend conference. In those few days, I learned about networking, marketing, managing writing schedules, how to find an agent and a publisher, and so much more. I went from feeling like writing could be a hobby…to something that I could actually make into a career. 

        The power, purpose, and spirit of LDSPMA

        Since attending my first conference in 2019, I have attended other conferences and taken part in Zoom meetings with other LDSPMA members. Each interaction has uplifted and encouraged me. 

        I love writing for the LDSPMA blog from time to time. Working with the other writers and editors has made me a better writer. Every person not only wants to get better at what they do, but help others get better. 

        That’s the spirit of LDSPMA. 

        I went from feeling like writing could be a hobby…to something that I could actually make into a career.

        LDSPMA’s purpose is to “empower Latter-day Saints to become voices of light and truth in publishing, media, and the arts.” 

        And I’ve found that to be true. 

        LDSPMA gave me a foundation to start a career in something I love. I write for LDSDaily.com, I have published my first book, and I run a podcast called Mission Report designed to instruct future missionaries on how they can better prepare for their missions.

        I’m grateful for the resources and knowledge LDSPMA supplies me with. I look forward to attending more conferences, associating with the members of LDSPMA, and gaining more ability and understanding of how to uplift and inspire others. 

        From once feeling lost, I now love the path I’m on, and I look forward to what lies ahead down the road.

        Tyler Brian Nelson

        After serving a mission to Samara, Russia, Tyler graduated from Utah Valley University with a degree in Creative Writing. Tyler is the author of Away From The Sun, a short collection of his written works, is the host of the Mission Report podcast, and runs the To Be Determined… blog. He lives in Provo with his drop-dead gorgeous wife, enjoys playing basketball, playing the banjo, studying history, and collecting Pokemon cards.

          Why We Should See Goals as the Means, Not the End

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          By Jeremy Madsen   

          We’ve all been there. We set a goal. We make plans to reach it. We have the best of intentions. We work hard. And then we fall short.

          For me, this happened a lot on my mission. Each transfer, my companion and I would set daily, weekly, and monthly goals for standards such as lessons taught, new investigators found, investigators in church, or investigators baptized. And most of the time, we ended each period with zeros for the last two categories and woefully low numbers for the first two.

          What frustrated me most was the seeming capriciousness of whether we met our goals. One week we could work incredibly hard and get ten new investigators; the next we could work equally hard and get one. There seemed to be no correlation between our efforts and how close we came to our goals.

          Now, the mission is an extreme example. Unlike most areas of our lives, success in mission goals depends almost entirely on the agency and choices of others. But even when we’re completely responsible for our goals, we still often fall short. For example, in the summer of 2017, I set a goal to write a novel from start to finish in a year. Four and a half years later, I’m barely two-thirds of the way through the first draft.

          But back to my mission. By the time I finished my two years of service, I had developed a dislike, or at least a distrust, of goals. Why set goals, if most of the time we fail to reach them? Why subject ourselves to feelings of inadequacy and frustration over and over again?

          Then, a few months after coming home, I was reviewing chapter 8 of Preach My Gospel (the missionary manual). The chapter, which was on using time wisely, had a section about goals. And I began to notice something. While the chapter talked a lot about setting goals and working towards them, it rarely talked about achieving goals. The closer I looked, the more I began to notice what the chapter didn’t say about goals.

          To illustrate, I have selected some statements from chapter 8, and beside each I have written what the manual doesn’t say:

          What Preach My Gospel says:What it doesn’t say:
          “Meaningful goals and careful planning will help you accomplish what the Lord requires of you” (p. 143).“Meaningful effort and careful planning will help you accomplish your goals.”
          “Through goals and plans, our hopes are transformed into action” (p. 148).“Through actions and plans, our hopes are transformed into reality as we meet our goals.”
          “When you fall short of a goal, evaluate your efforts and seek for ways to accomplish the goal” (p. 148).“If you fall short of a goal, evaluate your efforts and identify what you did wrong.”(Notice the contrast between if and when.)
          “For each key indicator, set goals that help you stretch, exercise faith, and work effectively” (p. 153).“For each key indicator, you must stretch, exercise faith, and work effectively in order to achieve your goal.”
          “The ultimate measure of success is not in achieving goals alone but in the service you render and the progress of others. Goals are a means of helping you bring about much good among Heavenly Father’s children” (p. 148).“The ultimate measure of success is in achieving goals. Only by achieving your goals can you render service and help others progress. By achieving goals, you bring about much good among Heavenly Father’s children.”

          This exercise taught me a powerful lesson. I had always seen goals as part of the end: we need to do x, y, or z, so we set a goal and work hard to bring about x, y, or z. But I was wrong. Goals are the means. And they aren’t the means to a certain achievement, prize, or destination. They are the means to a better journey—a better life.

          We set goals and strive to achieve them because by so doing, we exert greater effort than we would otherwise. Goals push us off the couch and out of our comfort zones. Goals motivate us to work harder and smarter than we normally would. Goals help direct our energy, time, and resources towards what’s truly important. As Preach My Gospel says, goals “help [us] stretch, exercise faith, and work effectively.”

          For me, the main takeaway from this realization is that we don’t need to feel bad when we fail to reach a goal. As long as the act of setting the goal pushed us to greater efforts—as long as the goal helped us be more godlike than we otherwise would—then it was a success.

          I’m learning to adopt this new attitude about goals. Remember my ongoing project to write a novel? A year ago, I set a goal to complete two chapters of my rough draft a week. The first week, I completed one chapter. The second week, I completed another chapter. Then it took me two weeks to finish the next chapter, and four weeks for the chapter after that. School, work, and family responsibilities pushed me farther and farther behind. But I didn’t despair. I didn’t get down on myself for not meeting my goal. Rather, I recognized that setting the goal had pushed me to complete four more chapters during a busy semester than I probably would have otherwise.

          So when the New Year rolls around soon and it’s time to set goals, don’t get down thinking about all the resolutions you failed to meet, the diets you failed to keep, and the books you failed to finish (or start) since the previous year. Think about how your goals helped you be a little better and work a little harder each day. Then set new goals that are means to those ends.

          Summary

          The value of goals is not so much in achieving them, but in how the process of setting and striving for goals alters our behavior. When we set goals that motivate us, focus our efforts, and exercise our faith, we work more effectively, accomplish more, and live better lives than we would otherwise. By seeing goals as means instead of ends, we can avoid the frustration and discouragement that come from the many times we fail to meet our goals.

          Points to Ponder

          • What are my current goals, and how do they help me be a better person?
          • What is a goal that I failed to meet in the past? How did it help me grow?
          • What is the difference between a goal and a promise/commitment? Why is it more important to meet a promise or commitment than it is to meet a goal?

          Further Reading

          Jeremy Madsen is a fantasy writer, freelance editor, and biblical scholar. With his three siblings, he runs the website Atrium of Light, a repository for scripture memory songs and other uplifting media. Jeremy is the founder of Universal Cape Day (March 10), a day to wear a cape, look epic, and feel heroic. He currently lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and daughter. He is also the operations manager for LDSPMA.

          I Can’t Even Get a Job at McDonald’s: Overcoming Impossibilities in Life and Writing

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          By Steve Dunn Hanson   

          I’m at the age where some of my closest friends have passed on. While I miss them, what they have taught me by their words and lives continues to affect me deeply.

          Lloyd Rasmussen was a few years older than me and over the years, our relationship moved from him being my church leader and mentor to the kind of close friendship I’ve had with only a handful of people. He was the kind of friend you can talk to about anything. While his stellar life was a great example to me, one of his oft repeated statements continues to give me direction, both as I write and as I plod along on my own mortal journey.

          There are two kinds of choices a successful person makes: the right ones and the ones they make right.

          I can modify whatever choice I make, whatever circumstance I’m in, whatever word, sentence, or chapter I write, to make it better. To make it right. Knowing I can do this has made all the difference in my life.

          Another friend, Kaye Terry Hanson, has been an extraordinary example of that principle. Kaye passed away nearly five years ago and was very close to my wife and me for some 50 years. She was my writing mentor, editor, and a constant encouragement. She would tell me, “Writing is easy, Steve. Just dip your pen in your blood and write.” That metaphor has been powerfully descriptive of my writing challenges at times!

          As vital as her tutoring in my writing has been, it is her life that has been my inspiration. Kaye taught high school English to help put her husband through medical school. They were not able to have children, and they adopted a boy and a girl. Her husband was finishing his medical residency in Southern California some 45 years ago, and that Thanksgiving, my family and others went to their house for dinner.

          The next morning, Kaye showed up on our doorstep with her two little ones. What she told us was shattering. After everyone had gone home that Thanksgiving evening, and without any warning, her husband gathered his clothes, told her he no longer loved her, and left. We were stunned. We wept.

          She had been thrown under a bus and was utterly overwhelmed. “What am I going to do?” she lamented. “I can’t even get a job at McDonald’s!”

          There was nothing in my limited understanding at that time I could draw on to even begin to console her, but the Spirit put words into my mouth. I said, “I don’t know how, but I promise you if you keep your covenants and focus on the Savior, this experience will redound to your blessing.”

          That seemingly impossible promise happened.

          At Kaye’s funeral, her stake center in Provo was filled almost to the stage, Virginia (Ginny) Pearce, daughter of President Hinkley, gave the eulogy. She spoke about Kaye’s chronic bout with rheumatic fever as a child, her mother dying from a freak accident when Kaye was on her mission, and Kaye’s divorce and raising her two children as a single mother. She reminded the congregation of Kaye’s struggle with breast cancer and subsequent double mastectomy, and of her latest health challenges with neuropathy, blood clots, and heart irregularities.

          Then she related a few of the things Kaye had accomplished—all since her divorce. She earned her PhD in Theater History and was a professor at BYU. She taught theater, a religion class, and communications in the Marriott School of Business. She became the associate director of BYU’s world-class MBA program. In addition, for three years she resided in Jerusalem as associate director of the BYU Jerusalem Center and was on the Young Women’s General Board for the Church.

          She traveled all over the world giving seminars on communication to leaders of businesses and organizations and spoke at BYU’s Education Week and at a BYU Devotional. She led tours to Israel and served as a full-time senior missionary in Europe where she worked with young adults throughout the continent and the British Isles. She was an author, a Relief Society president, and a Sunday School teacher. Most  importantly, she was an unexcelled mother, grandmother, and friend.

          After Ginny talked, Kaye’s grandchildren paid tribute to their grandmother, and her two children expressed their love and unqualified respect for their mother. Then, we all had one of the experiences of a lifetime. Nine of the great women of the Church, all who had served with Kaye in one capacity or another, stood in a line across the stand and, one-by-one, each came to the pulpit and spoke of how Kaye had blessed her life. That group included two former General Young Women Presidents, a past General Relief Society President, and temple matrons, and counselors in general auxiliary presidencies. Their presence, and what they said, was electrifying.

          When I spoke, I asked all in the congregation who had been taught or tutored or mentored by Kaye to stand. Nearly all 700+ who were there rose to their feet. It was an overpowering witness of the influence this woman had on the lives of countless.

          A few nights before the funeral, my wife and I went to dinner with Julie Beck and her husband Ramon. The conversation centered around Kaye. With considerable emotion, and in detail, Julie told us how Kaye had taught and trained her. Then she said, “If it hadn’t been for Kaye, I would never have been qualified to serve as General President of the Relief Society.”

          Kaye was the woman who, decades before, felt so low and useless, she didn’t think she could even get a job at McDonald’s. She was the woman whose outstanding experiences and opportunities for service would not have likely occurred but for a crushing Thanksgiving event so many years ago. Her choice to somehow make her hopeless situation right, made all the difference.

          Her life has been an undimmed beacon for me.

          Kaye authored a memoir about growing up in the small Utah town of Beaver and published it in two volumes for her family and friends. I have put these on FamilySearch and invite you to download the (free) PDF copies of Tula I and Tula II to get a glimpse of the life of this remarkable woman. They are found under “Documents” at www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWHF-N24. You may have to sign in to access them.

          Steve Dunn Hanson lives with Joyce, his wife of 57 years, in northeast Washington and is the author of several books, including The Course of Fate trilogy currently available at Amazon. His website is https://stevedunnhanson.com/

          5 Reasons You Should Read “Done!” by Don Aslett

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          By Jeremy Madsen   

          Do you perpetually have a dozen too many irons in the fire? Do you struggle to keep your head above the flood of work projects, Church duties, family responsibilities, personal commitments, emails, text messages, phone notifications, laundry, dishes, and prayers? Is your life’s greatest problem that of never getting enough done?

          If so, I strongly recommend reading Don Aslett’s masterpiece on productivity: Done! How to Accomplish Twice as Much in Half the Time—at Home and at the Office.

          From when I was first introduced to Don Aslett’s books growing up (via my mother, herself a model of effective productivity), to when I revisited them this last year, I have found each of his publications inspiring and empowering. Done! has shown me how to get more done more quickly and more effectively, with less hassle, less stress, and less wasted energy. Here are five reasons why you should give Done! a try:

          1. Don Aslett knows what he’s talking about

          Rarely do the credentials of an author matter more than for a book touting itself as being about productivity. In this regard, Don Aslett leaves the masses far behind. The founder of a cleaning company now with over 4,000 employees, author of 40 books, and sought-after speaker and presenter, Don Aslett embodies the principles he teaches. (And he’s a Latter-day Saint!)

          2. Done! is packed with actionable and specific advice

          Done! offers no gimmick, secret formula, or calendar system for productivity—instead it is packed with specific strategies, tactics, and principles for cutting out time-wasting habits, approaching common problems in more efficient ways, and maintaining motivation and momentum throughout your day and week.

          For example, chapter 3 is devoted to listing and describing in gory detail all the activities that rob us time, space, and energy, including three I’m especially guilty of as an editor and writer: interruptions (silence that phone when working!), oversleeping (get up when that alarm goes off!), and “rubbish reading” (ignore those tempting click-bait articles!). This book will help you identify your own productivity weak points.

          3. Done! will make you rethink conventional productivity “wisdom”

          Occassionally, Don Aslett offers advice that runs counter to the standard productivity fare. At one point, he warns against following schedules—at least, schedules that we rigidly stick to. “Schedules will bind and stiffen you if you follow them too closely. People who have become such expert schedulers that they run around with a planner in their hand at all times lose creativity and flexibility—the schedule becomes their master.” He then tells a story of how, when two weeks of solid rain threw off the yard work he had planned (“scheduled”) during a trip to their summer home in Hawaii, he immediately pivoted to use the time to draft an entire book, write some TV scripts, and even fly to New York and back for a business trip—all completely “unscheduled.”

          4. Done! is a fun read

          Done! is a delightful book to read. Each subsection is largely self-contained, meaning I can pick the book up for a three-minute motivational pick-me-up while waiting in a doctor’s office or giving a bottle to my baby daughter.

          Don Aslett shares many anecdotes—from his own life or others’—that infuse life into his book, grounding each piece of advice in a concrete, memorable, and often funny story or observation.

          A warning: Don Aslett’s positive, even exuberant attitude towards productivity is highly contagious!

          5. Done! will teach you the greatest secret of productivity: be early!

          In chapter 5 (my favorite chapter), Don Aslett lays out what he believes is the one great “secret” of getting more done: be early! A task performed one week early (or one day or one hour) can be three or five or ten times more effective than the same task performed on-time or late.

          In the last week alone, here are ways I’ve seen earliness or lateness affect my life for good or ill:

          1. Early: My wife was assigned to prep some Father’s Day card assembly kits for a family reunion. She finished the kits more than a week in advance, and she also made extra. When I needed a Father’s Day card on short notice three days later, it was a cinch!
          2. Late: For a teacher council meeting, the Sunday School counselor in charge didn’t finalize or announce the topic until an hour before church, meaning no one had time to study the material beforehand.
          3. Early: When our temple opened to phase 3 during the 2020 pandemic, I jumped online within the hour and reserved our family a session on the best day for our calendar. Later that day, every available reservation for the next two months had been filled.
          4. Late: We invited a couple to join us for the sealing session we had scheduled, but the husband had let his recommend expire during COVID, meaning he’d either have to miss the session or scramble to set up two recommend interviews in a week’s time.
          5. Early: On a vacation up to Idaho, we reserved a hotel in Pocatello several days in advance. When we got to the hotel and checked in, we learned from the desk staff that every hotel in Pocatello had since sold out for that night!
          6. Late: My wife and I were planning a cross-country move and began apartment hunting about a month out. But by then, many of the places we called had no available units until two or three or even four months after our moving date, decreasing our options and multiplying our stress.
          7. Early: I gave myself plenty of time to arrive at an unfamiliar airport. After taking 20 minutes to navigate security, I looked around—and realized I was in the wrong terminal! I had to go back out of security to another corner of the airport and pass through a different security checkpoint—but I had arrived two hours before boarding time, so I never felt stressed or rushed!
          8. Late: On a trip I took this week, three out of my four flights were delayed almost two hours beyond their original departure times. I have seen one long round of stressed passengers, tired booking agents, long help-desk lines, and missed connections. The shockwaves of those late flights disseminated outward like ripples, delaying and postponing everything in their path, from vacation plans to babysitting arrangements to other flights—and the vicious cycle of lateness rolls on.

          Think about your typical workday. How many projects do you stress about because they’re behind schedule? How many emails do you get asking you to solve a problem caused by somebody being late? How many opportunities do you lose because you respond to them three days after hearing about them, instead of three minutes or three hours? How much prime writing or editing or brainstorming time do you lose in the morning because you sleep in? Take a page from Don Aslett’s book—be early!

          Still not convinced? Listen to this endorsement from the Lord Himself: “He that seeketh me early shall find me, and shall not be forsaken” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:83, emphasis added).

          Get more done with Don!

          If you want to reach more of your goals, if you want to win the fight against your endless to-do lists, if you want to make a greater impact on the world—I cannot recommend Don Aslett’s book Done! more highly. A delightful read packed with time-tested tactics and unforgettable anecdotes, Done! will forever change the way you approach your workdays and weekends. You don’t even need to read the whole thing—just mine it for all the five-minute nuggets of wisdom it contains. Then put away the distractions, ignore the diversions, and start doing!

          Jeremy Madsen is a fantasy writer, freelance editor, and biblical scholar. With his three siblings, he runs the website Atrium of Light, a repository for scripture songs used to memorize scripture passages through music. Jeremy is the founder of Universal Cape Day (March 10), a day to wear a cape, look epic, and feel heroic. He currently lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and kids. He is also the operations manager for LDSPMA.

          The Entrepreneur Mindset

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          By Mariah K. Porter

          Has it ever crossed your mind that you—as an author, painter, podcaster, blogger, etc.—are an entrepreneur?

          Well, congratulations, because you are!

          Google defines an entrepreneur as “a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.” While we may all be starving artists thanks to those financial risks, I define it as “someone who wants to be vastly successful in a creative field.” Doesn’t that sound like what you’re doing?

          Could your creative business benefit from your treating it as an entrepreneurial endeavor? I bet it could!

          You may already be doing things typical of an entrepreneur, such as dedicating your time to work on your projects. You may even be getting up early to get things done. But what more can you do?

          A young man at a laptop with creative and business ideas illustrated behind him, showing his entrepreneur mindset.

          Here’s an exercise for you. Go to five people who know you or your work well and ask them one of two questions: “What do I do better than anyone else?” or “what do I do better with my creative endeavor (writing, podcasting, etc.) than anyone else?”

          Evaluate their answers, then utilize them! Whatever it is they say, emphasize that to other people. Put it in your biography. Flaunt it in your ads. The answers your friends give you are going to help you market yourself to your target audience.

          For example, if three out of five say that your characters are so realistic and relatable, take advantage of that. Tell the world that these characters will be their new best friends. If they tell you that your expertise has changed their lives, quote them. Let the world see what you can do.

          Creating and revising a product is only half the battle as an entrepreneur. The other half is marketing. In order to truly treat your business the way it deserves to be treated, you have to put in the work to get eyes on it. There’s a whole world of information out there on how to do that, but this is a good place to start.

          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

          Mariah K. Porter is an author, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. Her YA Fantasy series, Recovering Happily Ever After, is about teens struggling with anxiety and depression the same way she does. When she isn’t writing or managing her business, you can probably find her at home listening to J-Pop with her small children. You can find her website at mariahkporter.com.