We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Schwartz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.

Amanda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Our candles are for the modern romantic! There is beauty and magic in burning a candle; the dichotomy of a crackling wick to the crackle from your favorite record. Another quiet day. Shuffling the deck. Flowers that grow between the cracks of cement and wrap around iron gates. The score from the end credits. Full moons. New rituals. Blackbird is for those that appreciate small batch goods, unique fragrances and handcrafted candlelight.

Amanda, 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?

Hi! I’m Amanda. I live in Rogers Park, the beach town of Chicago, with my two cats, Oliver and Mitzi.

Blackbird was dreamed up in my little kitchen in 2016. I started making candles after experiencing major burnout working full time in retail management. Lighting candles at the end of a long work day became a ritual I looked forward to, and it became even more exciting when I started mixing fragrance oils and curating my first collection of candles. I sold the candles at my mom’s boutique, Raven & Dove. I fantasized about making candles full time but would easily get overwhelmed by the prospect. I could have never imagined the way my life would fall into place just a few years after I started making candles.

I have always considered myself to be ambitious, a self-starter, and an expert improviser. In 2020 I was laid off and thought my life was over—for about an hour. I realized then that I have all the time in the world now (was not aware just how much time that was going to be) and decided then to go into business; I had nothing besides my mind to lose. In the weeks to follow I made candles nonstop. At the time, I was totally devastated. Then I devised a business plan, made short term goals, and spent a LOT of time thinking about who my customer would be, the person that I wanted my goods to speak to. Soon, everything came together. I wanted to create something perfectly unique albeit olfactory; a lingering reminder of a fleeting moment in time, romance, a song that brings you to a specific memory, a story by the sensory. It was also important to me to pay homage to my hometown–Chicago. In my first collection I created a number of scents that were inspired by neighborhoods or places in Chicago, such as Rogers Park, Sheridan Road, and Astor District.

I did anything I could to get my candles out into the world–I utilized social media, delivering candles with the last $10 I had for gas and when that was tapped, I biked around the city. I networked and forged collaborations with local businesses. My partnership with XO Marshmallow opened up so many opportunities; for example, Kat asked if I’d be down to set up a table at a busy corner on Sheridan Road in Rogers Park, right in front of their row of businesses. I set up shop outside that next weekend and I continued to work that corner for two years!

My creativity knows no bounds; I was an English major with a focus in Creative Writing in college. I fell in love with poetry; I loved that I could encapsulate a thought, an emotion or a memory, and move on. I could create a whole body of work utilizing the same themes. I was extraordinarily inspired by poets that could find the duality in seasons and emotions, like Robert Frost, e.e. cummings, and Dorothy Parker. Making collections that are inspired by the gifts of the season brings me so much joy. I love the creative process, from mixing scents to writing its narrative, or the other way around.

There is a lot to be proud of and a lot I have accomplished, but I am most proud of the friendships I have made along the way. I have met so many amazing people through Blackbird, people that went from customers and fellow makers to being some of my dearest friends.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to learn that it was okay to ask for help. In the early days of Blackbird and even in my retail management positions, I felt I had so much to prove and was so desperate to prove my independence and competence, when in reality, I came to find out I could get so much more accomplished when I ask for help.

The first time I had this realization was during my first big ticket market in 2021, Renegade Craft, in Wicker Park. There was a lot at stake, and I opted to do the whole thing all by myself. It was hotter than hell, I dropped and broke candles because I overloaded my cart, I had a line so long people were baking in the sun waiting to purchase, it was not a vibe. As other makers know, takedown in the heat is a miserable experience. Imagine doing it all by yourself—it’s not a good time.

When friends or family offer to help, I greet the help with the utmost gratitude. It’s so nice to have that support, and also, a little less lonely behind the booth.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think I have remained consistent and connected to my brand’s aesthetic, and it’s now something that is expected from my goods. Kat, half of XO Marshmallow and longtime friend of mine, drove home the importance of creating a brand board and sticking to it. My brand board boasts my brands colors, fonts, a link to my rolling Pinterest board of inspiration, and business plan. I have never deviated from it and have added maybe one or two things, but it has stayed true through and through.

I have also been very consistent in my presentation; I want each candle, each package to feel like a warm, intimate hug. Each candle is wax-sealed, and depending on the season, each box comes with a small treat and decorated with vintage stickers from my childhood. I also write a thank you note that I place in each order that also has instructions for how to burn my candles. Candles are a part of the self care process, and it’s important to me that the candle feels special from creation to the last burn.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopblackbirdgoods.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/blackbird.goods
• Other: TikTok: @blackbirdgoods

Image Credits

Taken by yours truly