Our Story

October 2012 – Sophia’s Choice Green Family Lifestyle Blog is Launched

Sophia’s Choice began life as a Green Family Lifestyle Blog in October 2012.

Following the birth of our eldest daughter, Sophia, I began a journey seeking more natural, organic, green, eco-friendly products for her and our new family. I had been a Holistic Therapist for 8 years before having a family, so my interest in natural health was strong. Having my first child, spurred me on to find out more about the products I was using on her skin, the bedding I was choosing, the nappies I was using. And then, came an interest in what I was also putting on my own skin.

My mother had always encouraged me to write about all the fabulous brands and products I was finding, for other parents to benefit from. She knew I loved to write, and both my husband and my Mum championed me to think about writing a blog. It took several years and the loss of her from my life, to push me into starting the blog, and in October 2012, a year after my mother passed away, I launched Sophia’s Choice Green Family Lifestyle Blog.

November 2013 – Our Online Shop Opens

Just over a year after I began writing blog posts for Sophia’s Choice, I decided to launch an online shop of the same name. I had come across and reviewed so many lovely natural brands and wanted a business I could work around my two daughters, which gave me the flexibility I needed at that time.

Some of the brands I had written about, and reviewed made it into the web shop, and there are some we still sell 10 years later. I am proud of the brands we stock. They are tried and tested by myself or my family, so that I know what I am selling. This matters to me.

March 2016 – Sophia’s Choice ‘Bricks and Mortar’ Shop & Therapy Room Opens

Sophia’s Choice grew over the next few years, and in March 2016 I opened our first ‘bricks and mortar” premises, offering the products I had been selling online for the past 3 ½ years. The new premises included a therapy space, which enabled me to return to my first love of holistic therapies, including hiring the space out to fellow therapists.

June / July 2018 – Our Crowdfunder Campaign Launches

The business continued to grow, and in July 2018, I launched a Crowdfunder campaign, which helped to expand the products I was offering our customers, to include health / wholefoods as well the fabulous range of natural, organic products we were already offering

The Crowdfunder was a great success, and it was wonderful to see how much genuine love and support we had from our customers & clients.

Sadly, in August 2018, there was a cash point raid in our town of Beaminster, and it took 15 months for the building repairs to be completed. This impacted customer footfall to our lovely town and the businesses within it.

Sophia’s Choice weathered that storm, however when covid struck, and the nation went into lockdown in March 2020, things changed significantly.

November 2020 – Time to reimagine and refocus

The impact of the pandemic on Sophia’s Choice and the after-effects of the cash point raid we had in August 2018, meant I had to make the difficult decision to downsize and remodel the business. Sophia's Choice moved to Redlands Yard in Broadwindsor, and the focus was then far more on the holistic therapies I was offering.

Over the next 18 months, I worked hard to continue serving my customers and clients, invested in more training, and in May 2022 an opportunity arose to relocate the business once more, this time back to our spiritual home of Beaminster.

June 2022 – Back to Beaminster !

Whilst writing this, it is July 2022. We have settled into our new space in Beaminster, and it feels wonderful.

The new premises allows me to offer my holistic therapies in a wonderful, calming space. The retail products compliment my therapies and moving forward I am excited to have a space that will allow me to offer small talks and workshops once more.

Further training on the peri-menopause and nutrition, has also opened up new opportunities for me to explore with clients who are going through this journey. It’s a subject I am passionate about, particularly as I am going through this time of life myself. You can find out more information of what I am offering by going to our therapies page here.