Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Beres.

Hi Jonathan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When the covid pandemic started, I was laid off from my job at the Pittsburgh airport. After just a few weeks, I was going crazy from being stuck inside with nothing to do. I started playing around with making my own candles. As I played around with it, I started doing more and more research and quickly realized how horrible some candles are for our health. I found out that so many so called “luxury” candle companies used toxic waxes, chemical filled fragrance oils and lead infused wicks; all of which can cause serious health problems. I then set out to develop a candle that was luxurious inside and out; a company that made their candles look luxurious while using luxurious, clean, and healthy materials. I started selling to my family and they quickly encouraged me to start a website to sell them to more people. On my launch day, I sold out in just 2 hours. I quickly realized I had to amp up production. I made another, larger batch and again sold out in under 12 hours. After a few months of non-stop candle making, I decided I needed to work with a manufacturer. We ensured the manufacturer stayed true to our values and formula that made our candles top tier. Our manufacturer hand poured every candle while utilizing our unique coconut wax blend and premium fragrance oils. However, we shortly outgrew that manufacturer. We took a pause for about a year reinvesting and rethinking everything about our business while searching for the right manufacturer for us and our brand. After about a year of searching, we found a great manufacturer to partner with; one that embodied our commitment to clean, non-toxic, vegan candles handmade with care. Since our launch, we have received rave reviews and broke records. We are so excited to continue to grow and reinvest in our company in order to provide our customers with the best candle possible.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Business is never a smooth road. No matter the industry, no matter the product, you are bound to hit obstacles. Our obstacles have been related to managing our strategic growth initiatives while focusing on reduced costs. We are determined to grow our business and become an industry leader in the luxury candle market. However, we realize the need to still mange our costs so we can pass those savings on to our customers while ensuring we remain a profitable business that is able to sustain its growth.

Growth can come with significant expenses. But it is important to grow smart and ensure the expense results in a return on investment. It may be tempting to go buy the cool latest and greatest technology but its is important to analyze the return expected from the investment.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Sabal Collection is a candle company founded on strong core values and beliefs: 1) Do everything with our customers in mind, 2) Ensure every aspect of our company is luxury, inside and out and 3) Remain small, no matter how big we are. What do these mean? Well, we want to do everything with our customers best interest at heart. That means ensuring great customer care policies and ensuring we remain non-toxic, vegan and environmentally friendly to ensure our customers have a healthy, long-lasting, and great smelling fragrance experience. We want to ensure we only use luxury, clean & pure ingredients while avoiding unnecessary additives and toxic preservatives. We want to continue to support small, US based vendors and grow with them. We try our hardest to avoid large corporations and internationally based organizations as our vendors. We believe that these clearly defined values set us apart from other candle companies and provide us a great roadmap forward to growth and success.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
I loved being able to spend time with my parents. We shopped, gardened, went to zoos and amusement parks, and went swimming. No matter what we did, I enjoyed being able to do it with them. Both of my parents have played pivotal roles in my life and have helped me grow to who I am today.

Pricing:

• Votive Candles $15
• Classic Candles $30
• 2 Wicks $50
• All orders over $30 ship free

Contact Info:

• Website: thesabalcollection.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesabalcollection/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesabalcollection/