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

Alright, Jessica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

Prior to owning my own boutique business, I spent 15 years working for large corporate retailers. I experienced exciting highs – working for a jewelry company whose product was the ‘it” thing to have – and terrifying lowes – try starting your retail career in the middle of the Great Recession! Personally and professionally I survived it all, but I can’t say the same for my previous corporate employers. The ability to get the company’s brand messaging to trickle down to their customer wasn’t there. Every company seemed to get lost somewhere along the way making for a muddled brand message and ultimately losing sight of who their customer was. It was thrilling to go to company-wide meetings with several hundred of my peers; all middle managers eager to hear what the next season would bring. Minds were always open to the corporate team’s plans to catapult us into success. After every meeting, we all walked away with the same buzzy energy and feeling of optimism. So much time and effort were spent immersing the field teams in the company culture that the customer became an afterthought as a participant in the brand culture. The messaging stopped with the employees – the internal customers – which made new ad campaigns and marketing efforts confusing for the external customer. What the corporate teams failed to do was immerse the external customer in the brand culture. Lackluster external brand messaging didn’t align with their internal messaging resulting in a disconnect with their core customers.

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

I have always loved to create and dabble and learn new skills. Always being open to new experiences and trying a little of this and a little of that is really what brought me here. I started my higher education in fine arts and ultimately ended up with degrees in fashion merchandising and retail marketing & management from Johnson & Wales University, I even had the opportunity to study at The Paris Fashion Institute in Paris, France. This degree track allowed me to fulfill my creative needs within the structure of a business school and I loved all of it. Post graduation I started what would be a 15-year career in retail management. I always indulged in the creative side; creating floor sets and beautiful displays. I loved the challenge of working with what I had on hand to make something beautiful that shoppers wanted. What I didn’t love was the long hours, mediocre pay, and growing instability of brick-and-mortar retail. I made a drastic career jump post-pandemic which has allowed me to develop my own small business which is 100% my own passion project.

Last year I launched my own brand, Little Lamb Apothecary, which was years in the making by trial and error. I knew I wanted to create and share with everyone I could so I started placing handmade items I was proud of on Etsy. Somewhere along the way, I started making candles. Just as gifts at first; they were well received and I really enjoyed making them. My Etsy shop evolved into a candle brand with what I consider modest success considering the little time I had to focus on it since at this time I was still working for a national retailer. Fast forward through a few big life changes (including a career change) and I was able to immerse myself in the brand I wanted to build.

Little Lamb Apothecary was founded in 2022 out of my home in Sterling, MA. My flagship product is my own handmade soy candles inspired by nostalgic memories from my lifetime that I feel can resonate with anyone, but Little Lamb Apothecary as a brand is about connection. Connection to memories triggered by scent, connection to local artists, connection to your higher self, connection to nature, and most importantly connection to each other. In addition to my own handmade candles, Little Lamb Apothecary provides a platform for local makers who want to showcase their work, only presents products that are sourced ethically and sustainably, products that add value to living, and products that respect our planet.

When I create a new candle I aim to create an emotional experience through scent that triggers nostalgia and pleasant memories. When you light a Little Lamb Apothecary candle you become a traveler in your own mind to that special place. The experience is unique to you and completely yours. The scent Kennebunkport, composed of sea salt, linen, and ozone, personally takes me to pleasant memories of family vacations in Kennebunkport, ME, a coastal resort destination for many New Englanders where we vacationed each summer. Grandpa Joe’s Tomatoes is an homage to my Sicilian Grandfather, Joe, who loved his tomato patch. This scent replicates a tomato plant to perfection, it truly takes you for a walk through a tomato patch! It is a true point of pride for me when a shopper makes a personal connection with a scent and becomes a customer.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

I handmake 100% of the candles at Little Lamb Apothecary. I started from scratch with a 5lb bag of wax, a double boiler, and some scented oil from the local craft store. Rustic and low-tech is how I taught myself. I wanted to make the best product possible so I researched, joined candle-making communities on social platforms, asked questions, and allowed myself to make all the mistakes. I continue to explore, try new methods and products because I’m never done learning. I’m especially proud of how my candles have evolved for the better over time from concept to quality and appearance. I attribute this to giving myself grace with mistakes and learning from them.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients as a handmade artist/maker is getting myself out there in the public sphere. I do as many artisan shows as possible and also make sure to connect with other makers and artists in my travels.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.littlelambapothecary.com
• Instagram: @littlelambsterling
• Facebook: @littlelambsterling
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/littlelambapothecary/

Image Credits
Ian Murray