Deanna Wallin: Retail Doesn't Have Time For Disaster

Tell Me Something Good About Retail

Deanna Wallin, a former nurse turned skincare pioneer, founded Naples Soap Company out of her passion for assisting individuals suffering from chronic skin issues such as eczema and psoriasis. A Southwest Florida native, Wallin earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Barry University. She returned home to earn her LPN certification from Lorenzo Walker Technical College and worked in the healthcare industry in Southwest Florida for 15 years. Following the recession of 2007-08, she was looking to make a career change and was inspired to share her journey to find relief from her own painful, chronic skin conditions. In 2009, she opened a small 300 square foot retail store in Tin City where she sold skin care items including natural soaps and body butters. Today, Naples Soap Company operates 9 stores (soon to be 13) across the state of Florida, offers products nationwide direct to the consumer through a robust e-commerce site (naplessoap.com), and sells products wholesale to retailers including Dillards and the Woodhouse Day Spa. In 2021, Deanna took the company public. Naples Soap Company stock is traded on the OTC markets under the symbol NASO. As CEO, Deanna provides strategic direction for the company while overseeing company operations, product development, merchandising, buying, marketing, investor relations, and talent development.