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

J Lynn, One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I’m in the candle making industry. Most of my fellow candle makers are making soy jar candles with beautiful and unique vessels and unique fragrances which are premade.

I make pillar candles. I use molds to create unique shapes and designs with my candles.
I use beeswax over soy. Soy is a softer wax and will crack and break easier than beeswax.
I also allow my customers to create their own specialized colors and fragrances. It allows the candle to be exactly what the customer wants and matches special occasions.
No more beautiful candles that you don’t purchase simply because you don’t like the fragrance.
My candles are completely defined by YOU.

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 background and context?

I’m an empty nesting mom who lives with her beloved 9-year-old dog and her partner of 7 years.

I started learning about candles during Covid. I wanted to learn something new that was hands-on. I like to think I’m a creative person, but always struggle with how to start. Candles were a great option as they have molds or jars you are creating within, so I had a starting point.

Once I realized I loved making candles, I started to really dive in to learn about them. I found tutorials online from a company that specializes in candles. I found the Candle Guild and learned from their lessons. And then I did a LOT of trial and error.

One day, I posted one of my candles on social media, and someone asked to buy 4 of them. Then others did. That’s when I realized I had stumbled upon something and went for it.

The way my candles are different? I realized that there is a huge candle market. It seems everyone from small businesses up to the most rich and famous have candle lines, but they are always jar/vessel candles. I wanted to tap into a market that I wasn’t finding, pillar candles.

I’m so proud of my ability to put aside my fear, and actually try to have a small business on candles. In my first year, I made more sales than I had ever dreamed of making. I also am proud of my ability to vend, as I have horrible social anxiety, but then realized that I love the people at these shows.

My pillar candles are great for weddings and theme parties. I can make your candle match color and fragrance of the event. I have a pet line of candles, a home décor line which is great for staging for open houses. I also have an adult line of candles. Those are my best sellers.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn trying to sell to everyone. I have a local mentor and the lesson I’m always told is, I had to truly learn and embrace that not everyone is my customer, and I have to find MY customer. It caused me to step back and choose – do I want to chase every dollar, or do I stand by my beliefs and close a door to a whole group? In the end, I decided that my core values and beliefs were more important than money.

I have had unfollows, and emails about not purchasing from me based on products I have offered for sale. I’ve learned to be ok with that. And truthfully, at this point, I’m proud of that.

The most important product was my trans candles. I offer both a trans male and trans female candle. For me, these are my most precious molds. I have made it a goal to offer a minimum number of these candles to be donated to LGBTQ communities.

We see so much of the male and female bodies. We see them in movies, tv shows, painting, sculptures, and more. There is a whole community that is out there that is NOT represented. It is important for me to use my voice to change that in any way I can.

The first show I had them for sale at, someone stopped at my booth, and while looking at my candles, his eyes got big and said “hey, that’s me!” and then picked up my trans man candle. He proceeded to tear up and tell me how he has never seen himself when at events like that and how much it meant. He told me how important that candle means to him, and how much it means to just be there for others to see. I proceeded to tell him that those candles mean so much to me because HE needs to be seen and that’s my way of ensuring I am helping.

I had to unlearn that money isn’t just the driving force of a small business. Having a small platform to help communities and people be seen is just as important. And if I lose a customer and more, that’s ok with me. What I felt in that moment means more.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I use Etsy. Etsy is a great platform as it’s very well known for hand crafted and unique products. You can steer potential customers to your product that they might not have ever found. People will use Etsy that don’t use social media, and that’s huge. The fees to list there are very reasonable for a maker along with an easy fee renewal process.

The cons with Etsy are the high percentage they take from your sales. I increase my costs on Etsy simply to cover the excess fee percentage Etsy takes. Also, the platform is so flooded that it is hard to be found.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tranquil-iris.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/Tranquil_Iris
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/TranquilIris
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tranquil-iris-llc/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/tranquil_iris
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5m8n5jpz8y_dOvT7MHNOgw

Image Credits
All candles photos are shot by me. The photo of me is by Elizabeth Medsker.