We caught up with the brilliant and insightful IANTHE MAURO a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, IANTHE thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new venture – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?

I was frustrated with the lack of transparency and safety of conventional candles. So when I decided to start my own candle brand, objects with purpose, I knew it was going to be about the cleanest safest burn, the most glorious and inspiring fragrance blends and beautiful, soul affirming, design.

Once I had my first products ready for market, I somehow expected that people would just know how to find me and them. I didn’t come from a background in entrepreneurship, at least that’s what I told myself. The truth is, I was born entrepreneurial, and I believe everyone reading this with a creative, spark, idea, or Inclination is a natural entrepreneur.

So how did I sell my first candles?

I walked into a store that had a beautiful aesthetic and was near to my home in Pacific Palisades California, struck up a conversation with the owner, letting her know what I had developed and created. I asked her if she would be interested in selling them, and to my pleasant surprise she had a resounding yes! She invited me to come back with my collection and find a home for them on her shelves. She offered to buy them wholesale, instead of doing consignment. Looking back. I’m so grateful she offered to pay cash upfront. If you have a small or emerging business, please do not fall into the trap of thinking it’s valuable to offer consignment. It can truly hurt your cash flow and ability to grow.

In that moment, my company, brand, objects with purpose, felt real for the first time. The candles sold out in her store quickly, and it gave me the confidence to approach other stores, and eventually trade shows, farmers markets, and pop-ups. You’ll never forget your first sale.

IANTHE, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born into an artistic family. My first passion was acting. I was a guest star on “Weird Science”, and an episode of Saturday Night Live in the early 90’s, as well as independent films and theatrical productions.
Always entrepreneurial at heart,
I launched a candle co. objects with purpose TM in 2009.
My candles have appeared in the Oscar Swag bag,
On the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda, Dr. Oz, Let’s Make a Deal and The Price Is Right. I had the honor of creating custom candles and fragrances for other ethical brands and entrepreneurs including Mindy Kaling, Tyler Henry The Hollywood Medium and FOX studios. 
I’ve been called a “creative muse“ because I have an endless source of creative ideas flowing, and I am grateful to share them with anyone who needs inspiration.

I have a visual way of working where I “see “what it is you’re needing for your brand or life. That may sound general and lofty, but I’ll give you an example.

An amazing visionary woman came to me with a dilemma. She has a successful plant based active wear line. After over a decade of intense work, she reached the 1 million in sales mark, but she felt stuck. She had plateaued both professionally and creatively.
What I saw for her was a way to change her one of a kind prints, just in their proportion on the garments. This was the breakthrough she needed!
She took my advice, because it truly resonated with her heart, and started producing pieces that had smaller, more delicate prints.
It infused a new energy into her work and customers bought it all over and over again!

If I can illuminate something in someone’s brand or life, that brings a nurturing, inspirational and lucrative result, I am fulfilled!

It feels like a calling, cultivated through years of experimentation, trusting my intuitive gifts and honoring what resonates as love. Once I started sharing this energy, it grew into a mentoring and guidance practice that goes far beyond making candles and custom fragrances.

I still make candles and scents, and I love being surrounded in light. It’s all related.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

What visionaries do can look like unnecessary and messy risk. Being highly creative means you are open to changing your mind, being influenced by a whim, and inspired in a moment to change course. This can look and feel dangerous. However, if you’re highly creative, you are open to failing, getting it wrong, being surprised and disappointed, because those are just bumps in a gorgeously overgrown, barely visible road that you’re willing to take.
If you have to cross every T and dot every I, find yourself a highly creative risk taker to befriend! We need each other.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

the resource that I’ve found to be the most valuable is having a trusted mentor. I have never learned from books. I probably shouldn’t admit that out loud! The way I learn is from being in someone’s energy. From observing and taking notes that don’t necessarily come from pen and paper. Once you find a mentor, someone who has accomplished what you’re wanting to, what you’re dreaming of doing, and someone who has fallen many times and understands the reality of entrepreneurship, you will not fail!
You’ll stumble, and likely feel like a failure at times, but lean into that wise mentor relationship, and you’ll always recover and grow!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ianthemauro.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianthemauro?igsh=MzBvZnVwODAzMzc5&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ianthe.mauro?
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianthemauro?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app