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

Alright, BRANDI thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge to profitability in the candle making business as a small business owner is how to keep costs low while material and shipping costs rise. When costs rise, business owners have to increase prices, and no one wants to do that. I’m a person who loves a deal and a discount, so I’ll usually make bigger materials purchases during sales and deep discounts.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

A friend who is a salon owner asked me to create a product to expand her retail section. We both love and spent tons of money on scented goods, so I looked into creating candles and wax melts. They were a hit! I think there are lots of great candle lines out there and the focus seems to be on luxury candles. Since I love a good deal, I’m really aiming to create an affordable signature line of great smelling candles and then adding a spa and luxury line of products. I think having more than one price point for different customers and occasions sets me apart from other makers. I’m most proud of myself for really studying the craft and staying focused on new candle trends, I’m excited to make new products and collections for customers. A huge part of this industry is also making custom candles for special occasions and events, I’m elated to create custom/personalized favors in the future.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

“Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching”. I try to stay really up to date on the people in the industry that are consistently providing content about the candle industry.
I’ve utilized Facebook groups, YouTube, and e-books to significantly help me to streamline and strategize my business. There’s a wealth of information online that has been so beneficial to my maker journey, but most importantly, learning from failure. Someone has already stumbled, gotten back up again and found their way back on the right path. A deep dive into someone’s success story will reveal the lessons that they’ve learned in failure, and that helps me to be better prepared and stay flexible on my business journey.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I currently feel very resilient at this point in my journey because I am in my flow and purpose. Author and speaker Abraham Hicks theorizes that when you are within the flow of your purpose and life, things will come to you. Ideally, you don’t have to swim upstream against the current, what you need will flow downstream to you. I’m learning this to be absolutely true. As a self-described extroverted introvert, my plan was to sell candles online, sight unseen and become a gazillionaire. But once I stepped out of my comfort zone, the opportunities for new events, networking have been and continue to FLOW in. I’m grateful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.irecandleco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irecandleco/