We recently connected with Bree Muenzenmeyer and have shared our conversation below.

Bree, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

I manage everything myself. I can’t say I have it really figured out, but I just create content I want or what I think is funny most of the time and post when I can. I try to find creative ways to be engaging or draw in someone new every day. I can’t say it’s that successful, but it’s me. There are no ads, no gimmicks, no bots. Every reaction or comment comes to me, a real person. In a way it makes me feel more honest and true to myself and my business to not have someone else controlling the narrative of my social media. I want people to truly see when they do business with Til Death Creations, they are supporting a small business woman who does literally 100% of everything involved with making these cheeky candles or wax melts by herself. Whether I succeed or fail, I know it was all me.

Bree, 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’ve always been a pretty creative person and I love to do crafts. One day I decided I really wanted to try making a candle. As I began with a little starter kit I purchased, I realized I really loved the process and made several more candles I gave away to friends. After about a year of making fun creations as a hobby, I started to get more and more requests and people approached me wanting to purchase my candles. It was under the encouragement from my friends, coworkers and family that I decided to go for it and create an official business. That was one of the scariest things I’ve done, putting myself out there and turning a hobby into something real.

I had no idea what I was doing or where to start. I just jumped in with both feet and gave it my all. I’m still growing and learning every day, figuring out the nuisance of owning a small business. I found I had a unique niche where I offered these handpoured natural soy wax candles or wax melts with signature scent combinations, unique designs, and cheeky or naughty names that you really can’t find in a store.

Often times I think the funny names I come up with are what draw the consumers in, but they stay for the scents I offer and the quality they receive. I absolutely love hearing the giggles and seeing the smiles or shocked looks on faces when they browse the creations I offer, reading the names out loud or showing their friends some of the more inappropriate ones followed by an eruption of laughter. It’s absolutely my favorite part of this entire process.

I get asked all the time how I come up with the names or if I am the one that named all my creations, and I can take credit for about 99%. Sometimes I get stuck and I’ll turn to those close to me for suggestions, but these naughty or cheeky titles come naturally to me. I have a dark and depraved sense of humor and the mouth of a sailor with no filter. I get inspiration from funny things I see and just keep a list of dirty or funny things I can spin into a candle name later on. It’s pure fun for me and at the end of the day the greatest release I have is getting lost in my creative process, pouring candles, decorating wax melts, or slapping a hilarious name on the labels.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I think the best source of new clients has been word of mouth. When a customer buys a cheeky candle, they can’t wait to show it off. I see it in person when they immediately pull the candle back out of the bag to show the funny name or make someone smell the amazing fragrance. I’ve also seen it on social media when they snap a pic and post it as soon as they get home to show off their fun purchase.

At vendor markets I get a front row seat to how well word of mouth works when I see a customer drag their loved ones across the market, directly to my booth to show off the hilarious names or a scent they just fell in love with. The best marketing is laughter, it will always draw people in.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

Majority of my sales are in person, particularly at vendor markets. I think that’s largely to do with the fact I’m in the scent business so people want to smell a candle or wax melt to pick the one they like best. Which I totally get, because I am the same way.

When I can’t be found at a market though, I do sell through my website. It helps people from across the nation get their hands on one of my creations. I do have some items listed through Etsy and Tiktok shop, but as my business has continued to grow I have directed most of my sales traffic through my website.

It is difficult at times to help someone pick a scent they would like through an online platform when they don’t get a chance to smell it first. I try to help ease the process as much as I can with scent descriptions and categorizing the scent types. But the challenge and hesitancy is still there. I find it helps when the customer asks for suggestions or allows me to make recommendations based on their preferences. I’m able to help them navigate the 150+ fragrances I offer and narrow down the ones that will fit them best.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.tildeathcreations.com
• Instagram: @til.death.creations
• Other: Tiktok: @til.death.creations