When you step inside MION Artisan Soap, your senses awaken. The air carries a fragrance of lavender, eucalyptus, vanilla, fresh citrus, and the earthy aroma of organic herbs. Behind the counter, you’ll often find MION founder and owner Olga Nedelea. Over time, she has transformed a journey of immigration into a thriving business built on purity, family, and her pursuit of the American dream.

Eighteen years ago, Olga arrived in the United States with little more than determination and hope.

“I moved to United States when I was 20 from Ukraine, looking for American dream,” said Olga, “I had all kind of jobs, from waitressing, bartending, to babysitting. They all gave me a lot of good skills for running my business now.

“The restaurant experience definitely helped me to learn multitasking and working with people and working with customers,” added Olga. “That actually made the big impact.”

Family is the foundation what Olga sets out achieve, starting with the name of her business.

“MION is an acronym for our family names,” Olga explained. “We have a son who is named Matthew. My husband’s name is Iulian. I’m Olga, and our last name, Nedelea.”

What sets MION Artisan Soap apart in a competitive market for natural skincare is an unwavering commitment to ingredient integrity.

“MION Artisan soaps are handmade products made here locally in Illinois,” stated Olga. “We have only natural and organic ingredients, herbs, and essential oils. What you will never find in our products are preservatives, parabens, artificial or synthetic ingredients.”

Born from necessity, nurtured by passion

MION Artisan Soap did not begin with a business plan or market research. It originated with personal experience.

“I came up with this idea because I was having my own skin issues such as eczema and sensitive skin. Looking at the market years ago, it was really hard to find something that would help me,” said Olga. “So, then the idea of making my own clean skincare came up.”

What started out as a pursuit into better self-care evolved into a larger ambition. Inside her apartment kitchen in Chicago, Olga discovered formulas that genuinely worked for her and products that respected skin and nature.

“I did not have any retail experience. It was more like a hobby,” explained Olga. “At the beginning I was thinking of making the things just for me.

“What made me think I could do this? Love and belief in the customers who are buying products from us,” said Olga. “Many people have the same needs as myself, and that is to use natural clean skincare products.”

Eight bars and a dream

In the early days, MION Artisan Soap existed only at a small table at one of the renowned Chicago Farmers Markets. Olga brought just eight bars of her newly invented all-natural soap for her first venture into selling her creations.

“I remember that first day. It was incredible. Every second of it, actually,” recalled Olga. “I remember I sold out all of the soaps and then people were really excited about it. That made me believe that I’m doing the right thing.”

Those original eight bars represented a line of products that would become staples at MION.

“I remember some of the scents that we had and some of them we still make,” explained Olga with a smile. “There was a lavender soap, rosemary soap and calendula and shea butter.”

Growing pains and expanding dreams

Success brought its own challenges, according to Olga, as she expanded her business and developed her line of products.

We were growing slowly. At some point, we moved into a bigger house to have more room for the production. Then, a couple of years we outgrew that space as well. So, we started looking for a warehouse,” explained Olga who acknowledged she had no plans for brick-and-mortar retail until she came across a unique space in the western Chicago suburbs.

“We saw this beautiful place in Wheaton, and we decided to take a risk,” noted Olga who has subsequently added MION retail locations in La Grange and St. Charles, with a fourth location in Downers Grove on its way.

Handcrafted excellence in small batches

Today, MION operates with a team of fourteen full and part-time employees, but the commitment to artisan quality remains unchanged.

“What makes us unique is that we manufacture all of our products in our first location in Wheaton,” explained Olga. “Everything is made by hand by our small team in small batches. We make sure all our ingredients are top of the line. We are using oils, butters, extra virgin organic herbs, high quality, and pure essential oils.

“We make a wide range of products, including artisan soaps, a face care line, body scrubs,” said Olga. “We have summer products, bath and baby care. We even have some pet care and products for the home, like candles, room sprays, liquid soaps, and much more.”

Perhaps what is most unique about the approach to business at MION is how deeply customer input shapes the business.

“I decide on the ingredients we’re going to use based a lot of times by customer suggestions,” noted Olga. “Usually that’s how we create the new products.

“I get a lot of feedback from the customers, and we love to listen,” shared Olga. “So, if somebody’s suggesting that we make a body butter, we like to take their advice. When we started, we just had eight soaps and the hand balm, and everything else that we have right now was suggested to us by our customers.

“We also have a very specific look and feel of the products,” said Olga. “All suggested by our customers and definitely our vision.”

Proof is in the glow

MION has cultivated a dedicated following. Olga believes that more than half of her customers are now dedicated, repeat customers who are looking for natural products in their life.

“Staying clean is very important, because skin is our largest organ,” added Olga. “Everything that we put on our skin affects our health and body.

“Of course, you can go to the supermarket and buy all of these (kinds of) products, but we are definitely a better choice because the ingredients that the big brands use are very toxic and unhealthy for us,” explained Olga. “There are about 1500 chemicals that are banned around the world that are still used in US skincare products and those are extremely toxic. Many people don’t realize that. The big brands have ability to make it all and without thinking the consequences.”

The reach of MION Artisan Soap now extends well beyond its brick-and-mortar locations. She has created a strong online presence of her business and sells MION products wholesale to boutiques across Chicagoland.

“We learn by trial and error,” noted Olga with characteristic honesty. “I definitely did not know anything about merchandizing or marketing (when I started the business), and we just learned as we went along. We’re still learning, and we just put a lot of time and effort in everything that we do, including those areas that seem to be working well.”

Wisdom from the journey: Love what you do

After navigating the path from immigrant to successful, multi-location business owner, Olga wanted to offer up guidance to aspiring retailers.

“If I can give a piece of advice to someone who is going into retail, I would say if you love something, you should do it because people will feel your love and your energy,” advised Olga with a warm smile. “If you do something, do it well and do it with pride.”

For those already operating a single, successful retail location and contemplating expansion, Olga provided additional encouragement.

“If you’re a retailer with the one store and thinking about expanding like us, my advice would be do it,” said Olga with a glint of energy in her voice. “It’s not that hard. It will require just some different techniques of keeping the inventory and the staff. But it’s much easier than a lot of people think.

“I know you might be scared,” added Olga. “So, if you are successful in a one place and you find the right location that you think you will fit, you most likely will be successful there too.”

A mission worth pursuing

When asked what drives her passion for retail after all these years, Olga’s answer is immediate and heartfelt.

“I love retail because I have the opportunity to provide our customers very clean, natural skincare products,” said Olga with loving smile. “I believe in what I do. I’m proud of the ingredients and feedback from the customers.

“I use all of our products and it helps my skin to glow and look healthy and beautiful,” said Olga. “But what makes me most proud and happy [is] when I see hundreds of customers walking in and their skin is glowing and they they’re telling me it’s because of our products.”