We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Connie Johnson . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Connie below.

Connie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

Story time: “ Signed on the same day ” My first client actually became my first two clients!

Prior to starting a business you have a vision on what type of customers you want to reach and why and, I was no different. While working on establishing Rooftop Candle Co. I created a list of potential customers that I wanted to work with. My list was (and still is) really long. Once I completed my list I would then do tons of research on my potential customer. I wanted to know their likes, dislikes, habits, needs, and most importantly the best way to contact them. Completing this research helped me to see if this potential customer would truly benefit from my product offerings. 

The first potential client I had on my list was in the hospitality industry. I knew it would be difficult for an emerging business like mine to actually speak to a decision maker so, I decided to try a different approach. After researching I found out that this potential client was social media savvy. They relied on social media and word of mouth as a way of communication so, I reached out to them on Instagram. I introduced myself and my business and requested to set up a formal meeting. They responded back in just a few hours. I was able to set up a meeting with the owners in person and share my business with them. Shortly after we created an amazing partnership that is still going very strong.

My next (“ First Client ”) came from Instagram as well. This was a local business They reached out to me because of my social media presence. The shop owner really loved my post and, how I actively communicated with my customers. (During this time I would post on my social media multiple times a day) and, they wanted to know if I was interested in bringing my products in to potentially sell inside the shop. Of course I agreed — 4 years later and we’re still working together!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I was born into a family of strong entrepreneurs. While growing up in Detroit, Michigan I have always had genuine love for unique scents. My favorites scents could be found in department stores, candle shops, and hotel lobbies. To make a long story short, back in February of 2016, while working for a high end retailer, I grew pretty obsessed with learning about the connection between scent, emotion, and memory. In 2018 after in depth research and development I began to structure and create Rooftop Candle Co from the ground up.

Over the last 4 years my company has done some amazing things. We have officially become a Nationally Certified Minority Business Enterprise through the MMSDC, We have been Featured in Oprah’s “O” Magazine, Recognized as a featured business and small business grant winner with the Detroit Pistons and Ring Central. We have also had the opportunity to work with other same businesses and Fortune 100 companies on custom projects. Our customer base has truly grown and, I am so proud!

What’s NEXT for Rooftop?

Rooftop is growing and going through a huge transformation. I am so excited to be bringing a brand new home and business scenting experience to the brand at the top of 2023. I have planned, trained, researched, and worked with some amazing subject matter experts to bring this vision to life. I promise you do not want to miss this! To learn more visit our website and join our email club to stay updated. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

When creating the framework for Rooftop it was very important to me that we manufactured our own products. This would ensure that I knew exactly what ingredients were being used during product formulation. I’m a researcher by nature so I took countless hours researching where to source the materials that I would need to produce my product offerings (google and trustworthy business owners are a great resource). After locating multiple suppliers I then started to source my raw materials in bulk to keep my cost down. Some of the lessons I’ve learned from research and actually sourcing is that it is okay (In fact I highly recommend) relying on more than one supplier. Having this process in place allows you to be able to stay in production even when a supplier may be out of stock, or when a particular item you need is on back order (which can become a nightmare if you’re not prepared – I learned from experience)

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is to never over promise! There is nothing worse than telling your client that you can do something when you in fact can’t. As business owner I value every customer I have and, I wouldn’t want to lose them because I wasn’t prepared or honest with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rooftopcandles.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/rooftopcandleco
• Facebook: Facebook.com/rooftopcandlecompany

Image Credits
Image credits: Rooftop Candle Co. Photographer & Owner Shelby Gansler of Shelby Tyler Co. www.shelbytyler.com