9. Easy ways to show up on social media, with Molly Lee of Optimistic Soap

You don't have to show up on social media to have a podcast, but it's a great way to connect with listeners and engage in conversation. It can also be a lot of work. If you're hesitant to show up on social media or don't have the time, this episode is for you.

Molly Lee is the creator of Optimistic Soap, a brand of handcrafted soaps with a valuable message. Molly's online voice is as vibrant as her soaps, and she creates content that is seemingly effortless but also provides a ton of value.

In this episode, we'll talk about:

• ideas for making quick reels for social media that also add value
• how to juggle your side hustle with your full-time gig
• how to over imposter syndrome

Molly is an LGBTQ+ ally and uses her platform to raise funds for various organizations, including The Trevor Project. Listen to Molly on The Gay Podcast for Everyone: Ep. 41. Holding space for optimism in 2025 with Molly Lee of Optimistic Soap

Chapters

• 1:20 How to balance a full-time job and your side business
• 3:30 Easy ways to make reels
• 10:30 Just be yourself
• 12:29 Finding the balance in the juggle
• 18:11 Imposter Syndrome

Transcript

Transcript via Descript. (Semi-edited)

[00:00:00] Angela: Hello, my fellow podcasters. My name is Angela Briones and I wanna welcome you to the space where we talk about podcasting, sharing our voice and life behind the mic. Today's episode is a continuation of an episode that I did on my other podcast called The Gay Podcast for Everyone. On that podcast I chatted with Molly Lee. She is a soap maker and the creator of a brand called Optimistic Soap. And you're probably thinking, what does SOAP have to do with podcasting, right? Well, in this episode we're gonna talk about the creative side of things, how we show up, how we share our voice, and how we do that outside of a full-time job and a full-time life.

Molly manages her product line outside of her full-time job and creates some pretty awesome social media content on the side. And she doesn't do like just one a month like me. She shows up on social media, okay, y’all? There's always a lot of heart in her posts and there's a lot of value in her content too.

And more than that, it aligns with her voice. So I wanted to ask her, how do you juggle creating a brand outside of your nine to five, and how do you find the time to create such heartfelt content? We talk about these things and a lot more in a very quick amount of time, and I hope you enjoy this conversation and get some value from it, 

How to balance a full-time job and your side business

[00:01:20] Angela: as we've talked about working full time.

Yeah. I don't know how you do it and doing the other thing on the side. Well, the thing is, I don't even do it as, uh, I don't even know what the word is as, uh, consistently as other people. I know other podcasters who have full-time jobs and are doing like weekly or biweekly episodes. Mm-hmm. How. I can't even do this on a, on a monthly basis.

Well, to be honest with you, you 

[00:01:46] Molly: know, honestly, people aren't gonna notice. I didn't realize that you weren't a weekly podcast until you just told me that. Mm-hmm. I was just like going through the past ones. I wasn't looking at dates. Yeah, no one's noticing. 

[00:01:58] Angela: But how do you do the juggle between your full-time job and the soap making, not just the soap making, but just the way you show up on Instagram?

That's, I mean, Molly, the, I can barely show up like twice a month and you're showing up like twice a day. How do you do that? Juggle? Um, I think 

[00:02:16] Molly: it's just rooted in, I love it. I, I do. Someone once asked me about my passion for the soap making, and I do love making soap. But the business of soap, once I started doing it and selling it and figuring out, well, okay, I'll do this and this and this.

Did you ever play Sim City? No, but I know what you're talking about. Yeah. Okay, so Sim City, which is the most ridiculous concept for a game. You set up zoning for a. City. You set the taxes, you put in parks, and you do all these little things to try to make your city thrive. And then you watch and then you adjust and then you know if things are clicking.

Your little sims are moving in, they're happy and they've got jobs. That's what having a little soap biz mm-hmm. Was like, you know, just tinkering with things, seeing if it helped, seeing what worked and making it. So it's like all chugging along. And Instagram is really relatively new to me. Maybe only in the past two, three years.

I don't know. I'd have to go back. But that, that was just fun just to kind of tinker around and see what caught people's attention and. You know what turned into soap sales. It's just fun. 

Easy ways to make reels

[00:03:30] Angela: But isn't it hard, or maybe it's just hard for me to, you're like simultaneously making a reel of what you're doing, and I've tried to do that like with podcasting, and I'll try to put up my iPhone and capture the moment or whatever, but it gets distracting for me.

Then it becomes about the real and not about. The podcast I'm trying to do, does it ever distract you? No. It's kind of part of the 

[00:03:53] Molly: process now. If I'm gonna make a, a batch of soap, I'll set my camera up, turn on the light and just let it go. And then I've got like, just hours and hours and hours of all this raw footage on my phone, and then I wake up and I'm like, huh, I guess lemon grass is ready to sell.

And then I'll pull that footage and make a little reel and post it before I go into. Work. Again, I'm not very intentional. I don't like, I know like all these content creators that are like, create your calendar of content a month in advance and master batch, all of your editing and blah, blah, blah. And I don't do that.

I mean, I literally wake up, see that someone has posted that it's Transgender Day of Remembrance and go, oh, that'd be a good thing to do. And then I. Post a little something about it. 

[00:04:40] Angela: So then you go back and you find like a little snippet of Yeah. That footage that you just said, you did hours and hour.

You just take a little piece. Exactly. And then you throw some, some sort of verbiage on top of it. And, 

[00:04:52] Molly: and I have this notes on where anytime something crosses my brain mm-hmm. Or I see a reel that inspires me, I'll like jot some little notes. So if I absolutely have no idea what I'm gonna post, I'll check my little.

Instagram post thing and see, oh, 

[00:05:10] Angela: okay, I guess I could do this. That's really refreshing to hear though. 'cause like you said, you do see the posts from people who are like, here's your content calendar and do this on this day and this on this day. And I've tried and. It just doesn't resonate with me. It's just, it's like, it feels like work.

And I want it to feel like outside of my work life, this is my creative space. You know what I mean? So I want it to feel fun and I feel like it's like that for you. It is. I love doing it. 

[00:05:41] Molly: Yeah. And I love seeing what resonates. And it gets me excited when I add more followers and they're ridiculous metrics, but.

'cause they don't really mean anything, but it's like, I don't know. It's like a game and I'm getting points. 

[00:05:55] Angela: Yeah. Do you see an ROI like a return on investment of time from like when you're in Instagram and you're doing these awesome reels. We mentioned in our other podcast that we just did, we mentioned the lesbian soap, the humor of your lesbian soap real.

Do you see that return on investment of time and humor in sales or. Do you think it's kind of equal 50 50, like one to one type thing? I think it, 

[00:06:20] Molly: I think it definitely does help. Instagram is my primary way of getting people to my website. I think it's a very small sliver of people who look at my Instagram and then go on to make a purchase.

And I think it's actually less when I am, you know, marketing, like, here's my lemongrass soap and this is why you should buy it. And it smells really good and it's really pretty. It's less that than just showing up and just being a human being with a heart. You know, like people will buy from me because they like me.

They like that some money goes to fundraising and they like that. I care enough about the lgbtq i plus community to post about them. And so I think it's all of those things are teeny tiny little drops. Itty bitty things and then mm-hmm. Into someone's bucket and then eventually it gathers up enough and they'll the bucket tips over and they'll decide to make a purchase.

But even if they don't, it just makes me happy to do it. 

[00:07:27] Angela: Right. I feel like it's kind of similar when podcasting, because you know, like we'll do a snippet of like, let's say this, this conversation, we'll put that on Instagram and you're trying to garner. More followers so that you can get more downloads so that because, so you can make a connection.

And really that's what it's about, is about telling these stories and sharing these stories, making a connection. But also, you know, if down the line something bigger comes up, like you mentioned, selling the soap just so that you can make, get money. I could buy more supplies, so yeah. So you could just keep doing it.

Right. Kind of the same with podcasting. You know, we're all trying to at least get a little bit that. Pays for the podcast process so that we can keep going. Just, just, yeah, keep doing the thing, you know, and it doesn't have to be an exponential amount, but just enough to where it's like, this makes sense.

I can, you know, cover the costs of script or squad cast right now where we're recording or all that stuff, but I end up spending so much time on a reel or something like that. And I think, I don't really know that it really made that big of an impact. You know, like I don't see it and I think podcasting's a little bit different, you know, 'cause like I don't see, maybe I don't see a lot of downloads based on a reel or something like that.

So those are the things where it's like. Is this worth it? Is anybody paying attention? Do you ever feel like that of like, oh, is anybody, is anybody out there? Yeah. I mean, luckily, 

[00:08:57] Molly: happily I've reached a level where you know, people are, I've got enough eyeballs at this point. Yeah. But definitely earlier on when my number of followers was a lot less, yeah, you'd post something, you wouldn't even get a comment.

[00:09:13] Angela: What was it? Yeah. What was it that you said on the other podcast? You mentioned you did a, a video. You didn't expect it to kind of take off the way it 

[00:09:22] Molly: did. It was, um, abortion access. It was, I think when Dobbs came down and I just said, Hey, a dollar for every bar of soap I sell. And it was a simple reel. It still gets comments.

It still gets likes. Interesting. And I'd done similar fundraisers before. I think at that moment, you know, we were all like feeling the huge blow of it, and I think enough people commented, liked, shared it, that it completely blew up. And as I mentioned, I got 18,000 followers from this single reel. That's really cool.

At the time I had a thousand followers, less than a thousand, I think, and 18,000. Wow. From this one. It was just, it just blew up. It was insane. Like 

[00:10:08] Angela: from one day to the next. That's crazy. What is it that, like, you're not afraid to show up? Like so much for me is I'm afraid to see myself on camera. You know, in the real, it takes a lot for me to show up, but I really wanna show up more.

Did you struggle with that? And if you did, how did you. Get rid of it and get 

[00:10:28] Molly: over it. I think you get over 

[00:10:29] Angela: it. 

Just be yourself

[00:10:30] Molly: Um, so early on when I started taking video of me making soap, I'd put up lights. I got my husband to like do the, the video. I went upstairs, I did my hair, I did makeup, foundation, you know, all that stuff.

And then that's just such a hassle and I wouldn't do it. It is right, because it's such a hassle. Yeah. And then there's also like filters that you can put in. I started doing my first reels online. I followed some Instagram expert and they did a free seminar where she showed you how to like turn on the makeup filter, so you got eyelashes.

And stuff. Oh, funny. And so those were some of my first ones and I look really weird. Um, you know, and that gave me a little bit of Mm, you know, confidence in my first Yeah. Vase ones. And then after that I was like, you know what, this is fine. Right. I mean, this is just, I typically, I make soap wearing whatever I slept in the night before.

I wake up early in the morning, right? And I probably haven't even brushed my hair and I'm just doing it. And once I got over the embarrassment of looking like that on a camera and just posted those things and post them all the time, people like it. And they don't care that your hair isn't perfect. And maybe in fact.

It feels better when they realize you're like a real human being and you're not some airbrush Barbie doll or whatever. So it's 

[00:12:01] Angela: a matter of just posting and letting it be and then just mm-hmm. Just doing it and then realizing it's gonna be okay. Yeah, pretty much. I mean, 'cause 

[00:12:10] Molly: you want, yeah. You want people to like you, right?

You want your message to resonate. Right, right. Yeah. But you want people to like and resonate with who you really are. Angela. You don't wanna like make a fake made up cardboard cutout, Angela, and then suddenly people are liking 

Finding the balance in the juggle

[00:12:29] Angela: that. Where do you find time to even make soap outside of, outside of the work life?

I have a monthly podcast and you would think that I don't do it every day, but I actually do something related to the podcast every day. And it's to the point where even with Instagram, if I'm. Trying to make a reel that never makes it to Instagram. 'cause they take me hours. Molly, I'm embarrassed to say, but my partner, you know, to a certain extent you mentioned your husband, they're in on all this too.

'cause we are working full time and then doing this thing outside of work. Mm-hmm. So where do you find the time to make the soap? 

[00:13:06] Molly: I mean, it is a really good question because I probably, this is. At least a part-time job. It's at least 20 plus hours at least, and I just, I do it because I really love it. And I can only make typically two batches of soap a week.

I, I have very limited production, so I wake up super early on Saturday and Sunday, and I make a batch of soap on Saturday and Sunday. And I love it so much that it is not unusual for me to wake up on a weekend morning and be all excited and go, okay, I can make, so look at my clock, see that it's 2:30 AM and.

Tell myself very sternly, it is insane to wake up at two 30 in the morning to make soap. You go to bed, and so my hard and fast line for myself is three o'clock. If I wake up and it's after three, I can go down and make soap. So that's what I do. I make a batch of soap Saturday and Sunday. Um, I do wake up super early just in the work week, and so that's when I'll get up and yeah, I'll make a little re or I'll do my labeling or I'll putter around.

I love to putter this whole soap thing, you know, it's a labor of love. I just love puttering around my soap. Room beveling and labeling soap, organizing things, moving soap place to another. It's insane how much time I spend in my soap room moving things around. I put in shelves this weekend and I'm so delighted with having a place to put certain things.

It's just fun and that's why I do it. But I do realize that. Life balance is important. And so I feel a little bad for my husband because I do get absolutely obsessive and I can spend all of my time, all day, every day on soap if I allowed myself to. So I make dinner. Typically, we sit, we eat dinner together, and.

Dinner until bedtime. That's our time. And I don't do any soap stuff unless he wanders off to bed, and then I'll sneak downstairs and do some quick soap things. Yeah. But yeah, that's my chunk of sacred, you know, husband time. But otherwise, I'm like always, always thinking of soap. Um, I'm at work and I'm like.

Oh, it's a nice day. The light is really good. I'll just run out and shoot some quick B roll of me running around the back of the work building. Doing random things. 

[00:15:40] Angela: That's awesome. I do the same thing and I feel like all I talk about is podcasting, you know? And I'm sure you probably feel the same way about Instagram, that type of thing, because I'm always trying to film something that could potentially be something cool for Instagram and kind of garner some more attention for the podcast, some sort of way to like connect with people.

So I know what you mean about feeling bad for my partner of like, oh, we're always talking about this. You know, we're always talking about this subject, but we have to have people, if we have people in our house, you know, they've gotta be our cheerleaders too, because there are times that I'm just like, you know what?

This is too much, this is too hard. Maybe I should be doing something different. Mm-hmm. Um, do you ever come across that or not so much? Mm, I think I'm still highly obsessed. You're, you're optimistic. I'm optimistic. Yeah. Yeah. And it has, 

[00:16:31] Molly: yeah, it has like, um, reached a level of success. Again, not totally intentionally, you know, of course everybody wants their small business to succeed, but this wasn't what I was shooting for, and I mean, it's, it's nice, you know, every time I can.

Take a chunk of money out of the business checking account and move it to the checking, checking account and tell my husband, he puts it towards the mortgage. We paid off our mortgage this year. I don't think we would've done that without extra stone. 

[00:17:00] Angela: That's amazing. Amazing. Yeah. Yeah. And that's just like something outside of your nine to five, something you're passionate about, something you're just like, you're super genuine about, helped you pay off your house.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that's amazing. 

[00:17:16] Molly: Yeah. I am so freaking lucky. 

[00:17:18] Angela: I feel so lucky. Yeah. And that's just sharing your voice and sharing your story, which is essentially what all of this is about to me. Like I think it's, it's right. 

[00:17:28] Molly: It's what you do. It's what I do it. And that connection is what? Has made me, I, I assume, successful on Instagram and therefore successful in the business of selling soap that, you know, I've tapped into something and people like me Yeah, people send me gifts.

Like how sweet. I know it's crazy. I mean, yeah, I mean, people knit me. Hats and, oh gosh, send me homemade teddy bears and just for no reason. Just because they like the things I'm saying. It's, 

[00:18:04] Angela: yeah. That's so sweet. So sweet. It's, that is so sweet. I have one more question for you 'cause I feel like I could talk to you forever.

Imposter Syndrome

[00:18:11] Angela: Okay. And I, I don't wanna take all your time, but I'll let one more question. Alright. You, you and I have talked about imposter syndrome and you've, I think you've mentioned it on your platform as well, feeling that imposter syndrome. Yep. What can help people kind of break through and share their voice anyway and realize that they've got a short story to share?

Mm-hmm. Um, so I 

[00:18:32] Molly: am a big imposter syndrome person and I don't know, I think maybe it's the way women have been brought up. Possibly. Mm-hmm. That we aren't taught to toot our own horn. 

[00:18:43] Angela: Right. 

[00:18:44] Molly: That we are taught to overpromise and under little over, uh, my boss scolds me all the time 'cause she's like, you are way better at this than you let on.

And I'm like, well, I just don't want people to know I'm good at it. 'cause then they'll expect me to be good. So, imposter syndrome, it's absolutely a thing, but I think we have to get over it. I think we as women just have to get over it and realize our self-worth, realize what we are good at, understand that when people are telling us.

But sometimes you know in your head. Mm-hmm. And it's because you've been getting feedback, you know, and all these good things, but it's hard to feel in your gut and that disconnect, just get over it. We are good. We are really good at what we are good at. We really are. But you know, in some instances, fake it until you make it.

Just, you know, even if you feel insecure about something, just do it. And you don't have to like announce to people, oh, I'm not really very good. Oh, you, you don't have to apologize for it. Just do it. Just do it and then fake it. And then sometimes. 

[00:19:58] Angela: It will come. Yeah. And I mean at some point you were making your soap and you were like, this is pretty good.

I think I'd like to sell this. And then she started sharing it on Instagram. That had to be a big leap of Yes, and I of faith really well. And I 

[00:20:13] Molly: still look at it and I'm like, oh, you know, the edges aren't like completely, or it's like, seriously, an eighth, uh, a 16th of an inch or an eighth of an inch. Not as wide as this other one.

And I feel really bad about that, but. When I show 'em to people, they're like, no, that is not a problem. Like, I wanna like put those in the seconds box and Yeah. Yeah. Uh, it's, you are your own biggest critic and you need to realize that. 

[00:20:42] Angela: Oh, that's so true. That is so true. 

[00:20:46] Molly: Yeah. 

[00:20:46] Angela: I struggle with that nonstop, you know, thinking that something is so horrible and then I share it with somebody and they're like, what are you talking about?

Right. It's fine. I didn't even notice it. Yeah. And you know 

[00:20:57] Molly: you are good at what you do. Thank you. Yeah, I know a lot of people do podcasts and I'm like, oh, here's this lady. She's doing this podcast. Yeah, everyone's doing it. I genuinely, yeah, enjoy your podcast. I genuinely thank you. Enjoy the way you interview people the way it's a conversation and it's not like, you know, question, question, question, question, but it's a conversation.

But also you allow the person to fully express themselves and it never becomes about you. Um, there's a fine line and you walk it and your voice is so calming, it's good. So you're good. So thank you. Get rid of that imposter syndrome. Listen to me. 

[00:21:37] Angela: Listen to me. I will. I will. And everyone should. That's why I wanted to have this little snippet on here.

'cause it's awesome. It's awesome. Okay, we'll stop it there, but oh my gosh. I wish I could spend every Sunday just chatting with you. That was fun. You were right. It was way 

[00:21:54] Molly: more fun than I thought it would be. 

[00:21:58] Angela: Thanks so much for joining me, friends, I hope you enjoy that episode. I love so many of the key things that Molly touched on in this episode, like being our worst critics.

Yes, I struggle with that so much. And also just not overthinking things, making the time to pursue our passions. I know that's so hard depending on what we have going on in our households. Right? And also remembering that we're good at what we do. I wanna thank Molly for joining me here for this chat, and please give her a follow on social media.

She is. Absolutely amazing, and I can tell you firsthand that her soaps are awesome. A link to her website is in the show notes, and if you wanna listen to the first part of this conversation, there's a link to that in the show notes as well. Please subscribe to the podcast and share it with a podcast friend.

This podcast is new to me so I could really use your help in spreading the word. Thanks again for joining me y'all.