The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Educating people on what’s really in the candles they are burning in their homes.
Pretty boxes and expensive marketing does not necessarily equal a non-toxic candle.
I was lucky enough to have a really informative conversation with a doctor who specialises in fertility and reproduction and she commended me on my range.
My products do cost a little more to create as the pure raw materials do not come cheap, but her insights really bolstered my resolve to continue on my path regardless of the bottom line.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
I love that I can work from home and deciding what tasks I feel like doing on any given day is such a breath of fresh air after years of punching in. Don’t get me wrong, I still have to work hard to keep production up, but I can pick the days and times myself so it feels more like an organic choice.
I enjoy the freedom to be able to attend my granddaughter’s swimming lessons, help out with childcare when needed, and that I don’t have to ask anyone for time off.
It’s all up to me to decide what the priorities for the day will be. The business is really a passion project that I love and do on my terms rather than something I have to grind away at, so at this stage it’s still a lot of fun and I can only see pros.
The cons are very few as I’ve kept it as a boutique business, not a mass-production, dollar-driven enterprise.
If I decide to expand, once the new studio is built, I will hire more staff so I can still just do the bits I love and let others take care of the aspects I’m not naturally good at.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
For now, I like things just the way they are. I’ll just keep creating new exciting fragrance blends, add new product lines to meet changing trends and enjoy the candle journey at this level.
I’m very conscious of staying small, as I only get one chance to spend time with my grandchildren so I want to leave lots of space in my life to be there for them every step of the way.
I want to be “that” grandma that bakes cookies with them, visits to grandma’s beach house means sand castles and swimming, lots of mess and fun chaos. I’ve designed an enchanted garden, complete with fairies and mushrooms, little fairy doors popping out unexpectedly, amongst the native bush so we can wander up and tell stories and generally just create memories.
So I guess my hopes and dreams are that I can make beautiful candles and also enjoy my family life at the same time.
Visit the 12th Avenue Candles website to find out more and to browse their gorgeous range of candles. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
