Meet Me in Medford | Michelle Corrado and The Medford Soap Company

By 4Squares Residential Group with Judi 411

Spring may be in the air — and if you’ve wandered through the Medford Winter Farmers Market lately, so is the unmistakable scent of handcrafted soap from Medford Soap Company.

The woman behind it? Michelle Corrado. Pharmacist. Neighbor. Entrepreneur. Born here, stayed here, building something here.

I caught up with Michelle to talk about growing up in Medford, building a business from scratch, and what it means when customers say, “We have a soap company.”

What is your Medford origin story?

I always tell people I was born, bred, and never left.

I was born at Lawrence Memorial Hospital — back when they were still delivering babies there — and I grew up on Winter Street near Tufts and the West Medford ballpark.

I bought a condo on Riverside Ave and then, in June of 1998, purchased my house on Fern Road, where I still live.

I graduated from Medford High School, went to Tufts (Class of ’90), earned a biology degree, and then went on to Mass College of Pharmacy. I worked at Hallmark Health for 14 years — first as Chief Pharmacy Officer and later as Vice President of Clinical Services.

Now I work remotely for Brown University Health System. So personally and professionally, my life has always centered here.

What do you love most about your Medford neighborhood?

My wonderful neighbors in Fulton Heights.

We joke that we’re “Upper and Lower Fern Road” because we’re right at the crossroad. It’s a close-knit group. We look out for each other.

My husband is disabled, and if someone’s out with a snowblower during a storm, they’ll do our walkway without even asking. If someone goes away, neighbors check in. When there’s a loss, there’s a meal train. When there’s a new baby, everyone shows up.

Medford is changing, but in my neighborhood, that sense of showing up for one another is still very real.

Tell me more about Medford Soap Company. How did it begin?

Everyone assumes I started during COVID, but it was actually right after.

I was working from home, my kids were older, and suddenly I had all this time in the evenings. I’d finish work, walk down the hall, make dinner… and then it was five o’clock. I found myself playing Candy Crush, thinking, this can’t be the rest of my existence.

One day, I lingered too long on a soap-making video on TikTok. Then my feed was all soap-making.

I’m pretty type A. If I think I can do something, I jump in. I ordered supplies, made my first batch, and I still remember coming downstairs the next day thinking, “Oh my God — it’s actually soap.”

Within days, I filed my paperwork with the City of Medford, got my tax ID, built a website, and announced that I was opening a soap company. I launched on March 17, 2023.

Friends and family showed up at first. After that, it was about doing the work — proving it was legitimate and building momentum.

I work full-time. This business is nights and weekends. You wear every hat — creator, accountant, supply chain, and marketing. My son helps. A close friend helps. But it’s a lot.

We’re coming up on three years, and we’ve grown year over year. For a small business, that feels meaningful.

Clockwise from upper left: At the Medford Farmers Market, made to order special occasion soaps, the peace at Oak Grove Cemetery in West Medford, the new mural at the Arts Collaborative Medford.

Why “Medford Soap Company”?

Naming the business was one of the hardest decisions.

I had names that meant something to me personally, but I kept coming back to the fact that one of the company's values is connection to the community and giving back.

Calling it Medford Soap Company makes that clear.

At markets, people will say, “I didn’t know we had a soap company in Medford.” And it’s the “we” that gets me every time. That tells me they feel like the company belongs here.

Since launching, what kinds of connections has the business made?

Being intentional about staying rooted in Medford has opened doors.

I’ve connected with other local business owners — including 4Good Vibes, which has been wonderful — and I’ve partnered with organizations like Arts Collaborative Medford on fundraising campaigns where a portion of sales supports their work.

That aligns with what I want this business to be. If people are choosing to shop local, I want that impact to stay local.

If you were introducing someone to your favorite spots in Medford, where would you take them?

I love the Ford Tavern. It’s cozy, the food is good, and it’s a great place to meet someone for dinner or even a business conversation.

And this might sound unusual, but Oak Grove Cemetery in West Medford. It’s peaceful, there are hills for a good workout, and the views overlooking the Mystic Lakes are beautiful. It’s grounding.

I’ll also give a shout-out to my gym on High Street, right in Medford Square, F.I.N.E. (Fit In New England)— small, local, and a great team. Medford has more places like that than people realize.

What would you tell your best friend if they were considering a move to Medford?

There’s a reason I’ve stayed.

Location-wise, you can’t beat it. We’re right off 93. Close to Boston. We have the Mystic Lakes, the Middlesex Fells, and Tufts.

It’s also a city that’s evolving. There’s development happening and conversations about infrastructure and zoning. As a small business owner, I see challenges — especially around affordable commercial space — but I also see opportunity.

There are many micro-businesses here that people don’t even know about. I’d like to see continued support and creative thinking so small businesses can stay rooted here. That matters.

Where can people find Medford Soap Company?

You can shop online, find products locally at 4Good Vibes, and regularly see Michelle at the Medford Winter Farmers Market at the Great American Beer Hall on Tuesdays from 3pm to 7pm through early spring.  The events page on their website will always show you where she is popping up.

And if you stop by, you just might hear it:

“We didn’t know we had a soap company in Medford.”

Now you do.

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