Founded by visual artist John Meyers and art director Linda Meyers, Wary Meyers stands out in the crowded soap-and-candle world by breaking the mold with vibrant, imaginative, retro-inspired design. With distinctive scents and their iconic striped look, the duo proves that time-honored methods, reimagined with modern technique, a sharp eye, and a stunning Shopify-powered store, can refresh any product, even one that’s technically thousands of years old.
The couple runs Wary Meyers entirely out of their family home in Cumberland, Maine, working side by side to design, make, market, and ship every single soap and candle, including our Shopify Exclusives collaboration, Shower Thoughts Soap. As part of this partnership, we saw firsthand how John and Linda take a simple concept and elevate it into usable art, leaning on trial and error, a whole lot of creativity, and a genuine love for what they do.
Here, we dive into their founding story, how they keep the inspiration flowing, and what it takes to run a business with your life partner.
Why did you decide to start Wary Meyers?
Linda: As artists and designers, we were doing a lot of traveling and designing interiors for our friends in New York. When we moved to Maine, our installation and esoteric work fell to the wayside, and we needed to figure out how to make a living here. My sister suggested that we make soap because it was easy. Meanwhile, it took us a year to figure out how to get our stripes to stick. It was the most opposite of easy that it could have been.
What first put Wary Meyers on the map? Walk me through your proudest “We’ve made it!” moment.
John: We got press in Wallpaper magazine and were up for a design award. It kind of pats you on the back, like, keep going.
Linda: When someone reaches out and says, I love your candles, or I love your soaps. Because it’s just the two of us working, it’s getting recognition in any way—we love compliments!
You two have been running this business, mainly on your own, for 16 years. How do you continue to stay inspired and motivated? Why do you keep doing it?
Linda: Because we’re so intertwined with the brand, I am not sure what we would do otherwise. For a while, we were following a very rigid wholesale model, where we spent many years just filling wholesale orders with the same products. And I think what keeps us inspired now is moving beyond that and doing custom products like the Shopify Exclusives collaboration. That keeps us really inspired, being able to be creative as artists and designers.
John: For me, it’s getting to be an artist who works in soap.
How do you handle work-life balance while living and working out of your (incredibly cool) house in Cumberland, Maine?
Linda: We have been working side by side since 2004, and I guess we’ve just gotten used to it. We have little things like a schedule. Even if you don’t follow it, you have to have a schedule. And try not to look at clutter in the house; leave it behind if the workday starts.
Why did you choose Shopify as your business platform? Any favorite features?
Linda: Shopify’s analytics are amazing. You can really hyper-focus on who’s on your site. It’s so fun to launch something and then see where people are looking. We will never leave Shopify!
Any advice for small business owners just starting out?
Linda: Be lean and don’t overextend yourself. I think back to all the stuff we purchased, the pounds of fragrance oil that went to waste. Also, have a lean crew in the beginning, because then your vision and focus stay very true to what you want.
What about married business owners just starting out?
Linda: Multiple rooms and headphones to start. Just because we work in the same house doesn’t mean we have to be together all the time. We used to have walkie-talkies to communicate; now we text! We also rarely fight, and we really do get along very well together, so it does help if you start out being compatible. We’ve been married 21 years and have worked together the whole time.
We’re so excited to launch our Shower Thoughts–themed soap with you, celebrating that screen-free time in the shower when your mind can run free. What’s a recent shower thought you’ve had?
Linda: I love collecting skin care products, and I have a billion of them in the shower. So, usually I am testing out all these products and studying design. Or thinking of new ideas—a recent thought was doing soap on a rope!
John: For me, it’s things like, “If I add more fragrance to this soap, I’m gonna need more pigment, but I don’t want the pigment to run.”
So you’re still working, even in the shower!
Linda and John: Yes!
Interested in trying out Wary Meyers for yourself? Shop our Shower Thoughts Soap collab and get inspired by more limited-edition merch created by the brands you love on Shopify Exclusives.
Note: This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.
