Meet Karen Joyner | A Georgia OkraGirl

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karen Joyner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, how do you think about risk?
Risk taking isn’t always that one defining moment in life that makes or breaks a person. Risk presents itself to me daily. Every time I push myself to go outside of my comfort zone, I am taking a risk. The customer I’m pursuing might tell me “no.” I might not have the technical savvy to design my own web site. My Facebook posts may not have the impact desired or maybe aren’t professional enough. But I still do it all anyway. These little risks may not sound like a big deal, but the thing I am risking is disappointment in myself, maybe finding out I’m not as good as I want to be at what I do. And, that does happen. In fact, it happens frequently. But when I tackle something I don’t do well and ace it…well, I know that in the experience I have become a better, stronger, person. I also know that one day when that defining moment in life, the ultimate risk, presents itself I’ll be ready for it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I make soap and personal care products. I love, love, love doing it, too! When a person does what they love it makes for a better product, because they want everyone else to love it just as much. The more people that love and buy OkraGirl products, the more time I get to spend making them. It’s a win-win! I handmake all of the products from “scratch” and that means going a bit above and beyond by rendering the fat for the tallow soap and collecting the little additions that go into the soap (like wild mountain mint, blackberry seeds, red sumac, etc.) from my backyard or while on hikes. I have company for a lot of what I do, my Mountain Man or friends, which adds an extra level of enjoyment.  These are such fun days at the soap house enjoying the company of friends, surrounded by the aroma of soaps curing, chatting while working, listening to country music (it’s the only station I get!), a pot of home-made soup on the stove.  How could a person not feel wonderful when using products made with that kind of good vibe packed into every one of them?!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m going to start this little vacation driving up I-75 from Florida – First Stop – Lanes Southern Orchard to get some fresh picked Peaches and Pecans, while checking out the OkraGirl Deliciously Peachy Products in the Gift Shop. Use Highway 16 to cut over to Columbus to see the National Infantry Museum & Soldier Center. Drive up I-85 with a stop in Senoia, Georgia’s Hollywood, and home of The Walking Dead and where Fried Green Tomatoes and Driving Miss Daisy were filmed. The town is charming! Great food at the Irish Pub, Maguires. Check out the Classic Market for local vineyards offerings and unique gifts. From I-85 to I-75, stop in Kennesaw to visit the Civil War’s famous locomotive, The General, and learn the story behind The Great Locomotive Chase. Follow Main Street Kennesaw to Acworth’s delightful small-town downtown! A MUST do is lunch or dinner at Henry’s Louisiana Grill!!! P. S. You might want to order my favorite – the Ooo La La! There’s plenty of great little shops to visit to while away an afternoon! Jump back on I-75 & head to Cartersville for a little relaxation at Big Door Vineyard. Take the second Cartersville I-75 exit (highway 20), east for about 10-15 minutes. Tucked off to the left, not easily visible from the road is a little slice of heaven! The first time I visited it was late afternoon, with a stunning sunset. My favorite wine here is Lenoir. Give it a try. If you are traveling with kids, don’t miss Tellus Museum and Observatory. This is at Cartersville’s 3rd I-75 exit (highway 411), visible from the interstate. It’s a hands-on learning experience. Our grandchildren particularly like mining for gems at the museum’s sluice and uncovering dinosaur fossils. Downtown Cartersville is another MUST have meal at Appalachian Grill – order anything, because it’s all fabulous!!! If you visit in late October, I highly recommend the Booth Museum’s Cowboy Festival and Symposium. This is a small but extremely well-done festival with gun fights, Showdowns, Doc’s Medicine Show, Indians, an Indian Village, Chuck Wagon and of course, OkraGirl and Mountain Man. The first two days we demonstrate Pioneer Soap Making and Pioneer Hunting and Trapping to about 1,000 school kids visiting on field trips. The ticket price includes admission to the Booth Art Museum. The next two days we have a booth. By the way, this festival was cancelled for this year; so, put it on your calendar for next year. All great vacations should include a little shopping. This calls for a stop at Glitzy Chiks for a shopping adventure at a local boutique offering stylish clothing and accessories with a wide range of appeal! Glitzy Chiks has shops in both Acworth and Cartersville. Another worthwhile event in Cartersville is the Christmas Village the first Friday & Saturday of November. This is a shopping extravaganza of local businesses and artisans. It’s a great way to purchase unique finds for those on your Christmas List. Time to hit the road again for a short 30 minute drive to Adairsville and a couple of nights stay at the Adair Manor Bed and Breakfast, a historically preserved manor run by a lovely couple. While in Adairsville, antiquing will be the adventure du jour! Find fascinating treasures at the Adairsville Market Place, Peacock Junction and Liz’s Antiques. And to make it the perfect day, settle down for lunch at the Adairsville General Store & Café. The Boar’s Head Seasoned Filet Top Round Roast Beef & Horseradish Cheddar on Toasted Sourdough Bread gets 5 stars in my book! After lunch, be sure to stop at the Train Museum across the street from the Café to continue the story of The Great Location Chase. This is a small but interesting museum. After thoroughly exploring Adairsville, head west to Rome and Brushy Branch Boat Launch. To the left leads to the river, but to the right is a scenic kayaking paddle (bring your own). When the spring waters are right, enjoy marshy banks filled with yellow water irises, with tall egrets standing photogenically among them. If you are a fisherman, you’ll be fishing for crappie, brim and yellow bass. To finish off yet another perfect day, stop at the bakery (sorry, I don’t remember the name of it) in downtown Rome for a cream filled French Horn Pastry. Oh my goodness! Heaven! This is the REAL thing!!! As a child I used to enjoy the French Cream Horns at our local bakery, but as an adult I haven’t been able to find the REAL ones. Imagine my delight when I discovered this treat!!! Also in Rome is the Chieftains Museum and Major Ridge Home Museum, another small but interesting place to explore. Nearby Berry College offers a number of points of interests, including tours of the historic home, waterwheel, award-winning gardens. In particular I enjoyed the architect of the stone buildings with the gargoyles on the roof corners and stone animals carved in the walls, and reflection pool in the courtyard. Follow the signs to “Admissions.” The next stop is Cave Springs. Bring a few empty containers with you. You’re going to want to stop at the springs to collect some cool spring water to drink on the next part of your journey. The town itself is beyond charming with interesting shops to explore. If you are in the market for Adirondack chairs, check out Evergreen Patio (Highway 100) where the chairs and other outdoor furniture is made and sold. Next, heading North on Highway 100 to Highway 27, go East/North for an adventure that is about an hour north of Cave Springs. You’ll be going to Crockford-Pidgeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area to a place called Rock Town for some old-fashioned bouldering. It’s an easy mile hike to the rocks. When you get there, climb, leap, jump to your heart’s content! No special equipment is needed, but make sure you have on the appropriate shoes and make sure you have that water with you! Our grandchildren both agreed that this was the most fun they had EVER had!!! To access area, you must have hunting, fishing or day use pass, which can be obtained through the Department of Natural Resources. If you happen to run across a ranger, he can pass along some little known information on how to find local waterfalls and caves. Let me know next time you’re up this way & we’ll take a little drive to the North Georgia Mountains, for visits to apple orchards!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m in my fifth year of soap making and am still constantly amazed at the number of people offering helping hands along the way. It is so very humbling to know that while I might be driving the bus so many people are giving me direction to help me get to where I’m going. Sometimes it’s encouragement, sometimes it’s knowledge, sometimes it connecting me with who they know, or even a sharing or comment on social media that lets me know that they have faith in me. It really helps me to have faith in myself. I mean, who I am to say I can’t do this or that when I am constantly surrounded by people telling me I can.

Website: https://www.georgiaokragirl.shop/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Karen.OkraGirl
Other: www.ETSY.com/Shop/GeorgiaOkraGirl

Image Credits
Ray Edwards