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

Samantha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success means something different to each of us. For some it’s owning big houses and expensive cars. For me success is knowing my family is taken care of and none of us have a need. Whatever success looks like to any of us, it takes the same things for all of us… a resilient attitude, strong mind and solid foundation to be successful.

Samantha, 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 seven and a two-time cancer survivor. My passion is in women’s health and wellness. I cannot stress enough the importance of taking care of ourselves mentally, spiritually and emotionally. I always say that self-care is more than a trend. It’s how we refill our cups after pouring out to the people in our lives. At some point we have to replenish what we’re putting out otherwise we’ll get burnt out. I started Lady Minor with just candles and from there it has started to grow. I offer products that are free of toxins and chemicals that elevate your self-care routine. I have recently added journals and skin care products all the things that you need to really pamper and take care of yourself.

The thing that I’m most proud of is being a mom and showing my children that if you put your mind to something you really can accomplish it. I’m also proud to be able to show other mothers that it doesn’t matter what you’ve been through in your life or how many kids you have. If you have a dream, you should always go for it. Don’t worry about who’s supporting you and who’s not.

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

We don’t always know what ingredients are in the products we buy so I felt it best to make my own candles. I spent weeks staying up all hours the night after my kids would go to bed, and I watched countless YouTube videos learning how to make candles. Finally, I just started ordering candle making kits from different companies and learning the ins and outs of all the specifics. I had no idea there was a science to candle making. After that It took me months to find suppliers that I really trusted and had quality products that I felt comfortable using. It’s important that I source safe fragrance oils and waxes. It takes a lot of research and a lot of trial and error. The biggest lesson I learned about making my own products is it’s better to buy in bulk and set it aside for later. Not only is it going to cut down on the cost of making your product but it is going to save you a lot of headaches in the long run in case your suppliers ever run out of something you need Which has happened to me more than I’d like to admit.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients for me has been pop-up shops and markets. Online you are at the mercy of customers that are deciding if they want your product or not based off of pictures, and product descriptions. In person they’re able to pick up the candle, hold it and feel how heavy it is because some of my candles are pretty big. The best part of candle shopping is you get to smell them. We all know that scents transport you to different moments in time and invoke special memories. So, I have definitely gained a lot more clients from selling in person. Never underestimate the power of human connection.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ladyminor.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladyminorboutique/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/samjademinor
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/samanthajademinor
• Other: https://www.samanthajademinor.com/ https://www.instagram.com/samanthajademinor/

Image Credits
Head shot: Dark Light Portrait Studios