We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Trisha Gantt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Trisha below.
Trisha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
In 2012, I was a working mom, carrying two part-time jobs in order to fit around my son’s activities when a virus attacked my heart, causing permanent damage. I was home for a year, and during that time of recovery from an ICD implant, I began to wish for a paraffin-free candle to enjoy on the back porch. That led to the idea of pulling together all of the elements needed to create a wonderfully scented candle! After many months & timeless hours of exploration and testing of fragrance and essential oils, plus finding the perfect wick and wax, the idea conceived on the porch became a small business in 2015.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I hand pour paraffin-free soy candles using carefully chosen fragrance oils for subtle to richly blended soy candles in containers reminiscent of the classic mason jar. I love a rustic look but we also work with our clients to provide unique and modern containers.
Every candle is hand-poured in small batches with wax made from American-grown soy — a renewable resource — and is blended with premium, skin-safe fragrance and essential oils. Testing the quality and performance of every scent has been key to each candle that I offer. Our loyal customers note that it is sometimes hard to choose because we have a plethora of great smelling candles!
In addition to paraffin free soy wax candles, you can choose every scent in tart melt form to be used with wax warmers. The Room & Linen sprays are made using a blend of natural counteractants and scents to help freshen up and reduce odors.
You should definitely check out the handcrafted by me, incredibly scented shower steamers using natural ingredients and essential oils. What began as a personal need to help with symptoms of a sinus infection has become a highly favored treat for shower time! Make sure to check out the Eucalyptus Menthol Steamers!
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
I feel very humbled by the response my candles have received over the last 10 years. I have been contacted by the majority of the small business owners who carry my products because they were either gifted a candle or found my products in another location and want to support my small business within their own. The community of small businesses in my local area and in the out of state locations have been an amazing support to my being able to make my passion for soy wax candles a full time business. I have also been able to meet many new customers by attending arts and crafts festivals. I love being able to take a moment when I can, to hear someone’s story or reason as to why they pick a particular scent. I also love to share why I have chosen a scent to add to our lists.
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
I originally tried Etsy as an option to sell online. I entered my first brick and morter location under the unbrella of a local, long-standing business, The Shops of Southern Market in Knoxville, Tn at the same time. After that, it was not until 2020, during the pandemic that I finally decided to choose a program to build my online store. Overall, it was an easy process, but in doing everything myself, the challenge to provide product pictures and descriptions is always a little bit of a struggle.
I have definitely felt the demands of being that small business owner who is responsible for more than just one thing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.southernporchscents.com
- Instagram: @southernporchscentscandleco