Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carmen Allen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Carmen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I was inspired to craft custom jars when I noticed many of the glass jars I used needed recycling. “The EPA estimates that 75% of the American waste stream is recyclable, but we only recycle about 30% of it.” (Do something.org). I thought, “that’s too much waste in our environment”. So, I began re-using the recycled glass to make beautiful custom jars and beeswax candles. I’m inspired by beautiful yet simple things. So, each jar is hand foiled with a unique gold leaf design. It’s a delicate and intricate process that is completely therapeutic. I also make hand poured candles, made from 100% beeswax, plant based oil and pure essential oils.. I source my beeswax from small farms in Massachusetts so they are sustainably sourced and do not contain heavy fragrances or toxins.
Each creation brings me joy!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Carmen Allen. I am an educator who works with students who have disabilities, during the day. When I’m not working or taking care of my family, I craft decorative jars and make handpoured candles. My jars are Upcycled glass that would have otherwise been thrown away-but I use them to make beautiful flowers vases and ethically sourced, toxin free candles. You’ll find my jars are simple yet beautiful and my candles are a healthier alternative to heavy fragranced and chemical filled generic candles. I’m most proud of the quality that goes into my pieces and the joy my brings to my customers. I’m a small one woman business and I work out of my home to make small batches of my jars and candles. Each one of my jars is filled with love. It brings me joy when people comment on how beautiful my work is or they find the perfect scented candle.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I currently sell my products on Etsy. This has been since 2022. I chose Etsy because of the success it saw during the pandemic-which was exponential growth in sales for small businesses. I like many others, was drawn to its previous success. Another great thing about Etsy is that it has a user friendly interface and is easy to maintain if you’re new to the platform. Although it was largely popular in the past few years, Etsy has seen a downward trend in sales since the pandemic. This has resulted in many stagnant sales. This is something I’m working through and hope to build my own website to bring in clientele and sales.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building my audience on social media is still a work in progress for me, but it’s something I think takes time to develop. First I made a decision on my platform of choice-where I really enjoyed engaging and where I’d spend most of my time. For that reason, Instagram became my first choice. I love the simplicity and visual appeal of the platform. I think you can also operate on multiple platforms but ideally you’ll have one that you spend the most time on (I’m also on Facebook and Tik Tok). When I started Carmen’s Custom Jars, I had another account that was for for sharing empowerment. So many of my followers started from there. Slowly, I built up the rest of my following over a years work of time-through connecting with other candle makers, sharing and liking posts. I think one of the most important things when thinking about your social media presence is that there is room for everyone so connecting with others in your category is valuable because others can also share your content. Also important, is having patience…it takes time to build an audience organically. Using hashtags, location and topics and help you get closer each time you post. I try not to post just to post, I post when I’m moved to and in a way that feels natural. I feel that this comes off as organic and authentic to my followers.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmenscustomjars?igsh=dzU5OWM1c203c3M3&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084209777217&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Other: https://carmenscustomjars.etsy.com/