We were lucky to catch up with Jamie Goldberg recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jamie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I think integrity is the most important aspect of how I define success. I need to stand behind every product I make. It has to be something I personally use. It’s very important to me to use clean phthalate-free fragrances, because it’s what I personally prefer to burn in my home. I used to make dessert-scented candles: Think Fudge Brownie and Banana Bread. But I found they made me hungry! Now I only sell candle scents I personally enjoy. Sea Salt & Sunshine is my current favorite!
I also think a commitment to your craft is super important. I did a LOT of testing before launching. I wanted to ensure my products burn cleanly & evenly and have just the right amount of scent. I like to always remain humble and open to learning more!
Jamie, 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?
I’m Jamie Goldberg, owner & candle maker at SweetHollow. I’ve always been crafty and entrepreneurial. As a kid, I made & sold bracelets everywhere I went. As an adult, I’ve been a painter, a coaster maker, and a jewelry maker. One day, my husband suggested I try my hand at candle making, and I quickly fell in love. There was so much to learn! The science behind it, the experimentation, all the ways to be creative. I put a lot of heart into my products, with an extra emphasis on them being safe. I love doing custom candles and working with people to bring a gift idea to life.
The aesthetic for SweetHollow candles is minimalist and clean: I like that my candles work well in any decor. This makes them perfect for gifting. After all, who doesn’t love candles?
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
This may be a controversial opinion, but I don’t want my side hustle to become my career. I LOVE my career as the VP of Content & Operations at Hungry Girl (hungry-girl.com). But I also love having a unique creative outlet that’s different from my every day. There’s no “shame” in working a full-time job to support yourself while working on your side business in your spare time. If I wasn’t busy, I’d be bored!
Any fun sales or marketing stories?
I remember the first time I saw an opportunity to create private-label candles for another business (products with their branding, not mine). I’d never done it, but I wanted to! So I pitched myself and landed a meeting. I researched pricing strategies and began to dive deeper into my graphic design skills. I landed the gig and learned as I went. What started as an order for a couple dozen candles for this company has turned into orders of 3,000+ candles per year! I love learning, and new opportunities like this always challenge me to up my game.
Contact Info:
- Website: sweethollowcandles.com
- Instagram: @sweethollowcandles
- Facebook: @sweethollowcandles
- Other: amazon.com/sweethollow