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

Courtney, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I try and keep a hint of sarcasm and wit with my business and life in general. “Don’t sass me” was something I would say jokingly, so it seemed fitting with the route I wanted to take with my candle names. I wanted to create a high quality product with a little bit of personality that you wouldn’t find elsewhere.

Courtney, 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 have been a graphic designer for almost 15 years. I went to college for visual communications and have been working as an in-house designer since. I was always pretty crafty like my mom. I love making things with my hands and thinking about what I can create that isn’t on a screen. Plus, I always wanted to brand something by myself, but I wasn’t sure what that should be, I would go into to stores and smell every candle – and bought way too much. Once I got home and lit them, I didn’t feel like I could smell anything. So that is how the idea of starting this company came to me. If I can’t find a candle that smells up the room, I should make them myself.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Local events! Setting up at local markets and festivals has given me a great group of regular customers. It’s a lot of work and heavy lifting to get all of my candles, tables, tent and setup to each event, but I love it. When I first started my business, I lived in Baltimore, MD. After moving to Charleston, 60% of my current online orders are shipped right back to Baltimore.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I’ve actually went a little back and forth with this. I was an in-house graphic designer in Baltimore, MD when I started Don’t Sass Me Soy. When my husband and I decided to pack up and move to Charleston, SC, I made the dive and rented a studio in Mount Pleasant and went full-time candle-maker. This ended up working in my favor because when I had my son I had the ability to work when I could, and spend my time with him. He was born two weeks before the pandemic lockdown so daycare wouldn’t have been an option. It all came together nicely.

After two years, I missed design. I am now a full-time designer, full-time business owner and full-time mom. It’s a lot all at once, but I enjoy having it this way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dontsassmesoy.com
• Instagram: dontsassmesoy
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/courtmccarth