Carving a Path to Success

Dawn ’89 and Michael ’88 Lancaster of Williston, Vermont took their dream of creating a business together to reality with “Carved Solutions.”

High School Sweethearts Personalize Their Business

It all started in junior high school in Burlington, Vermont. She was in seventh grade, he was in eighth. They met each other and hit it off. But there was something more to it.

Their relationship and life goals were a perfect match. "We knew we had a goal and it just clicked," said Mike Lancaster '88. "We knew since we were in high school we wanted to have a business, we just didn't know what it was," said his wife, Dawn (Faverty) Lancaster '89.

Today, the Lancasters own and operate Carved Solutions-a maker of personalized soaps and candles based in Williston, Vermont, that is now an industry leader. The business has achieved a national reputation, along with some high-profile celebrity fans. The husband-and-wife team give credit to Champlain College for providing a strong foundation to prepare them for the business world.

Dawn graduated with A.S. degrees in Business Management and Marketing Management and Retailing. She started working for Merrill Lynch immediately after graduation. "I was at Champlain because I wanted to work, I wanted to get out there," she said. "It was empowering. It was challenging."

For Mike, Champlain was a breath of fresh air from high school. "It was exciting. It was thrilling. It was the first time I actually got excited about learning," he said. Mike graduated with an A.S. degree in electronics technology.

Their business was born in February 2006, after both had been working in separate careers for nearly 20 years. Dawn had a position in business management for the automotive aftermarket industry. Mike had a career in semi-conductor development. With Mike's expertise in manufacturing and Dawn's passion for sales, marketing and business operations, they had the right mix of skills.

The Lancasters knew they wanted to do something with design and personalized products. "We thought, wouldn't it be cool to have a piece of soap with your name on it?" Mike said. "As a joke, we just carved a couple pieces and gave them to people."

The response was incredibly positive. "I've built million-dollar machines and never had anybody go, ‘Oh my god, I love it!'" Mike said.

What started as a hobby became a thriving cottage industry. Clients today include national retailers such as Pottery Barn, RedEnvelope, and Williams Sonoma. Celebrities such as Lisa Marie Presley and Will and Jada Smith have bought their products. Oprah Winfrey and her O magazine are Carved Solutions fans.

The most recent exciting development: in February 2010, Carved Solutions acquired its chief competitor, New Hope Soap, and are now the recognized industry leader. The key to their success? Focusing on quality and customer service, and always being aware of their strengths and limitations.

Working for other companies for so long before starting a business also helped, Dawn said. "The Champlain experience, and the real experience, really taught us what we needed to learn to get us where we are now," she added. "And the fact that we like each other helps." —Sona Iyengar