We recently connected with Diane Pintar and have shared our conversation below.

Diane, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Thank you for this opportunity! Before I began Feisty Mouse I was exclusively teaching yoga locally. Pre-pandemic I routinely would give each student a neck rub during Savasana at the end of practice. I had been using a lotion I had bought from a major retailer but noticed it was causing my hands to dry out from over use (it had a high alcohol content in it to help it absorb quicker). I realized that I didn’t want to be doing the same to my students’ necks, so I decided to make my own lotion instead. I created an orange, cinnamon & clove coconut lotion mix that my students all raved about! They loved it so much that they began asking if I’d sell it to them, so I did.

Once Covid hit, I had a few students reach out and ask me to deliver some lotion to them, and one mentioned she wished it was a candle because she’d love for her home to smell like it as well. That got my creative wheels turning and I told her, “Let me work on it!” I’d never made a candle before but I am pretty crafty so I didn’t think it would be impossible to do. After some trial and error, I managed to create a beeswax & organic coconut oil candle that smelled exactly like the lotion! Once my other students heard I was making the candles, they began ordering them as well, and even requesting different scents.

I knew it was a good business option because people weren’t able to go out to stores but still wanted quality items for themselves and for gifts. I offered free, contactless local delivery as a way to also get myself and my kids out of the house.

Diane, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a mom of two great boys so I’ve always tried to have a career that allows me the flexibility to be home with them as much as possible, teaching yoga had been a great solution to that. Covid caused the small studio I was managing to close, so I had time on my hands that allowed me the opportunity to tap into my creative side while utilizing my skills to add to our family’s income. I’ve always been creative (I have a minor degree in art from Central Michigan University), but had surprisingly never made a candle before. After some trial and error, I was confident enough to begin selling to my students and other local friends and neighbors. After a while, friends and family from out of state began requesting custom candles as well, so I added shipping options too. Now I not only sell locally but have shipped internationally and also have a few premade items available for purchase at Inspire Yoga! I offer free local delivery on Saturdays within the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and my awesome husband (my only “employee” as he jokingly calls himself) is my trusty companion/driver on all of my deliveries.

Including custom created beeswax candles, I also offer a variety of bath bombs, bath salts, coconut lotions, and essential oils rollers. I strive to use the cleanest and most natural ingredients I can find in all of my products. Beeswax is my wax of choice because it is a cleaner burning wax and ships better because it doesn’t melt as easily as soy or paraffin wax. Since beeswax itself doesn’t hold scent well, I also use organic coconut oil for the essential oils, or clean fragrance oils, to combine with. This process creates a candle that is not overwhelming in scent so those who are sensitive to aromas can also enjoy them, and they burn longer as well. I enjoy adding dried flowers, crystals, sprinkles, and other embellishments to the top of my candles to add that extra bit of whimsy and uniqueness. I try to create one of a kind candles that are exactly what my customers want, so I tend to keep a limited pre-made selection of candles on hand; this allows customers to get exactly what they are wanting rather than settling on a scent just because they like a particular container. And for those who feel uneasy about having an open flame in their home due to small children or pets being around, I also offer wax melts which can be used in an array of wax melting pots for flame free enjoyment!

My bath bombs and bath salts are made with all natural ingredients and are safe for even my youngest customers (and I sometimes add in fun surprises like erasers or dinosaurs for those customers to enjoy!) with food grade coloring and sprinkles and ingredients.

Feisty mouse lotions are created with an all natural coconut lotion base and scented with essential oils. They are custom mixed to be exactly what customers want.

My oil rollers are created primarily with apricot seed oil as the carrier oil because it tends to be the least allergy concern oil and the most unscented so the essential oils aren’t overwhelmed by its natural aroma. Customers can request almond or coconut oil though instead if they choose. Oil rollers can be used as a replacement for perfume, or are also a great option to use as an all natural bug repellent depending on the essential oils scent chosen.

During the holidays I like to add in extras with my customers orders, for example at Christmas time when mug candles were purchased, I added in Ghiradelli hot cocoa packets, or coffee beans with each order. For Mother’s Day I included packets of wildflower seeds to help increase the bee population (more bees means more wax being created too!). And you can always anticipate some little extra in each and every order I deliver or send because who doesn’t love surprises?

I think what sets Feisty Mouse apart from other candle businesses are the quality of ingredients we use, and the ability to custom choose the scent of your products, along with the container it comes in. My products haven’t been sitting around on a shelf somewhere waiting for someone to buy them, they are created especially for the customer. If you can dream it, I strive to create it! I rarely purchase my containers in bulk (with the exception of a few tin options), and instead shop at local antique shops, and stores to find unique containers to create candles in, resulting in one of a kind creations. I also strive to encourage sustainability and repurposing, so customers are offered a 10% discount on all refill orders in containers they already own, or those purchased from me! And if they chose to not recycle them into a new candle, all containers can be cleaned and repurposed in other ways such as pencil or makeup brush holders, or as your new favorite coffee mug!

How did you build your audience on social media?

I began by creating a Facebook page for my business featuring photos of my products. Then I linked it to an Instagram profile. Since the majority of my products are all custom orders, I make sure to post pictures of the vessels I have on hand, the quantity in stock, as well as the price on each photo. I also try to feature different items specifically for the various holidays (teacup candles for Mother’s Day, holiday mugs for each season/holiday, etc).

I joined as many local moms pages on Facebook as were relevant. Most pages offer you the opportunity to promote your small business once a month -it varies from page to page- for some it’s weekly, some only if an admin requests suggestions for businesses, so be sure to know their rules before posting or you can get kicked out of the group!

I also encourage customers to post photos of their candles on their own social media and tag me. This helps spread awareness of the business to their friends and family who you may not reach otherwise.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I’d say the best source of new clients has been word of mouth from happy customers, as well as partnering with other local businesses. I’m proud to partner with other local women owned business and support them in any way I can. I have had local realtors, travel agents, and dentists purchase candles to give out to their loyal customers as thank you gifts and holiday gifts.

Charity is important to me so I donate gift packs and candles as often as possible also to charity events and local raffles. It gets the business name out there and creates good will within the community.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: feisty_mouse_products
• Facebook: @feistymouseproducts