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

Dierdre, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

The name of my company is F.L.Y. Girl Candles. Coming up with “THE” name of your company is important and I knew I wanted it to have meaning. During my time leading up to creating candles I was on a self love journey. I started to journal, make time for things I love and being intentional with my time. When I had created my candles the first thing I had to do was brainstorm. I can’t remember all the names that I came up with but I knew self love had to be in it. “F.L.Y.” stands for “First Love Yourself”. The “Girl”, I always say hey girl, what’s up girl. So that’s how F.L.Y. Girl Candles came to life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

My name is Dierdre Barnes, hometown Mt. Sterling, KY. I graduated from the University of Louisville and stayed in Louisville. I am a mom of 2 amazing kiddos. I got into candles by a good friend of mine that kept telling me to check out candle making. After buying my candle kit, enjoying the whole candle making process, I gave them to my friends. They loved them, saying they smell up their rooms/homes and I should sell them. That’s when I dove in and started researching so I could create and design my own brand.

What sets FLY Girl Candles apart, 100% soy based, eco-friendly, sustainable, each candle is named after self-love, they have gold window lids so that you can see the dried flowers/herbs. What I am most proud of is when my friends tell me they received my candle as a gift and the gratification when someone tells me how they love the candles. I also give candle tips such as make sure you are trimming your candle wicks so you get a nice clean burn the next time you light your candle.

Candles are a great way to set a vibe in your space. My clients love lighting their candles when they relax/de-stress after a long day. I love getting feedback from my clients on what scents they love so I can make sure I take time to give them what they want.

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

My best source of new clientele has been signing up for markets, festivals and boutiques. When I first started I made sure I was booked every weekend. I found a lot of these events on Facebook, then through word of mouth from the networking. I also have a QR Code that is easily scanned so they can follow my social media. I make sure to post what events I will be attending. I have also grown a presence in local boutiques. Between these it’s helping get the FLY Girl Candles in some great spaces.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Starting a business isn’t for the weak. This is something I really wanted. When I first started to figure out my candle and the design, the smell was not hitting with every candle I made. Having orders coming in and me trying to see where I went wrong I could have said forget it. I chose to fight through this, so here I go researching online and retesting candle wicks and blends. The funny thing is from this issue, I was able to learn about candles, the different wick sizes, wax blends, why they tunnel and much more. So just know I did not start out perfectly. I worked through the imperfections until i got it right.

Currently you can find FLY Girl Candles locally in 10 stores, 3 stores out of town and I am able to give back to non-profit organizations, honest quarterly candle classes with Black Soil Ky located in Lexington, KY. I am so grateful that I pushed through the obstacles.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.flygirlcandles.com
• Instagram: flygirlcandles
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flygirlcandles

Image Credits
The Social Society, Best Dad Media, Beautiful Bedlamstudios, Nunnphoto