We were lucky to catch up with Jennifer Stephens recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer, 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?

I worked full time as a graphic designer and was designing lots of packaging for other companies. Although I love doing that, I thought, “How could I incorporate my art work (mixed media collage and painting) into a product packaging design?”

Christmas was coming up so I experimented with making candles as gifts for friends and family and decided here is my chance to add my own touch, so I designed all of my labels using my artwork. The candles were a hit and friends and family kept coming back for more. Once I realized I might be able to make a business out of this, my husband and I started brain storming. We wondered what name would make it stand out from other candle companies, and thought that Artful Scents hinted at my artistic touch.

Jennifer, 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 raised on the island of Maui and create mixed media collage and assemblage art where I reside with my husband and assorted critters. While working as a full-time graphic designer I experimented with making candles as a holiday gift idea. They were a huge success and over time I was able to quit my design job and become a full-time candle maker. My goal with this company is to create a product that incorporates my artwork as well as being an affordable gift that spreads Aloha to the islands and beyond.

I create handcrafted candles, sprays, diffusers, sachets and other scented items using only the finest ingredients, including natural soy wax, essential oils and non-toxic, clean fragrance. All of our products are made right here in our Kihei studio with love and thoughtful attention to detail. Our candle tins are all designed with my artwork on the labels for a fun, unique touch that really sets us apart from other candle companies.

I truly enjoy getting feedback and emails from customers telling me that not only do they love our scents but they bring a little piece of Hawaii to them wherever they may be in the world. During the pandemic, people were unable to visit the islands, so a scented gift from Hawaii brought so much comfort and happiness!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

When we started we attended all the craft fairs and markets in our area. I feel this really put us on the map in our community. We also got to know our customers in person and built great relationships that we still have to this day! We donate a portion of our profits to local organizations and love supporting our local community.

Since we are in Hawaii, a lot of visitors are able to meet and buy from us here in person and they can reorder online from their home states.

We pride ourselves on unique, quality products, fast shipping and great customer service.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Since I started this as a side project, I was able to start slowly and didn’t have to make any large initial investments. Once the company would sell a little I was able to reinvest that right back in. We have been fortunate to be able to be self-funded and haven’t had to take out any loans. Over the years, the business has been able to fund a couple of workshop expansions that have increased our production.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ArtfulScents.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artfulscents
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artfulscents