Speaker 1: 0:31

And we make 100% soy wax candles. The candles have wooden wicks, they're untreated and our soy wax melts as well. They come with the well, not come with, but for every candle there is a flameless option of a wax melt. How we got started is, yes, tell me about that. So one day my husband and I were just hanging out okay, probably just watching TV, and his creative mind out of the blue. You know what I'd like to make, or see if we can make. What's that? Honey? Gee, what is it?

Speaker 1: 1:14

Candles, and we both have a huge love for candles, always loved candles. Anything that smells good, yeah. So humor, dim, okay, sure, you know we go down to the local craft store. We got some oils I couldn't tell you the name brand little bag of wax, a couple, you know just your basics. And we started the process of learning, and there's a lot to learn. We did a deep dive. It is part art, part science, but then there's a whole safety factor into it. I can't tell you how many times in the first month of us attempting candles we would light it, and a big flame would shoot out.

Speaker 1: 2:04

And it was like, oh okay, not good, not good. So, yeah, there's a lot of trial and error, but he was the drive behind wanting to learn it. Wanting to learn it, we got the kids involved. Each of them created, they blended the oils and decided on what they thought smelled good. They got to pick the color of their candle and both of their candles, one named after them and one that they created and those will always be our staples. We will never discontinue those Forever, since Forever, since they will always. They are immortalized in candle form.

Speaker 1: 2:48

And it was a lot of fun. It was a nice little hobby for us to do as a family. We were really, really focused on the kids at the beginning, so the candle company was kind of on the back burner. It was more of a hobby at first. We both worked outside the home. Jim was also the flag football coach for each of our kids, so we have four kids and there was one time when there was three different teams and he was the coach for all of them and I was involved too.

Speaker 1: 3:19

I was the team photographer. So I would tell the parents put your cell phones away, enjoy the game. I've got this. And then we would do a little group, facebook group, and that's where all the photos would go, and the parents could just join the group and grab the photos. So we were always doing something with the kids, so naturally we had to get them involved in this and it was just a little bit of fun for a while and we started doing shows, little events. I think the first thing we ever did was a bazaar at Hillside Elementary our kids elementary school and it was just a table with a bunch of candles just on it, no pizzazz whatsoever, no boxes, nothing, just table.

Speaker 2: 4:07

I don't even get it Grassroots, we didn't even have a tablecloth.

Speaker 1: 4:09

It was just a fold out table by my candles, and we actually even started out with cotton wicks, but by this time we had switched to wooden wicks because we just wanted something different.

Speaker 2: 4:21

And the sound right. People liked the little track.

Speaker 1: 4:23

The trackling sound is really nice.

Speaker 2: 4:25

They're pretty.

Speaker 1: 4:27

I think so. Yes, I agree. So eventually the kids would the growing up they're doing their own thing. Two of them actually would do some of our events with us, some of our shows. And we got better. We did more than just a table. You got a tablecloth. We did get a tablecloth and it said reads in the valley in it, but after friends and family would buy from us. Of course, that's who always supports you first, when they started asking for more and hey, can I buy some off of you? I want to give them as gifts. Jim said we might have a business here, and I'm very. I have to be safe, especially when it comes to finances, and it's just like. I kind of thought it a little bit If we make something, we make something, but I don't want this. So we made a pact, my husband and I, and he said when this stops being fun?

Speaker 1: 5:32

we hang it up Wow and OK, challenge accepted, challenge accepted. And then somewhere along the way I fell in love with this and I'm waiting. I can't imagine doing anything else. I don't have much of a business mind. I'm extremely introverted. I can't put myself out there as much as I try.

Speaker 2: 5:56

Are you doing so great so far?

Speaker 1: 5:58

I am sweating profusely Same.

Speaker 2: 6:00

Of course.

Speaker 1: 6:01

So I feel so much better now. But all I ever wanted was just to create something and if you like it and you buy it and you come back, that's my happy, the creating and the person coming back and saying I loved it so much, I want another one While I'm here. I want to get one from my mom, I want to get one from my best friend, I want to get one from my cousin. You know it's, I've made friends because they were customers first and I love that. We have that connection through a candle. We have that connection through smelly things. You know Smelly things? Yes, I think of you know of all the senses. I think smell is extremely important, because how many times have we smelled something that reminds us of Christmas? As a child, you know that doll or oh, I got these in my stocking every year.

Speaker 2: 7:02

It helps unlock a memory.

Speaker 1: 7:03

It does, it really really does, and so, especially with our kids, those scents are always going to be them. And yeah, I mean I could just no, no, we want to hear this.

Speaker 2: 7:21

We want to hear this side of business owners and their businesses that they have. We want to get to know the person. What I want to know now is how do you come up with the names Like, how did the kids get involved? Tell me more.

Speaker 1: 7:33

You know, it's just, you ever smell something and you just think of you just associate it with things.

Speaker 2: 7:40

Something in memory.

Speaker 1: 7:41

I remember doing a weird thing in school and it was like a social studies class, which is so bizarre to me. But I remember doing this one quiz and it was like when you see the word orange, what tree do you think of? You know, if you see this, what color do you think of? And I don't know why, but that always stuck with me. And so when I smell a fragrance, when I purchase that fragrance oil and I close my eyes, I start to think of colors, I start to think of fun names. There was an inside joke with my very best friend, somebody I've known since I was three years old. Girls talk the way they talk, and one day we were at the Dulles Town Center Mall parking lot and she had one of those air fresheners from a candle store and of course it looked like the jar.

Speaker 2: 8:45

Yes.

Speaker 1: 8:46

And it was actually down around her gear shift that she had it and it was called Harvest and she was joking around. She grabbed my head and pushed it down and smelled my harvest. Oh man, so I had a candle and I named it Smell my Harvest. When my husband and I got married, it was the hottest day in July and our colors were orange with yellow and green and everything was like orange cream with raspberry and coconut, and July wedding was a can. Actually this is it July wedding. So it's orange cream sickle blended with orchid Yummy, and so that was our wedding, july wedding.

Speaker 1: 9:33

So some of the oil names honestly aren't all that creative. If we like an oil without making it a signature blend, blending other oils to make it smell different Just off of the name of the oil, we might either just stick with that or go off on that. So, like silver birch, it's silver birch and vetiver, but we just have silver birch. The vineyard stroll signature blend that we have. It's very grapey with musk and it smells a lot like another name brand called vineyard stroll. I'm going to make it a little bit different, but when we're blending things I'll just be like this was my favorite fragrance from this place. I think I just accidentally created it, but I can't call it that. No, you can't. I'm not going to do that. This is mine.

Speaker 2: 10:31

You did yours. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1: 10:34

But of course, some of them. This one soft petal, this one was designed by our oldest daughter, alexandria, so she decided she wanted it to be purple. It's just yeah. I mean, bananica was after our daughter Danica. Her favorite color is actually green. Her twin sister, her favorite color is yellow. But Bananica we had to.

Speaker 1: 10:59

Yes, I can't picture any other color. No, it has to be a bright yellow. So it's just what you feel, what you see in your mind, and I'll just toss it out to everybody in the house and be like what do you think? And if somebody else says, well, you know, no, I really see this color, I'll take it into consideration. I am not the end all to be all for what we decide in, although I know I can be, and that is a realization that didn't come to me until the last year when I really started to take the reins on this. I don't need permission.

Speaker 2: 11:35

No, you don't.

Speaker 1: 11:36

I don't need anybody to say yes or no. This is mine. Call the shots, girl. I do, but it takes a while for you to realize that you're just smack dab in the middle and then you're like oh, so I've got this.

Speaker 2: 11:53

For any business owners who are listening to that and they don't know how to take the reins, what advice would you give them, Like, how did you get to this? What sources did you use, you know, for the not so fun parts? That's not creative. What do you use Me too? Books, coaches, anything, honestly.

Speaker 1: 12:12

For me. It was a lot of luck that I had a support system. I have a husband that's like do whatever you think is best on me, I trust you. I have friends who just are so excited for that next new fragrance and can I come by and smell them and you know they give me their feedback and if I did not have the support system that I do now, I don't think I could. I have a friend that feeds me in whatever need I have in that moment. I have that one friend that is all about motivating me. You know, I might not tell her my deepest, darkest secrets, but she is there in a heartbeat for me when it comes to okay, let's put yourself out there and do this and do that and I can connect you with this. You know, I've got that one friend that I can go to when I'm feeling anxious and they will keep me calm, you know. And then my husband, who is my absolute best friend, who knows all the secrets and everything, and he's not religious and not is just the biggest boulder of a rock that I could ever have imagined. And for the first time in my life I feel cherished. And when you feel cherished I can do these things, and if I can't, I'm not losing these people.

Speaker 1: 13:47

I've got this to fall back on. It's not going to be the end of the world. It's just a candle company. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel. I honestly don't want to take on a Yankee candle. I don't want to really get so big that I'm hiring employees. I just want to do this to feed my soul, and if it brightens other people's homes, all the better, and that's what I focus on.

Speaker 1: 14:14

So I'll jump in and I'll try to watch the webinars and I'll try to understand. You know how to make the front page of my website pop and you know I'll try to do all of those things to get eyes on it. But if I find myself feeling too stressed, too anxious, I'll be like I can table this. This is fixable. I don't need it done now, because I'm going to do this for as long as I want to do it for and when I don't want to do it anymore, I don't have to. And if I, as long as I keep that on my mind, I don't allow myself to get too crazy. So it does help to have a huge support system, not to say that you can't just do it on your own. But if you do need that support system, you need to reach out, you need to find your tribe. I don't think you can do much in this world without a good tribe. I agree.

Speaker 1: 15:16

And I am so grateful, I'm so lucky, I'm extremely lucky. I don't know how I got the friends that I've got, I don't know how I got the husband that I have, and I don't know who raised my kids you girl but they are all just so amazing and strong and I could not be more proud of my family and the friends that I have and, yeah, if it weren't for them, I don't think I'd be sitting here, even having a conversation about it.

Speaker 2: 15:49

I'm so glad that you are, I'm so glad that you have them. Yeah, absolutely I do. And now can you tell me about your husband, jim, and about his book? I know he does a little writing. He does a little writing, yeah.

Speaker 1: 16:01

So Jim is an author. His non-diplume is J Denison Reed, I guess, pen name. He has written a few books. One in particular is a series. It's the Cliffords War series. The first one was the Bluegrass Battleground and then after that was the War Within, but it's Clifford's war. Sorry, I'm blanking right now. So he's become an author and that's his Clearly.

Speaker 1: 16:37

That is his side gig. Right now. I don't like to say the word hustle. It's his passion and he's always got these characters on the mind. I mean, we've developed these characters together, we dabble in each other's little projects and these characters become people to us, to the readers, yeah, and so he has the series. He does a lot of book signings. I think he's actually going to be in Fairfax Barnes Noble this Saturday.

Speaker 2: 17:15

You heard it here for the first time.

Speaker 1: 17:18

Yes, and he has his own website. He's actually connected. Reason the Valley's website is connected with his. We support each other giving out little tiny bookmarks with all of his works on it. Through Reason the Valley, he will actually buy my candles and bulk. We do wholesale for other people that gift clients like photographers, realtors. So he actually buys my stuff in bulk and if somebody buys both books in the series so far, he gives them a candle Perfect Book and a candle. Yeah, and that's actually the end goal is to have a brick and mortar in some small town that is a candle bookshop.

Speaker 2: 18:03

That's awesome. I hope it's close by and even though I'll drive there, I'll go see, I'm going to visit you. Sweet Love it.

Speaker 1: 18:10

Love it. Yeah, so that is the dream, and we'd like to be able to have a place where we can do. I don't know if you're familiar with the Blend coffee bar in Broadlands.

Speaker 2: 18:20

Sounds familiar, but I don't know. I don't know that I am.

Speaker 1: 18:23

They since, I think, 2014,. We were there for the very first German Christmas market, but they have a patio and they will have big time vendor events that are always so successful, so big. And I have to give a big shout out to Blend, because if it wasn't for our neighbors who originally owned Blend saying, hey, why don't you sell Ries in the Valley here, I don't know where we would have gotten our start. So we would like to do that. We would like to have our own store of what we want to do and then have that space with up and coming small businesses that's so good Can have a table and Signing Exactly, and, yeah, blend will also do.

Speaker 1: 19:10

They call them adult books, book signings, book fares, book fares, yeah. So you can go in, get a glass of wine and then come back out to the patio and the actual authors are there selling their books to talk about it, to sign them, and they'll have a jewelry maker or a candle maker there, and we will be, you know, because you can't have a book fair without the odds and ends.

Speaker 2: 19:35

No, I totally know.

Speaker 1: 19:36

You remember the ones that we had in school. You were buying posters and books, Erasers, little things or little pins, sparkly stuff. So that's what the candles and the jewelry are for. Where are the extras Exactly? But you actually have the authors there to do that. So, yeah, he's actually working on we're working on three books simultaneously right now.

Speaker 2: 19:57

Y'all are busy, we are.

Speaker 1: 20:00

So there's two books in the series and he's doing a prequel to the very first one, working on the third in the series, and then we decided that we were going to do little novellas based off of the ensemble group of characters in the original, and he's asked me to take on writing for the character Sarah. That's awesome. So, yeah, when I'm not doing this, I'm trying to come over here and I'm trying to pound out a little novella.

Speaker 1: 20:33

But I realized that when I first started, it was mostly dialogue and I thought I probably should have been a comedy writer, a script writer. I can see that for you, because that's how, when I said that, he went oh my god, yeah See, but so I had to back off of that and go all right, there's got to be actual descriptions and paragraphs and oh okay.

Speaker 1: 20:55

So what's really funny is we have an office now. It used to be a homework room for our kids. Each corner had a desk and it was on the main floor and that's where our kids would have their study homework time Because we're around on the main floor if you need help and no electronics are allowed.

Speaker 1: 21:13

On the top floor, anyway, where there are bedrooms, you can't have electronics, so you can't go up to your room to do it. You got to study here. Well, now we don't need it. The 16 and a half year old barely gets any homework anyway, and he prefers to sit at the kitchen island when he needs to do anything. So we cleared it out and we made it our office, and so we both have identical desks and they're the L-shaped gray desks, and in between we have a murderboard. A what?

Speaker 2: 21:44

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 21:44

Excuse me, dryer race, dryer race. I jokingly call it the murderboard. Oh, like what? Sorry, no, you're going to go to our house and call the murderboard. I watched this detective show and every time they would bring it out, they would call it the murderboard.

Speaker 1: 21:58

Oh, with all like the they would.

Speaker 1: 21:59

You know, yeah, write everything and the suspects pictures on it and everything.

Speaker 1: 22:04

So on one side it's him doing his timeline for the books and the characters and the plot lining, and on the other side is me going OK, by this date I need to make a full batch of this and this, and so if I don't write everything down and plot it out on that board, I won't know what I'm supposed to do that day. I will be completely oblivious. And then, because of the two week curing that soy candles need, I have to jot down what I made and what date I can put them out on the website. And so I've got it in three or four different places what one batch is going through, and they don't get erased off the board until they are on the site, ready to go, two weeks later. And so my board looks crazy and I do shorthand with it. I've got my own little system and numbers and letters and you won't be able to decipher it and I remember my son one day looking at it going I don't understand any of this. It's cool because I do, and that's all that matters.

Speaker 2: 23:11

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know.

Speaker 1: 23:13

any candle competitor breaks into my house, they're not going to know what I'm going to do, so yeah, maybe I'll ever be in your favor. So yeah, we do everything simultaneously to satisfy our creative juices Juices exactly. And so that's what our, you know, we've got the vinyls that we're collecting, the record player, we've got the headphones, we've got the bookshelves, and then we've got our desks, and his desk is cluttered and he's got the old banker's lamp that looks so nice. And then I'm open and you know pretty little teal lamp and really cute oranges and pinks and all the colors.

Speaker 2: 23:59

It's divided by the murder board. You can tell them You're like this is moms, this is dads, yep.

Speaker 1: 24:04

Absolutely, absolutely, and it's become my favorite room, besides the kitchen, obviously. I'm making it, but it can be the little factory, candle factory it is my little candle factory and then I go into my office and it's really nice.

Speaker 2: 24:16

Now, if you could describe your beautiful family business in three words, what would those three words?

Speaker 1: 24:21

be. Take a second if you need. Oh, I'm going to need several. Let's say three words Safe, fragrant, colorful. I love that.

Speaker 2: 24:42

Yeah, I love that. And do you have a favorite sense of yours? That's your just like. This is my absolute favorite. I recommend it. You need to get this right now. You're missing out.

Speaker 1: 24:52

Honestly, I think it would be easier to pick a favorite child, oh my gosh. But I would say right now, because it changes right, it totally does. I don't have a favorite one of anything. I can't have a favorite band, a favorite song, a favorite color. So right now, I think my favorite would be Sweater Weather, sweater Weather.

Speaker 2: 25:16

Yes, I'm thinking it's more fall or cold, it's definitely fall.

Speaker 1: 25:23

It's like a smoky fireplace with toasted marshmallows. So it's sweet and smoky Fireplace, honestly, was one that we used to have and it was one of my absolute favorites. But sometimes with luxury candles, your cold throw. Cold throw is what you smell when you open up the candle. So in the store that's what you're getting is a cold throw. With luxury candles, sometimes your cold throw isn't as deep as what the hot throw is. And hot throw, obviously, when you light the candle or you put that melted and you turn it on. So, like Vineyard Stroll when I mentioned that, you open it up, you think grape soda, dime a tap, that's grape. Okay, I love it, not bad. No, but it's grape Soon. As you light that, then you smell the patchouli and the musk that blend in with that grape and you Like a top note. All that, because that's what a luxury candle is. It is layers, layers upon layers, and as it starts to is that chemical combustion starts. There's the science, it is coming out and all of those fragrant molecules are going out in the air and they're blending together along with the air that's already there and that's when you get it.

Speaker 1: 26:48

We had one that was lemon, pound cake and all you could smell was the butter. So it's not like buttered popcorn. Yum, but right, not offensive, but not lemon pound cake. So it didn't sell. But when you lit it it smelled like a bakery. It's a hint of lemon and it was wonderful. Oh, some of my candles. Honestly, I think I should rename disappointment because no Swear, we like cookie donis. That one was named after our daughter Denise.

Speaker 1: 27:18

I put that in our wax melder one day, completely forgot about it, woke up the next morning and, as I'm coming down, I'm like did my husband wake up and start baking cookies? So okay, yay, they do smell like freshly baked cookies Actual things, yeah, but there were no cookies waiting for me in the kitchen and that was disappointing. That's a sad story actually.

Speaker 2: 27:41

It really is.

Speaker 1: 27:41

I'm heartbroken just bringing that back up the trauma.

Speaker 2: 27:44

It is.

Speaker 1: 27:46

Oh, but yeah, like we've had some that, I think there was a it was Bananaka actually that a coworker of my husband had and he had left to go to the store and when he came back he thought his wife had baked banana bread.

Speaker 2: 28:02

Sorry to disappoint. I see that. I see why you wanna put this disappointment. I should put a disclaimer on some of these. Warning may trick people that you're actually baking or cooking something.

Speaker 1: 28:13

Yes, you can still stay on your diet and at least smell these things, but yeah, so yeah, I lost the thread.

Speaker 2: 28:25

No, you're good, we got cutting. That we can do, we're good, that's great. And now do you have any advice for anybody out there who wants to start a business but doesn't even know where to begin?

Speaker 1: 28:37

Oh, well, it really does start with the what and then the why. So I never would have thought to make candles if it weren't for my husband saying, hey, let's do it. So if you are finding that you have just an inkling, what would it be like to make acrylic coasters? You know we watch those reels. You know you're seeing those things and you're caught. You will follow it to the end of that reel. You want to see that in product and then you go.

Speaker 1: 29:13

I wonder if I can do this. Try, try it all. You know you don't have to spend a lot of money to figure it out. You can do what we did we, just we didn't have a lot of money to begin with. Go to your local craft store and or hit up Amazon, whatever, and try it out. Find some people who are doing it.

Speaker 1: 29:36

There are a lot of people in this area that are willing to share their experiences in the same field. You will have some that will be very safeguarded. No, this is my thing. I don't want to tell you anything, and that's fine too.

Speaker 1: 29:50

But reach out to the local people that are into something that you might want to learn or learn more of, and if you find that it is something that really brings you joy. I mean, I wake up in the morning when I have to make a batch of candles and I don't go. I have to make candles. I wake up and go, I get to make candles. When it stops feeling like I get to do anything, that's when you need to reevaluate. So when you find that thing that makes you happy, because nobody wants to get into a business doing something that they're not really into. You wouldn't be a photographer, you wouldn't have jumped into that unless you truly felt joy looking in that view lens and when I put on that apron and I put on my headphones and I've got all the pots out and the oils from upstairs. Sitting on my island watch out.

Speaker 2: 30:49

You better watch out.

Speaker 1: 30:50

I am in my zone. So when you find that, then you will find the people that you need to talk to. Even if you start finding people, on.

Speaker 1: 30:59

Instagram. You know they're not local. Reach out, somebody will talk to you and then you just take it from there. Ask about events. You know Blend is always doing something for local artisans. There are other places around here always doing something for local artisans. Lost Rhino, I think, will do things for you as well. Get in on that. Watch how others do things. You know. Be careful, don't copy.

Speaker 1: 31:31

No don't copy. No, you know, just get an idea, get a feel for it and then make it your own Exactly and don't be afraid to. That was the thing I had to get. It was a hurl. I didn't know I had to jump until that one moment of I don't need to ask for anybody's permission. And once you realize that, yeah, and I've mentioned it before, I am an extreme introvert, I once I'm comfortable, yeah, I'm good, but I Thanks for being comfortable. You've made it very comfortable, thank you.

Speaker 1: 32:07

You're welcome, but it does not take much. Really, I'm not big on social media. I mean, I'm on social media but I'm more of a scroller and oh right, I need to post that, I need to do this, I need to do that. And I also found that if I follow people that do what I do, it also gives me anxiety, because I either feel like I'm not doing something that I should be doing or I'm doing something wrong, or you start comparing yourself.

Speaker 1: 32:45

And it truly is the thief of joy. That's not just a saying, no, it's not. You experience that, and so I don't follow other chandlers, except for one local one. But they do so much more than candles and they are just so nice and we actually support each other when we see each other. So they're the only other candle maker that I will follow, but I barely look at their stuff, I'm just scrolling for entertainment purposes. I did a whole bunch of reels instructional, educational reels on them.

Speaker 2: 33:23

I was gonna ask you yeah, what do you do with social media?

Speaker 1: 33:25

I did do a whole bunch of those and in order to get used to doing those, I did a bunch of funny lip syncing reels. First, on my personal account.

Speaker 2: 33:35

Okay, I love that.

Speaker 1: 33:36

That's awesome. I ended up getting a following because I did it on Instagram and then they went to Facebook and, for some reason, on Facebook, I did it publicly on Facebook. That's why I do know why, for some reason, you know, I got a following.

Speaker 2: 33:51

It's always the most random stuff.

Speaker 1: 33:53

It's so, so random. But then once I got comfortable in front of the camera enough to do my educational, then I stopped doing those and I joked with my husband. I said I think I'm starving my followers.

Speaker 1: 34:04

You are, because they really like those fun things, but that's not why, you know, that's not the thing and I could easily get lost in those. Plus, I needed the house completely to myself because I look like an absolute idiot doing those reels, cause you know you start to say something, you go no, no, delete. Yeah, you get five, six, seven, eight hundred times and I didn't want any of my kids coming down going what is wrong with you, you know? Or the cat's meowing because it's snack time and you're just like, oh my God.

Speaker 2: 34:31

Go away, mommy's doing something Yay.

Speaker 1: 34:32

Spencer, you still have that. But so yeah, I did. I have done a bunch of informational, educational reels and I actually got a customer off of those. I love that Somebody in Indiana. They reached out and they were like okay, I definitely want to, just because of what you're saying and wow, I think that's something you should tap into a little bit more.

Speaker 2: 35:00

I know you need that. I could only go so far. No, I feel like you have, I would watch you online. You're like funny and I feel like you say, like you say what you need to say and thanks for saying I'm funny. That's like the best moment that I'm going to follow you after this. Thank you, I'm on studio.

Speaker 1: 35:20

Very cool.

Speaker 2: 35:20

Thank you, yeah, you're welcome. And then can you show me some of these candles here for the camera, for our viewers to see, all right?

Speaker 1: 35:25

So right now, our most popular one all year round is Silver Birch, and it is. I tried to make it silver, but it's great it looks a little bit, it's a light gray and then you got your wooden wick. The frosting, you see, happens sometimes. It just depends on how warm I get the jar. I can tell each batch what I've done, so each batch is very personal to me. If you'd like to smell, it.

Speaker 2: 35:55

I would love to smell it.

Speaker 1: 35:56

Yes, please, and that has a black lid because it's not a signature blend. Our signature blends are yellow and they'll say signature blend. This is good to know, yeah, yeah, so the signature blends are when we take two, three different oils and we will blend them together, we will find a different ratio for them and then we go with that, and so that is our personal proprietary Wow Fragrance. Yeah, so this one is just straight out of the jar that we purchased and we loved it enough. We were like, yeah, we don't want to alter this in any way, shape or form. It smells very luxurious, isn't it? Yeah, very just wow. Yeah, we had one realtor give all of his clients Christmas gifts one year and he picked five fragrances and the Silver Birch was one of them, and a few of his clients actually reached out. Oh, my goodness that they are now customers and that they are going to tell him that he needs to do this every year, every year, we want to.

Speaker 1: 36:59

And all of the people that did get in touch with us. I mean, I think it was 156 clients that we sent. That was a good year that we sent Christmas gifts to the ones that did get in touch with us. They all got the Silver Birch.

Speaker 2: 37:15

Oh, my God yeah.

Speaker 1: 37:17

So, yeah, thank you, silver Birch, we tapped into a gold, a gold mine. It's silver, but it's a gold mine, and that one was, yeah, that year was a good year for us. We had the table just filled with boxes for single candles and bags, because a lot of them were locals and so we would just drop those off for them, but the others, yeah.

Speaker 2: 37:40

And then tell me about these little guys, so wax melts.

Speaker 1: 37:43

I'll show the Sweet William. This one was named after my youngest Will Wax melts. You have complete control over the fragrance If you have a wax melter. They either plug them in or they will melt something with a tea light. Personally, I prefer the electric ones, because if you want a flameless option, go flameless, completely flameless, no tea light, so they open up. You can smell that one too, if you'd like. Thank you, very, very simple. Oh, this smells so good. Right, cherry, it's like there is a hint of cherry in it. Yeah, I did bring my recipe book, if you asked it.

Speaker 2: 38:23

You're like, let me look. Yes correct.

Speaker 1: 38:25

I have to take my recipe book with me everywhere when we're selling.

Speaker 2: 38:28

Go to the camera.

Speaker 1: 38:29

Because, oh, I've got it over. But the wax melts you can break off. There's six little squares, so you break off one. If you want, you can let it just run out until there's no more fragrance left. Some of them it's after a full day. Some of them last even three days themselves. You want to add more, toss in more. You want to put one of these and one of another one, so you guys have complete control. I love control Over your fragrances. Yeah, with the wax melts.

Speaker 1: 39:09

So that's the beauty of a wax melt versus a candle. A candle is a candle. Yeah, you know, it's beauty in its own simplicity. And obviously you have to treat it right and it'll treat you right. And the wax melts you don't really have to think much of, but you have more control over what you're smelling. Candles like any relationship. It really is and I know it sounds funny, but it's like any relationship you have with a partner, a kid or a pet. You neglect it, you treat it wrong. It'll leave you, it'll resent you, it'll bite you, it'll burn your house down.

Speaker 2: 39:45

Oh, we want to treat it so nicely.

Speaker 1: 39:49

Yeah, so when we do sell a candle, we make sure to give you instructions. You need to understand what an initial burn is and you need to understand how to trim your wick. And if you don't trim your wick, you'll have an uphill battle to get it back to good.

Speaker 2: 40:07

How often do you have to cut those after each blowout Before Before?

Speaker 1: 40:11

you light. Yeah, you want to let the wick completely cool, I've been doing it wrong. It'll char up, and then, before you light it, you cut it Anywhere between a quarter to an eighth of an inch. You trim it, you get rid of anything that's going to flake off. You can see a little bit of piece of wood when, I first trimmed it, you just take it all out.

Speaker 1: 40:36

That way there's no debris, and then you light it. And the great thing with a wooden wick is, if you light the corner, you watch the flame walk across the wick the weirdest thing and it brings me so much joy. Every little thing about these brings me joy.

Speaker 2: 40:53

I see that I'm seeing that. No, no, no, that's amazing.

Speaker 1: 40:58

Yeah, this is when I say it's my passion. It truly is, from the walk across. No, I love that, yeah, and you must treat it well. So after you blow it out, leave it alone, that initial burn, you need to let it go at least an hour, or until you see the wax pool on all of the sides, and then you're free to blow it out. Never go past four hours with any burn.

Speaker 1: 41:27

You don't want it to go too too far, At least with a soy. I know this wax. I can tell you about this wax. I don't know anything about. I know enough about paraffin that I don't want to use it. I don't know enough about beeswax or coconut wax or any of the other vegetable waxes, but I can't imagine that they're too far different from soy. The biggest issue I've ever seen is if somebody is allergic to soy unfortunately, let's not go there Exactly.

Speaker 1: 42:01

Unfortunately, I'd have to go through a whole process to find another wax in order to appease that. Yeah, if you're allergic to soy, I am sorry. We've gone through the wax debacle of 2018. That was when the wax we had and we were in love with and it did everything that it was supposed to do was no longer available. Darn it. Yeah, apparently, on the other side of the factory, they did food and the FDA came down and said well, I know this part doesn't have anything to do with this part, but because you're in the same building, unfortunately, they can't Like any other small business. When something that big happens, they don't survive. And so the wax company that did that wax that we loved so much, they went under. They tried and it failed, so we had to mad scientist it all over again. I think I spent three months doing nothing but finding another wax that I was comfortable with.

Speaker 1: 43:04

That was as close to the wax we originally had to do again and in all of the candle blogs that I jumped in on just for that, I would say about 20% of the candle companies went under because of the wax issue. They could not. You pivoted, you found your way. We pivoted Again. I had the support system to do it.

Speaker 1: 43:28

Sounds like that's crucial here, so crucial, so crucial I cannot stress it enough. So, yeah, we lovingly call it the wax debacle of 2018. And since then, yeah, we found a new wax. It will have its issues, but, like anything, I have found ways around that. And I also had a friend You're more prepared now. Huh, I am. I'm way more prepared. And I had a friend, who's from Italy, who came over one day and said I was talking about the frosting and sometimes the tops. No, that one's way too smooth. Sometimes the tops will look poked or weird, not smooth, and I was telling her how it was driving me crazy and I wasn't quite sure how to fix it. And she said that tells me it's handmade. There you go. That tells me it's good.

Speaker 2: 44:22

You're like I want this gone. You're like no, no, no oh.

Speaker 1: 44:25

So I learned to embrace the imperfections. Good, you know, just like we have to with ourselves, exactly, embrace the imperfections. And I think, once I embrace the imperfections, that's when the love affair really, really took off. Because I really loved it for everything that it was.

Speaker 2: 44:39

They're all unique, one of a kind.

Speaker 1: 44:41

They are and, like I said, I can tell you what batches, what I did in that batch, based off of how it looks. And, yeah, I'm very close to my candle.

Speaker 2: 44:52

No, I love that. Excuse me, I'm like choking. Oh sorry, no, you're good Choked her up guys. Yes.

Speaker 1: 45:00

Sorry.

Speaker 2: 45:03

I love that because I feel like a lot of people search like maybe sometimes their whole life, to find that passion. But it sounds like you found yours. I stumbled on it and I loved that for you.

Speaker 1: 45:11

I wasn't searching, it just came to you, fell in your lap. It really really did, you know, from the guy that's brought me everything and I owe him for my life.

Speaker 2: 45:22

I'm sure he feels the same way too about you.

Speaker 1: 45:24

Yeah, you'd have to ask him I can't answer for him.

Speaker 2: 45:26

I'll have him come in next time.

Speaker 1: 45:27

No, I will give him your information. He can come in and talk about his books. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 45:32

And then, oh my brain, OK, we'll edit this part out. Wow sorry, no, you take a time. Yeah, yeah, let's drink some water. Water break. You're actually the first guest that I've done that with, because I always like to know Keep it going. Now I feel comfortable with you too, like I hope you feel that too.

Speaker 1: 46:07

Yeah, I was so nervous because I never know, you know, and I listened to some of them and a lot of them are like into philanthropy and giving and this and the other I'm like I'm just a candle company and I started to go this isn't for me. No, but that's what we do. And if I didn't grab this appointment and I booked it out because we got this on a cancellation If I had done something booked out, that just gave me more time to find all the reasons why I shouldn't, that's what I do. I'm glad you can, but I know I do it, you know. So it's like, okay, let's 180 this, yes. And so I was like I can do this. And I was like I like to get dressed up because I don't do it very often. I like to put makeup on because I don't do it very often. So I was just looking at each step and I just passed it off. The way I heard some of the podcasts, I'm just like no, I'm going to be my own. Yes, I'm going to do this.

Speaker 2: 47:05

And this is my variety. We wanted to resonate with other people. We don't want just one type of person. So I'm glad that you came onto the show and shared your wisdom and your personality and like this yeah, kind of out there.

Speaker 2: 47:16

No, no, I love that. Thank you More of that, please. Oh, I appreciate it, you're welcome. And then I guess, just to wrap it up, what is something that you would like to share with the world? It could be in relation to candles, it can be in relation to just anything, life in general, anything, oh, gosh, oh to be authentically you and sometimes it takes a while to figure out who you are.

Speaker 1: 47:43

I mean, I'm up there, I'm looking down the barrel of 50 at some point, you know, in the next year.

Speaker 2: 47:49

You look great.

Speaker 1: 47:51

Thanks and I'm just starting to figure out who I really am. I was in survival mode for most of my life and since meeting Jim and raising our children together, feeling cherished, having the support system, and it clears everything out. It clears the garbage, that smog that was hanging over you. So, whatever your struggles, whatever your battles, whatever your traumas, once you've acknowledged them and you're working on them, don't forget to look for you, find who you are. And you know, I realized that. You know. You said I was funny. That is probably the biggest compliment somebody can give me. I don't care how I look, I don't care about anything else, but if I make you smile and I make you laugh and I give you something to chuckle at, that is what I love and I realize that's who I am, I'm the funny one.

Speaker 1: 49:10

I love that and I've embraced it, so it helps me come out of my shell a little bit, because I always expect somebody to reject me because that's what it's all I'd ever known and now I realize I'm lovable. Heck, yeah, I am kind. You know I am funny and I have these people in my orbit that are great people for a reason. This is who I am. Okay, I can do this now, and so anything that comes along, whether it's tackling the website or coming onto a podcast that I've never done before I mean it's really nice to say to my support group, hey, I'm thinking of doing this, and all I get back in that echo chamber is, oh, you've got this, go for it.

Speaker 2: 50:17

Oh, I love that they support you in that way.

Speaker 1: 50:20

Yeah, yeah. And you know I call my parents. They live in Colorado and I'll tell them. And they'll tell them, babe, that's great, that's wonderful. And when your dad tells you he's proud of you, you know, from several states away and you're filling him in on the things that you've been doing I'm living a good life. I don't need to do anything more than what I'm doing right now. I have finally found happy and I just need to hold on to it. Yes, so be authentically you and find your happy and when you do stay there, Be happy. Don't leave it. You can still grow, but if you find yourself getting a little too into your head, a little too far, just back it up Back it up, you're good, you don't have to go.

Speaker 1: 51:14

Oh well, I screwed this up and it's over, it's over. And that was my mindset for the longest time as a young adult. It was like, oh well, can't do that. No, no, you, can you take a breath? You calm down?

Speaker 1: 51:27

you look to your support group, you reassess and you go okay, so what did I learn? Okay, so this I personally can't do. Jim, can you do this? You know, hey, can somebody else do this? And if not, well, is this important? Yeah, so you, just, you have to take it all in small chunks.

Speaker 1: 51:51

Don't try to do everything all at once. You will become overwhelmed and then you'll give up. And yet, time and time again, I was my own worst enemy, I still am. I will still put roadblocks in my own way, but I don't realize I'm doing it until I have that moment of clarity. And you have to allow yourself to have that moment of clarity. You can't just go, nope, put your head down, keep working, keep working, keep working. It doesn't always work that way. It could work for somebody else, but not everybody's path is the same. No, it's not. And once you realize that, okay, a, b and C worked for those people, but A, b and C is not working for me, and you find out, oh, it's J, j works for me. I never would have gone, I would have stopped at A, maybe B. But yeah, run the gambit and stay true. The second you lose any part of yourself, it's over. That is you just? You just got to stay who you are. And now I'm rambling.

Speaker 2: 52:57

No, that was amazing. Thank you so much. And then, where can people find these candles? Let us know the website, the Instagram.

Speaker 1: 53:03

So, yeah, website is wwwreadsandthevalleycom. You can find us on Instagram. It's reads underscore in the underscore valley. It's on the website too. I saw it's all on the website too. Yeah, where you find us on one place, you will be able to find us on Instagram and Facebook. Try doing TikTok. It made me want to throw my phone. I am extremely Gen X, and it was some one of the things where it's like I can totally do this. I can't do this. I believe in you. So I have found that Instagram and Facebook were fine. But, yeah, we're. We also have a tab on our website that shows all the events that we're going to be at throughout the year, and I'm updating that constantly. So, yeah, I have to sit down and do that on the website.

Speaker 1: 53:58

But yeah.

Speaker 2: 54:00

Perfect Well, thank you so much for coming in. It was a pleasure.

Speaker 1: 54:02

Yeah, it was a blast actually. Thank you so much, you're welcome. It was a lot of fun, thank you.