Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Abby Johnson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Abby, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Naming Left of Center Candles came to me one morning while having coffee with my partner. I don’t remember what the conversation was, I just remember saying to him “yeah, it’s like a little left of center…” and he instantly blurted back “that should be the name of your company, Left of Center!”. It was simple. It felt very fitting, and as I have thought about its significance, I feel like it stands for many aspects of who I am and what I’ve learned over the years. First of all, I am left handed, and there’s a lot of adjustment that you adhere to on a daily basis as a lefty. Door knobs, seating arrangements at a table, ink on your arm whenever you have to write on a piece of paper, can’t write on a blackboard to save my life, turning the paper at an angle just to write a semi-straight line… Silly things but also lefties learn to see things from a different perspective. But more than that, I am an independent person who has learned to find real balance in my life out of the imbalanced. I have learned to stop aiming for the center of things… stop planning for something to be “perfect” or “a straight line.” My life started really feeling fuller when I stopped focusing on the center and started embracing the edges. Left of Center is that reminder.

Abby, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Growing up craft time was all the time. My mom always had some sort of crafting activity laid out on the dining room table that we would work on together. Keeping myself busy with a hobby has always been centered around some sort of craft. Whether it was making ornaments during the holidays, homemade lotion, scrapbooking and collages, beaded earrings and necklaces, or chocolate chip cookies, my hands are always busy making something. When the pandemic hit I was working for a wine distributor selling wine to restaurants and wine shops. Business quickly plummeted and my days were now wide open with “nothing to do!”. I was going crazy with boredom. I felt this intense amount of guilt for not “working” but at the same time I didn’t feel like I could do anything that wasn’t work related because I was still getting a paycheck from the company I was working for. Eventually, I came to terms with the guilt and decided I needed to do something and the idea of candlemaking came about. I was inspired by my boyfriend’s father who made candles as a hobby. I ordered everything I needed to make a batch of candles and instantly fell in love with it. I had many friends and family who didn’t mind being my guinea pigs testing out the new scents I was constantly making. This was so much fun! I truly fell in love with my new found hobby. I started designing labels and selling my candles to friends and family and before I knew it I went from a ten pound bag of wax to a 45 pound box of wax. This was a huge step for me. I was a little scared to place that first big order with the candle supply company. It was also a great motivator that showed me there might be more to this hobby and craft than I expected.
At the holidays, I started receiving requests from local businesses to create custom labels and candles for their client gifts. This is when everything started to get “real” for me. I was having to learn how to make larger batches, design labels for other people (eek! I don’t have experience in graphic design), and come up with a new pricing strategy. Everyday then and everyday now I am learning and constantly coming up with new ideas. It becomes overwhelming at times to have so many ideas. It can be challenging to stay grounded and remind myself that I am “left of center” and it doesn’t matter what I do as long as I am hanging fun doing it.
My boyfriend started making soaps and chapsticks not too long after I began the candles…it took a little convincing to get him on board. His soaps are beautiful and I really wanted them to be a part of Left of Center. They are slowly being introduced and I couldn’t be happier. We have so much to learn and so much space to grow, this is just the beginning.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I don’t have a boss. The boss is me. There is nobody to answer to, nobody to tell me how to do things, give me deadlines, quotas, or hold me accountable except myself, and nobody to write me a paycheck. Being your own boss is very rewarding and challenging at the same time. I have a full time job aside from my business so time management is extremely important. I feel like everything needs to be perfect but I have no idea what perfect is. This venture has taught me this time and time again. When I make a mistake or things don’t go as I think they should I am the only one who can remedy the situation. There really is no one to turn to. At times, this can be liberating and at other times extremely frustrating. I don’t know what I am doing It’s a constant reminder how important it is to continue to have fun and learn along the way.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Contact Info:

• Website: www.leftofcentercandles.com
• Instagram: leftofcentercandles`
• Facebook: leftofcentercandles