Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Danielle Elizabeth . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Danielle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

Some of the most common trends I’m seeing right now are, crystal infused candles that align with astrology and are energy-charged meant to enhance the candle’s intention or effect. Aromatherapy candles that are blended with essential oils. The use of vegan or vegetable waxes, and candles that are branded to appeal to luxury.

When I started my business, I knew that I wanted to operate in a sustainable & eco-friendly way, despite knowing the cost for soy wax would be more than traditional paraffin waxes or blended waxes. Having being a die hard candle collector since as long as I can remember, I’ve had my share of bad experiences getting candles that gave me headaches every-time I burned them. Until I did research of what a candle consists of, what it emits into the air that I’m inhaling, did I understand that I could immediately take an action that would eliminate that experience from ever happening again.

I understood that consumers have become more conscious of their environmental impact, vegetable wax candles such as soy, palm, and coconut wax, along with beeswax candles are not only popular because it’s trendy. But, the social impact is one that I resonate with as well.

Danielle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Austin based Chandler, Danielle Elizabeth is the creator of Antagonist Candles since 2021, and the driving force behind every aspect of this one woman operation. Antagonist Candles’ goal is to tell the story of the anti-hero in their respective fictional universe. Antagonist, like the name, highlights your favorite “villains” from fictional pop culture (movies, tv, anime, etc,) with scent profiles that are parallel to their character traits. My debut collection for my business was The PowerPuff Girls. This drop received SO much reassurance from my family & friends. This is truly something I feel so proud to have created and the support that came with it was honestly surprising to me.

My candles are typically made in small batches of 5-6 candles per scent at one time in my house. They are then sold online from my website, or in person at artisan vendor events throughout the city. All products are soy based (vegan) and clean burning. Making them household safe for you and your pets.

I want my current and future customers to know that I truly enjoy what I make. Although they might not “see” me post consistently on social media (this has always been a struggle for me) I want them to know that I am always working behind the scenes. Planning the next collection, ideating new characters, new scents, and taking their recommendations seriously. Each comment I’ve received has never gone unrecognized. I appreciate all of the support and feel so thankful that I have made an impact on the people I’ve meet thus far!

I am originally from Rochester, NY and moved to the Austin area in 2021. By day, I excel as a UX designer for a start up tech company. I enjoy the cinema, deep & thought provoking conversations, and frozen mango margaritas after the 9-5 is done.

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

Pivoting is something I think I’ve become a master at as I get older lol. I think one of my less desirable characteristic is that I can be incredibly stubborn. Despite having the awareness that something isn’t working, I will try, try again until it does. Since having a business, I’ve had that way of working challenged more times than I care to share just within a year of being in operation.

One of the most rememberable experiences is how my best sellers came to be. Pivoting to me means being able to listen. Listening is key, and listening to your customers is a golden rule in business. Their likes, dislikes and making products around that was honestly a challenge for me. I felt like as the creator, I knew better and therefore also know whats best in regards to what could be a best selling product.

My end goal was to have a product that would be attractive, and help me archive the monetary goals I had in mind. While in rare occasions has this been true up until this point, it is the the products I made (begrudgingly) are the ones that became my best sellers. And to this day, they and STILL some of my most popular products. I was humbled, to say the least haha. But, I chalk it up to being part of learning process. Learning involves challenging your own pre-conceived notions and pivoting into lanes that are best for you & the business.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

While the obvious answer to this question for some people would be social media, my answer is genuine engagement with customers while participating as a vendor at artisan markets. Word of mouth is the O.G. tactic when growing a loyal customer base. When I launched, I was primarily in the ears of friends and family. And this was great, initially. But, I eventually needed to look at ways to connect with a broader clientele. Showing up in person to artisan local events as a vendor provided the face-time I needed to connect with new prospects, and build a sense of trust with new clientele.

While at the markets, I always give it my best effort to keep the convos with customers grounded and educational. It’s not always about getting “the sale”. I’ve realized some people are genuinely curious about what I have in front of them. Taking each question as it comes is an important part of the process for customers to want to give them your money lol.

Eliminating the physical separation between me & the customer is also a tactic I think has been the most effective over anything I’ve mentioned above. Something as simple as standing next to the customer takes the pressure off (everyone) that I am only pushing a sale, and gives them the opportunity to decide if they actually like what they see. I look at each encounter as a conversation that has no attachments at the end of it. This mentality has been the most healthy for me in maintaining my expectations while running my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: antagonistcandles.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antagonistcandles/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@antagonistcandles?lang=en

Image Credits
Danielle Elizabeth