We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Catherine Arruda a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Catherine, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

With hindsight, it’s easy to say that I wish I had started my business sooner. I launched Aster Candle in 2016 at a time when I was feeling pretty low and unfulfilled creatively. I had always considered myself a creative person and was struggling to find a position in which I felt like I could really contribute and thrive. I had previously earned an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a graduate degree in Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design. I applied to a handful of positions and sought out countless creative opportunities that didn’t seem to come to fruition. It was hard not to attach my self-worth to these outcomes. Launching a handmade candle business was ultimately a chance to create these opportunities for myself. Throughout the process, specifically as a sole proprietor, I had to take on many of the roles that I had been looking for in an employer: graphic designer, marketer, photographer, social media content creator, manufacturer, and e-commerce specialist. I share all this to say that cliche expressions like “start before you’re ready” and “there’s never a perfect time” have proven to be true. While starting my business sooner would have meant gaining this experience and learning these lessons a little bit earlier in life, I’m grateful all the same. If you feel passionate about something, you should start no matter the scale!

Catherine, 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?

As a millennial, I spent most of my twenties with my eyes glued to popular fashion and DIY blogs. Long before the age of influencers and brand sponsorships, these were just other creatives who were looking to share their outfits, hobbies, and projects with an online audience. It was fun and inspirational, and I tried my hand at many of the tutorials that were shared: jewelry making, digital collage, and (regrettably) covering some of my furniture in snakeskin-patterned duct tape. Live and learn.

One of the projects I tried that I felt compelled to continue was candle making. Blending fragrances and melting and pouring the wax felt therapeutic. (Maybe because I had no choice but to put down my phone.)

After months of testing and handing out candles to family members, I searched for opportunities to sell my finished products. I launched Aster Candle in the summer of 2016 at my local flea market. The brand name was inspired by my birth month flower, aster, whose name is derived from the Latin “astrum” meaning star. This was a perfect fit for the astrological line I had been dreaming up. I scrambled to finalize a small collection and printed some labels on my home printer. I told myself that if there were interest outside of the gracious friends and family members who showed up to buy melted candles in the August heat, then I would keep going.

My goal with the brand is to create high-quality candles at an accessible price point. It’s a treat to connect with customers who say that a specific fragrance reminds them of an important person in their life or evokes a special memory. It’s a joy knowing that people choose my candles to enhance their everyday spaces.

Aster candles are produced with 100% soy wax from domestically grown soybeans, so they’re vegan, renewable, and burn cleaner than candles made with more conventional ingredients such as paraffin. We also utilize lead-free, cotton-core wicks and a blend of essential and premium, phthalate-free fragrance oils. Once cleaned, our glass tins and vessels can be recycled, along with the corrugated cardboard and kraft paper in our shipping boxes.

I’m most proud of the fact that I have created a brand that has reached both retail and wholesale customers across the United States and Canada. After eight years, I’ve established relationships with vendors, distributors, and shop owners who have given me a platform to share my creativity. I’ve also met dozens of fellow small business owners who truly embody the spirit of “community over competition.”

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Self-doubt is something I struggle with and have had to overcome many times in an effort to expand my business. My friend and I joke that the self-doubt express is free, and that the train is always running. Once you hop on, it’s hard to get off. In seeking out creative positions or opportunities through other employers, I realized that what I was actually seeking was external validation. A title granted by someone other than myself must mean that I do in fact, possess the creative abilities I want to be recognized for.

I am actively trying to push through the fear of putting myself out there. I’m working on confidently introducing myself as a creative, small business owner who wears many hats.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

Retail customers can shop Aster Candle on our own website that’s powered by Shopify. Wholesale customers can shop through online platforms like Faire and Bulletin.

There are many factors to consider when deciding on a sales platform. What was most important to me, was that Aster Candle not get lost in a sea of other products on the Internet. I wanted to be able to curate the customer experience, which is easier to control on your own website than it might be on platforms like Amazon or Etsy. I also find Shopify to be very intuitive and user-friendly. Its built-in templates allow me to focus on things like copywriting and product photography rather than web development, which is outside of my wheelhouse.

Wholesale platforms like Faire and Bulletin, provide an alternative to participating in trade shows. They allow me to reach new customers without investing much money up front. While I reside and manufacture my products in Rhode Island, these wholesale platforms have enabled me to get my products on shelves as far away as Miami, Tucson, and British Columbia.

I appreciate that so many neighborhood shops have turned to online wholesale platforms to source merchandise for their stores. My favorite part about traveling is often visiting local business districts and shopping for unique goods. It is such a thrill that someone might go home with an Aster Candle to commemorate their own trip.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.astercandle.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astercandle
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astercandle
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-arruda-11924543/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/astercandle/

Image Credits
Brittanny Taylor