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

Danielle , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I opened my business in 2020, the same year of the pandemic, not too long after I was furloughed from my corporate job of 11 years. While I ended up being recalled to work and remained there for another 3 years, It was still a creative outlet for me. I never intended to open my business around that time. Pouring candles was something I had done since a young age with my Mom, a former candle maker. She owned a small shop in Virginia Beach when I was in Middle School. I opened my shop because I wanted to make some money on the side, in free time. I figured why not do that and setup at my local farmers market? So in December 2020, that’s what I did. After thinking back, If I had opened Beach Bee any earlier, I don’t know that I would’ve been prepared financially to invest in what I needed to grow my business. I feel that I could’ve struggled more, and maybe become discouraged and not moved forward if that was the case. I feel like I started at the perfect time, a time when I was able to invest more time perfecting my craft.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Danielle, I am 37 and the Mother of 2 beautiful girls, Mya (13) and Riverlee (3 months) I got into the candle industry because I had experience growing up with my Mom who was a candle maker/painter and had the basic idea on how to make them. I felt that candle making was easier to start than something unfamiliar. I opened Beach Bee Candle Company because I wanted to make healthier candle options, and bath + body items, that not only I love but others could enjoy too. I specialize in beeswax + coconut wax candles, that are infused with essential oil blends. My beeswax comes from bee farmers right here in the USA. For those who don’t know, beeswax is found to be an air purifying wax and it’s the main reason I use it for my candles. I also make perfume oils that are proprietary blends of jojoba and grapeseed, and essential oil blends, along with other great bath and body items. I feel that things that set me apart from others is the wax blends I use, my hand made dust covers, my jar buyback/recycling program and aesthetics of my brand. Everything I sell is also handmade or hand poured by me. I’m most proud of the fact that even through uncertain times in the economy, and with inflation and small businesses unfortunately shutting down, that I’ve been able to sustain. I have a wonderful community of customers and even other small businesses that support me, by carrying my products on their shelves and restocking regularly. I pride myself in making premium products that customers can feel good about using.

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

Beach Bee was a side hustle for 4 years, before I took the leap into full-time business in Spring 2024. It was always a goal of mine to work for myself full time one day, and it happened at a time that couldn’t have been better. I was forced to make a decision to leave my 2nd job in March 2024, after a pregnancy scare that prevented me from being able to continue with both jobs moving forward. I gave birth to my youngest daughter in May 2024. I knew I wanted to be able to stay home with her, but also knew that meant taking a huge leap and really trying to find a way to be productive all while raising a newborn. I spent a lot of time growing my wholesale portfolio and offered small batch candles to businesses across the US. This enabled me to work but because it was on a smaller scale, I could manage while also tending to her after birth at home. It wasn’t a heavy load, which was so important starting out. Fast forward to now, and my wholesale portfolio is still growing and we’ve gotten into a great schedule at home where I’m able to work even more. I’ve been able to scale my business by doing even more local pop ups at fellow small business establishments, sharing on social media and from word of mouth. Customer referrals have been huge for me.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I was able to build a following from my regulars at the Shore Drive Farmers Market. They really helped spread the word about my candles. Instagram has also been a huge help when it comes to growing my brand. It’s enabled me to have customers share my stories and posts to reach a larger audience. My best advice is to take great photos, and post often! Also, follow and engage in other businesses posts. Like stories, share posts you like, make yourself more noticeable to others. You have to stand out to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.beachbeeshop.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beachbeecandleco

Image Credits

N/A