Life & Work with Stevey Rose Martinez-Maez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stevey Rose Martinez-Maez.

Hi Stevey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I was sexually abused when I was a child. I used to feel so dirty and I would take extremely long and hot baths. The hotter the water the better. For some reason submerging myself in water always made me feel better. I decided to tell my mother what was happening to me and about the men who were doing it. After a long conversation with her, I went to my room and cried myself to sleep. The next day she woke me up and we went to a craft store and she bought me a soap-making kit out of the clearance bin. One of the ways my mother helped me cope was to teach me how to make soap using melt and pour soap base.

One week after I told my mother about the sexual abuse that was happening she had an aortic aneurysm. My life was completely changed. I was 11 when my mother passed away. I never got to tell her how important that soap-making day was to me. For many years I never told anyone else about what happened to me when I was younger. I always had this idea in my head that what I told my mom broke her heart and that’s why she passed away, it’s silly I know. Years later I ended up marrying my high school sweetheart and best friend. My husband is a Marine and we got stationed in Virginia. I had lots of free time and time to myself because he was gone so much. I began to get in a very mentally unhealthy state of mind and anxiety and depression started to take over. I knew I had to get myself out of this very dark place I was in.

I remembered my soap-making days with my mom and I ordered what I could off the internet and began teaching myself to make soap from scratch this time. When my husband would come home I always had new products for him to try out. It quickly grew and began taking over the house. That is when my husband encouraged me to start selling my products online and thus the birth of Battle Axe Soapery.

I decided to tell my story in the hope I could inspire others to just keep going. Each time I’m in my soap studio I play some loud music and suddenly I am back in that kitchen next to my mom. I love to create amazing bath and body products that are full of skin-loving ingredients that help people from all walks of life feel clean and loved.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s definitely been a bumpy ride for sure. Just trying to get enough sales so my company can stay afloat has been the hardest, especially in this economy. Also learning about algorithms and so on has been completely insane.

I’m not a big social media person. I was completely out of my element. I’m still trying to figure out how it all works. I will continue to work hard at it because I know it will all be worth it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am very proud to say I am a soap artisan. I think the thing that I am most proud of has been the relationships I have made through soap making. I have had others who have been through similar experiences as I reach out to me and tell me how inspiring I’ve been to them.

It’s truly humbling and really amazing to know that I a simple gal from Denver have been an inspiration to anyone just by making soap. I think what sets me apart from others is my transparency. I am completely open about my creative process as well as what ingredients I use.

That way you know exactly what you are putting on your skin. I am also a big advocate for mental health. It’s something I’m constantly encouraging others to pay attention to. Your mental health is everything and we should be prioritizing it.

We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
Progress always involves risks. I left a company I had worked with for many years to make soap. I was scared out of my mind. I had no idea what I was doing but I knew I wanted to do it. Take the risks, if you fail adapt and try again.

Contact Info:

• Website: Battleaxesoapery.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/battleaxesoapery
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Battleaxesoapery
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@battleaxesoapery