Much like the ingredients in their soaps and sweets, everything with Lisa Diemer and Amanda Beam just mixes.

Lisa always had a passion for baking and teaching classes. It’s a love she developed growing up in New York City when her dad worked at a bakery. She eventually created a vision board, and for her 50th birthday, decided to bring the long-time dream of owning her own shop to life. She toured a building on Main Street in Stroudsburg with a local realtor, and from there, Kitchen Chemistry was born in 2010.

“I walked in, and it felt like home. I couldn't believe it. When I look back at the vision board, it's mind boggling because there is one picture where the front of the store looks exactly like how Kitchen Chemistry used to look,” Lisa recalled.

What started as Lisa teaching classes and selling supplies eventually grew into a bustling bakery. As her small business grew, so did the need for more room. So, four years later, Lisa acquired another nearby storefront for storage and office space.

But daughter Amanda, with a background in corporate retail management, instead envisioned another small business there and took the lead on opening Pocono Soap. This second store became even more important when Kitchen Chemistry caught fire and Lisa lost everything from the smoke damage, forcing her to temporarily close.

“During that time, Pocono Soap took on a life of its own. We thought we'd be open for a day or two on weekends to sell soap supplies and teach classes, but it just started to grow and grow,” Amanda said.

Today, Pocono Soap is a destination, with a full team lead by Amanda selling handmade candles, soaps, scrubs, lotions, and Pocono souvenirs.

“Amanda and I used to fantasize about me having a bakery, she would have a pet store next door, and we'd be able to visit each other. Then the soap store evolved. It really is a manifestation since we’ve been talking about that since she was 7 or 8 years old,” Lisa smiled.

When Lisa turned 65, she decided to slow the pace and go back to her roots, closing Kitchen Chemistry and re-branding as Main Street Makery. She's now exclusively teaching scheduled classes and hosting private events in making macaroons, mozzarella cheese, pasta and pizza, just to name a few. “The timing was right again, we were led to switch things up, and it worked out perfectly,” she added.

While being small business owners in a small town isn't always a piece of cake, Lisa and Amanda say it's all about being flexible and open-minded to new ideas, collaborating while giving each other space to grow, and keeping family at the forefront.

“We sometimes sit back and look at all the things we've had to go through and think ‘how did we do that and how did we get through that?’ I think good communication and working together is important, along with family values. We treat our business and the customers who walk through the doors as extended family. We are going to treat them like we would treat a cousin or aunt. We respect that they come to us, and I think that makes a big different in this day and age,” Lisa and Amanda explained.

Speaking of family, it’s not uncommon to see Lisa's husband and son providing a helping hand at Pocono Soap and Main Street Makery. Amanda is even passing on the entrepreneurial spirit to her kids, Elizabeth and Ben, who have been part of the family businesses from day one. Perhaps one day, they'll be the ones greeting you from behind the counter. “Who knows! At this point with everything we've been through, we’re ready for anything,” they laughed. 

Because this mother-daughter duo has created their own recipe for success.