OVBA Spotlight: Simply Eden Gives People a Chance to Live Again

by Justin Yates
         
          Athena Steadman, owner and creator of Simply Eden Bath and Body, decided several years ago that she wanted to change her life for the better. She had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and had to quit her job. With her health suffering, but with the resolution to improve her situation, she made a decision that she would change the way she ate and took care of her body. She concluded that the best way to do that was to go natural, to go back to the way things used to be, before the age of processed foods, harmful chemicals, and life-destroying ingredients. She began to cook homemade meals with natural ingredients and to research natural health products, such as soaps and lotions.
      
          Before long, Athena began making her own soap. She had become tired of using commercial soaps, which irritated her skin. While living in Eden, she had acquired a small collection of Nigerian Dwarf Goats, goats that produce milk high in vitamins and nutrients and rich in cream. She used the milk not only as a refreshing, organic beverage, but also as an ingredient for her soap, to make it soft, mild, and healthy.
         

          Born into a family with entrepreneurial genes, Athena decided to start her own business and share with others her knowledge about the effects of commercial health products. She was eager to help others and provide them with a product that would contribute to an improved lifestyle by going back to the basics, as it had done for her.
         




         


         




          Today, Athena successfully continues her business, making all of her products by hand at her own home in Eden. She has since expanded her product selection (many of which are also made with goat milk), adding lotions, face creams, lip balm, body mousse, body butter, soap dishes made out of bamboo, and more, including her unique and popular soap cakes, all made in her own Simply Eden way.   
         
         


         


         
          Athena loves what she does. She is very passionate about her business, her goats, and helping others. She says that one of her favorite things about running the business is when people come to her and say that it was at Simply Eden where they finally found the right product, when other products had not worked.
         

         

          Athena is a first-year member of the Ogden Valley Business Association (OVBA), a nonprofit business organization dedicated to helping Ogden Valley businesses join together for the betterment of the community and the lives of those who come to visit. While being a member, Athena has benefitted from the great support that the OVBA gives. She has enjoyed the classes that they have offered to help her succeed, and she is grateful for the networking opportunities that have come while being a member.
         
          Athena’s products can be purchased at The Shop Around the Corner (Formerly Dottie Becks) in Old Town Eden and from her website www.simplyeden.com, which has a complete listing of all her products. To learn more about other OVBA Member Businesses, visit www.ovba.org.