Daily Inspiration: Meet Takeshi Kelson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Takeshi Kelson.

Takeshi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We started back in 2021. I have a son with Cerebral Palsy. The type of cerebral palsy he has is spastic diplegia which cause extreme tension in his hamstrings and ankles. This does not allow him to extend or relax. During Covid, we found that the only time his muscles would relax is in the tub using bath salts or natural bath bombs.
We were buying products on Amazon at the time (which we had no clue what was in them) so I decided to make them. I posted them on Facebook and received an immediate response from friends and family.
My partner stated if we are going to do this, lets make it into a business which became Lustful Bath.

We started at small markets doing at least 2 a week. In 2022, we were approached by a manager from Nashville Farmers Market to be a visiting vendor. We tried it and LOVED IT! We grew our product line to almost 200 products handmade only by us. We became a regular vendor every week and in February 2024, we became a permanent vendor. Two months later, we were approached about an interest to move inside. One of the vendors decided to no longer have a lease in doors. We jumped on this opportunity since this only happens once in a lifetime! We tore everything down and built our store from the concrete floor up. Now, our storefront is located inside the Nashville Farmers Market with over 350 different products!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a mom of a disabled child and keeping up with a growing business is a lot. It’s not always easy. It’s definitely been rough, a lot of tears, and fights with my partner. There were times where I thought, “This is too much.” It was a lot of pressure because we make everything ourselves, trying to keep up with demand. It still is, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
It’s so much fun creating new products and scents with my partner. We come up with new ideas and products that no one else has thought of.
We make over 350 different products like soaps, bath bombs, body oils, body butters, bath salts. beard care, hair care, face care, home care, body scrubs, lip scrubs, lip balms, shower steamers, bubble bath and concrete bathroom accessories.

Everything is made by my partner and I. We formulate the recipes ourselves. Our bath bombs are unique because we also hand paint them. Our body oils are all plant base and our body butters are made with no more than 5 ingredients.

Im most proud of our journey. We started with 4 soaps, 2 body butters and 2 different bath salts at our 1st market. Its only been 4 years this April and we have grown to a multi 6 figure business with 8 employees.

What sets us apart is our variety. All our of soaps do not have the same recipe because no one has the same skin type. We have many different products and there is something for everyone.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Just do it! I wish I would have started this sooner. I went back and forth with “what ifs” when all I had to do was start.

Not every customer is your customer. Find your market. Find your niche and everything will fall into place.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lustfulbath.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lustfulbath/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lustfulbath