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

Samika, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I came up with the name “Laundry Day” because one Saturday morning, I had my music playing while separating laundry forming a pile of white and colors. I was organizing and cleaning up. I poured a glass of wine and was dancing to my tunes and I felt the missing piece was a candle. My laundry day candle. So, I named the business “Laundry Day”. Every candle is named after a piece of laundry. They have unique names and scents.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Samika and I am the owner of Laundry Day. I am just a girl from East Cleveland who just had big dreams. Dreams to become someone important. Dreams to be someone great! I always had drive and ambition.

You name it and I probably have done it! My best friend, Denise and I started out at 5 years old making paper windmills and selling .50 cent small cups of lemonade on my grandmother’s porch. We would sell to everyone in the neighborhood. We would make just enough money to buy more product and buy penny candy to eat. Then, I got into doing hair ariund 10 years old and years later started braiding kids hair. At this point I was talented but I knew braiding wasn’t the end all be all. So, I started a drop shipping business called “GR Glam Suppliers”. I had a online drop shipping boutique through Shopify. I really started to understand social media marketing and was too afraid to market myself. So, I closed the store and I started selling “positive vibes” bracelets. Most people didn’t know that selling these bracelets was just a trial. It was to really see if people would even be interested in buying anything I’d sell!
So, after a year, the bracelets wasn’t an interest anymore. I was buying them wholesale and because the bracelets were in high demand and the owner wasn’t producing the amount of bracelets and colors that I needed. I just dropped the business.
However, after a few years something happened. On this particular Saturday morning I was cleaning up and playing music. Saturdays are typically a laundry day. I was separating my laundry forming 2 piles of whites and colors. I would organize, dance and sing. And I thought to myself I am missing a candle. My laundry Day candle. After that I went to You tube to figure out how to make my own candle. I went through a whole year of sampling everything. I completely fell inlove. I love candles. As a teenager I worked for Bath & Body works. I would spend half my checks buying candles and plug ins. I wish I knew sooner how good candles make me feel when I’m making them. It’s so therapeutic and relaxing. The aroma from the candles makes me so happy.

I am proud to say that Laundry Day is a 100% coconut wax blend candle. I use natural wax.

I want my followers and customers to know that love is put into every single candle. It took a while to find out my true passion. And candles is it!

I offer 8oz, 12 oz candles and wick trimmers. I will be adding wax melts and warmers come 2023.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn being afraid. I really don’t know why I was afraid or exactly what I was afraid of. How else would people know who I am and what I sell. Being afraid held me back. Now I am open to new experiences, new opportunities and I am facing fear eye to eye. I am ready, I am confident and I am motivated.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

Yes, I handmake my own product. I simply explored YouTube. I watch videos and jot down many notes. I decided what products I wanted simply by sampling many different products. As I was learning how to make candles, I sampled what products works best for me and my company. I do have a few candle container vendors. I also have wick trimmer vendor as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: shoplaundryday.com
• Instagram: its.laundry.day
• Facebook: Laundry Day
• Yelp: Laundry Day
• Other: Tik Tok: its.laundry.day

Image Credits
James Rollins Jordan Kage