Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Diamondnia Mack . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Diamondnia, appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?
As I continue to journey through the creative endeavor of entrepreneurship, there is so much wisdom I have gained from the years of building both my candle business and my environmental justice non profit organization. Much of that wisdom stems from hard-learned lessons, and the joy of ingenuity and achievement that I have experienced over the past few years. Reflecting back, there are numerous pieces of advice I would give my younger self regarding building something lasting, profitable, and impactful more quickly.
Firstly, I would advise refining one skill, excelling at it, and then building upon it. As someone with numerous interests and hobbies, it can be challenging to focus all of my creative energy on one thing. However, I have found immense value in dedicating time to mastering just one component of my business, before expanding into others. For instance, in my candle business, mastering one specific type of candle, before diversifying, has been beneficial. Each type of candle has its own unique needs and materials, which impact cost and can have different implications on your margins. Therefore, learning how to create, design and develop one type of candle before moving on to another, has saved me significant upfront costs and allowed me to reinvest that saved capital down the road into other areas of my business.
This principle of focusing on doing one thing well at a time can also apply to time management. Currently I dedicate a set amount of time to focus on each of my commitments, uninterrupted. For example, dedicating two months focusing solely on developing my candle business enables me to accomplish more than if I split focus and also try to work on my non profit, simultaneously. This dedicated time of focus has also saved me so much money from the mistakes I likely would have made, if I were trying to do too many things at once.
The second piece of advice that I would give myself starting out, is to understand the financial side of the business before purchasing anything. This may seem like a no brainer, but I personally got swept up in the excitement of branding, and designing my business, without giving considerations to the costs in the beginning. To maintain a sustainable and enjoyable business, minimizing financial stress is paramount. You do not want to wake up one morning, and realize you poured hundreds or thousands of dollars into a project that will not yield value or profit in the long run. Things will quickly become un-fun and needlessly stressful, when it does not have to be. Understanding the micro and macro markets that you are operating your business in will help you set appropriate margins, prices and budgets with defined boundaries. Additionally, this will help guide decisions regarding branding, and the creative tone of your business.
I believe entrepreneurship is a type of artistic expression, and artists and their creativity need not be bound by the limitations of stress. Understanding your financial capacity affords you the freedom to imagine and create, without the added worry of what happens if you go beyond it before you are ready.
Diamondnia, 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?
Candles have always been such a large part of my self care rituals and spiritual processes. Used as a tool for relaxation, and comfort I have always enjoyed the aesthetic of humility candles have added to my space. As an extension of that love, I began making candles in college 4 years ago, albeit they were not very good, making the business unsustainable. At the time, the name of my candle company was called Oshun Candle Co., as an ode to the Yoruba goddess of femininity, fertility, beauty and love. Fast forward to 2020, 6 months out of undergrad and COVID-19 forced the world to pause, and lockdown. During that time I picked up the hobby again, this time turning it into a sustainable small business. This iteration was known as the Ethereal Candle Collection. I spent the following two years developing Ethereal, producing more than 400 candles for contractual events at conferences, and selling more than 2,000 candles, incense, fragrant sprays and accessories through e-commerce and flea markets. I eventually lost inspiration with the candle making process, due to the predictability and repetition of the types of candles that I was making. So at the end of 2022, I decided to redesign my entire business model. I spent 6 months renaming, rebranding, redeveloping and relaunching what is now the present day version of my candle company: Aromas Fragrance Co. With Aromas I now make all of my candle vessels by hand, using cement. It has been such a fulfilling and creative pursuit to spend 3 weeks turning concrete, into stunning non toxic, luxury candles. My inspiration and motivation has returned like never before, and I have gotten to witness the immense growth within myself, from 2019, to now. I am so proud of myself for continually holding space for myself to pause, explore, stop and begin again, as many times as I needed. I am grateful for the creative and entrepreneurial outlet curating Aromas Fragrance Co this past year has provided.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
One of the aspects of my journey in building and expanding my businesses that fills me with the most pride is how I’ve embraced compassion for myself while prioritizing my mental health. Like many others, I understand the challenges of navigating anxiety and depression while striving to fulfill life’s responsibilities. It’s undoubtedly tough, and these struggles have affected my productivity, motivation, and consistency over the years. However, I take pride in how I’ve created space for myself to ebb and flow. Despite experiencing difficult periods, I’ve consistently chosen to rise again and start anew.
For me, letting go of the pressure to constantly achieve and seeking external validation has been pivotal. Instead, I’ve shifted towards valuing internal pride and fulfillment. This shift has been instrumental in pushing beyond setbacks and embracing a more compassionate approach to both myself and my journey.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
A book I highly recommend for anyone embarking on the journey of entrepreneurship and seeking to integrate it seamlessly into their broader life, goals, and well-being is “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert. One key concept she shares is the idea of allowing your business, hobby, or creative endeavor to evolve organically, without the burden of solely sustaining your livelihood and financial obligations.
Personally, I’ve chosen to maintain a traditional full-time job to support my daily needs and finance my business ventures. This decision has proven invaluable, as it provides me with a stable and consistent income. By separating my business endeavors from the immediate pressure of financial reliance, I’ve preserved the joy and excitement of creativity. This financial stability allows me to explore and develop my business with a sense of freedom and creativity, unencumbered by the stress of it needing to solely provide for my livelihood.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aromasfragranco.com
- Instagram: @Aromasfragranceco