We were lucky to catch up with Crystal Wheeler recently and have shared our conversation below.

Crystal , appreciate you joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

The best advice that my mother has instilled in me is to always finish what you’ve started. I’ve continuously returned to this piece of advice throughout my life. I come from a musically inclined family and at the age of ten thought learning the piano would be a good way for me to join the family talent pool. I was gravely mistaken and from day one I despised spending my Saturday mornings at piano lessons. I knew that no matter how I protested, quitting wasn’t an option. It taught me valuable lessons in pushing through uncomfortable areas of growth and also the joy of accomplishing goals.

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

I started LOM Candles at the start of the pandemic. I have a personal training business and the pandemic completely halted my training. I pulled my kids from childcare and was now a stay at home mom. In addition to the stress of covid isolation, there was/is political and social unrest and I wanted to find something else to pour my energy into. At the same time, I also felt the need to challenge myself by learning a new skill. I’ve always had a passion for candles and self care products and decided to immerse myself into everything candles making.

What makes LOM Candles special is that we are focused on luxury candles that are toxin free and made with sustainable coconut wax. All of our packaging is recyclable and we encourage our customers to up-cycle or recycle the products after usage.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m actually still in the process of unlearning overworking myself. The pandemic felt like time stood still. It wasn’t until the start of the pandemic that I noticed the extent of overworking that had become my new norm. At one time my schedule consisted of 4-5 hours of sleep per night and working 6 days a week. With the pandemic I was able to spend more time with family and reconnect. In May of 2021 I broke my ankle and had surgery. I was forced to completely stop everything and then overworking was suddenly a non-issue. Since then I have reconstructed my work week and have drastically cut my schedule back, which has aided me in focusing on my family and on business growth.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Since I’ve started my candle business I’ve had to change my candle formulation three times and change candles vessels twice. There have been wax shortages and a glass jar shortages during the duration of the pandemic. I have seen countless small candle businesses shut down due to the shortages and price increase of products. I’m thankful that I’ve been able to pivot by re-formulating and testing. Though it’s been frustrating, I’ve been forced to be flexible and adapt as we all have throughout this challenging time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lomcandles.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lomcandles/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LOMCandles

Image Credits
ChetheShooter