We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Toni Porter a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Toni thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I became an official business owner after being laid off from my job. I was also in college at the same time, in need of extra money. The economy wasn’t the greatest and lots of layoffs were occurring across MI. I’ve always burned candles to relax but was having difficulty finding a good brand that actually smelled good.

My god mom started making them as a hobby and I loved them. So, I started selling them at the local hospital that I worked for. When I got laid off, I asked my godmother if she wanted to go into business together. I was pursuing a business management degree from Wayne State University, at that time.

However, she was also already an entrepreneur and wasn’t ready to start another business on a full-time basis. So I asked her if she would teach me, and the rest has been history ever since. Toni’s Collection started in 2012, but I officially had to take the leap of faith on my own in 2013 after being laid off.

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

I wish there was a such thing as an easy path or smooth road on this entrepreneurship journey, but it’s not. One of the biggest challenges I faced, has just been having working capital or finding lenders. As an entrepreneur, funding is limited to small business. You have to seek nontraditional options or exhaust investing your own fund.

I pride myself on offering superior customer service and more eco-friendly products than my competitors. I also believe, my customers to feel the love and sense of pride that is put in each product I make. I spend a lot of time researching my industry to ensure I am providing a great product as well, as maintaining the industry standards.​ I go through various testing phases and creating prototypes, to ensure all products are to industry standards.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I always find myself constantly re-evaluating my business to make sure I’m making the right decisions. However when Covid-19 emerged and the lockdown happened was the moment I had to pivot my business. The global pandemic impacted me due to the lack of product availability, consumers buying behaviors changing, and issues with supply chain. Consumers disposable income reduced drastically during lockdown, as candles aren’t necessarily deemed essential products. Pricing also soared as suppliers were not able to keep inventory in stock.

I started utilizing my social media by going live and offering promotions to get my customers excited. I also created virtual shopping experiences and candle making sessions to be done at home with my Sip & Scents candle making kit.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe what helped build my reputation is my consistency. I have been in business for the last 10 years and you have have an unmatched dedication to your craft. Believe me there are some days where you’re exhausted and you need to take a couple of days off. However, you have to take that time and then get back to work. I believe if I’m not consistent, my customers won’t be consistent with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TonisCollection.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toniscollection/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TonisCollection
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-porter-a3695b56/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonisCollection