We recently connected with April De la Fuente and have shared our conversation below.
April, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
Mad House & Co. all stemmed from my candle company Mad Wax Candle Co. I started my candle company in 2019 in the kitchen of our family home. As my business grew, so did my family. We eventually had to convert our garage into a candle studio, that became too small very soon after. With the encouragement of my husband and my amazing customers we opened a small modern gift shop in our small town of Canton, Texas. To be honest, my home is the Mad House. My husband and I have a total of five children, 3 of our own and two we have the pleasure of raising. We are all a little mad at times, but we embrace it.
April, 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?
Becoming a Candle maker and small business owner was something I would have never imagined being when I was growing up. I actually was a dental assistant for six years and taking classes to become an RN when I started candle making as a hobby. I had gifted them at first and was encouraged to make them to sell. I laughed it off and thought nobody would buy my candles. Well, it intrigued me so with a ton of late-night research, and experimenting I was willing to give it a shot. Although my house did smell absolutely amazing there for a few years, we outgrew our space, with five children, and with my candle company the house became way too small. We found the cutest little building on our downtown square right next door to our local bookstore, and I just knew this is it, this is where I am meant to be. We opened our shop Mad House & Co. October of 2021 and have been blessed by the support of the community and the loyal customers that have supported me from when I first poured wax in my kitchen.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Starting a business is extremely stressful, any small business owner would have to agree. But, when I was started my business, I had just given birth to my third child and severely struggled with post-partum depression. Pouring candles and keeping my mind busy with ideas for the business helped me tremendously, it was like my own little meditation time. But figuring cost, ordering, social media, and other business necessities would simply overwhelm me. After reaching out to my doctor and addressing my situation we came to a solution that helped me tremendously. Even though I do not suffer from post-partum any longer I still find pouring my candles as my meditation time. As a mother of five, every candle I pour keeps me from going mad.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Our best source of new clients has been word of mouth from people that have tried our products. When our customers share their orders, or experience on social media.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://madhousegift.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madhousegifts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aprilsmadwax
Image Credits
Photo Credit of Flannel Candle, Brianna Kleinmeier.