We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jillian Walkowiak. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jillian below.
Jillian, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
I have had almost every job experience that you can imagine. I’ve assistant managed a jewelry kiosk, been a server, worked as a flight attendant, worked in the veterinary industry, did collections for a local utility company, was a fraud investigator for a major insurance company… the list goes on. If the job is out there, I’ve probably given it a go! What all of these experiences have taught me is that there is absolutely nothing like being your own boss. I absolutely hated the corporate grind with its micromanagement & lack of respect for folks’ humanity. Now, I get to do things I love on my time & get paid for it! Sure there are challenges. Being the boss means that I’m responsible for everything that goes down, whether an error with an order or mismanaging supply costs; that’s all on me. Additionally, it is super important to set clear boundaries between your personal & work lives, especially if your home is your office. I’ve had a couple of episodes of burnout after particularly busy times. But with each and every struggle, at no point in my continuing journey have I ever seriously wanted to go back to any of the jobs I’ve had before. It is all about making what I have now as successful as can be and I’m thrilled to be doing it!
Jillian, 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 a College Writing lecturer by day, and while I love this job, the pay is abysmal. I needed something to supplement my income that wouldn’t steal my soul. I’m a huge fan of horror and have been for many years. While at a horror con in 2018, I saw a soy candle vendor; lovely candles but no connection to the creepy. My fiance had often suggested that I start making my own candles, more as a way to stem the flow of money I frequently spent on them. That suggestion finally clicked at the con! Why not create a unique, high-quality candle that could take you inside your favorite horror stories? My combined background in & passions for horror, history, film & literature helps me to find my way to olfactory details in each terrifying tale. My first candle was The Cask of Amontillado in which the scents of sherry, oak casks, & earth are pulled right from the Montressor Family Vaults. All of the candles & melts that I create separate themselves from the other amazing candles out there in that they provide an immersive experience whether watching a classic slasher, reading a favorite gothic tale, or just desiring some spooky ambiance.
I’ve created collections based on horror movies & literature, cryptids, as well as other odds and ends; all things that are the stuff any horror fan’s strangely comforting nightmares are made of. I use a proprietary & sustainable coconut-soy-beeswax blend and am committed to keeping my business as earth-friendly as possible. In fact, a portion of my sales goes towards helping to clean up the planet! For my spooky scents, I either create my own phthalate-free blend or curate existing clean blends to my horrific inspiration. The labels are all created by me using open-sourced images or original artwork that represent the stories I am attempting to capture.
I am most proud of two milestones: Poe was my initial horror inspiration and I was over the moon when the preeminent Poe Museum in Richmond, VA reached out to me to request my candles to sell in their online shop. I’m going on almost three years of partnership with them & am still excited every time I pour an order to ship over! Another more recent milestone is that Berkeley Publishing reached out to me to create a custom candle for horror author Grady Hendrix’s release, How to Sell A Haunted House. I got to collaborate with Hendrix on the scent for his spooky story and the candle was involved in a both a giveaway & influencer campaign. It has since become one of my best sellers. Now if Stephen King ever needs a candle… call me!
Additionally, I am a writer and have published movie reviews as well as dark history essays. I am also a mom, partner, animal lover, foodie, & traveler who loves musicals & historic locales.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Like many small business owners that have been working since pre-2019, I definitely had to pivot during the pandemic. My original business model incorporated a lot of markets and events as well as online sales. I initially put a lot more focus on the in-person end and when all of that came to an abrupt halt in the spring of 2019, I really had to learn a lot about social media & online sales. I increased my ad spending and started curating a larger social media presence using brand reps and giveaways. While not all of my campaigns were winners, it miraculously all worked out and I’m very thankful to still have The Smell of Fear thriving in 2023.
Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.
All of my products are currently handmade in a tiny workshop in my home. I had no clue about candlemaking at first and let me tell you, it is a science! I started with just soy wax and was consistently disappointed in the texture and scent throw. When I discovered coconut wax, a whole new world opened up. It is sustainable, long burning, and the scent throw cannot be beaten! It was trial & error initially, as it is a super soft wax which makes for difficult hot weather shipping, and outdoor summertime events are a no-no. It is also extremely difficult to wick. After a couple of liquid-upon-delivery candles as well as a 2,000-wick order that turned out to be 75% duds, I made quite a few trips back to the candle lair for fixes. I’ve since come up with a proprietary wax blend that incorporates the best qualities of coconut, soy, and sustainable beeswax that travels better and even makes some early summer shows possible. Lessons learned are don’t give up and don’t get discouraged! Keep on learning & refining. Take good care of & communicate well with your customers, so in the event that something does go awry, they know that they can still count on you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thesmelloffear.com/
- Instagram: instagram.com/thesmelloffearcandles
- Facebook: facebook.com/thesmelloffear76
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jillian-walkowiak-78473697/
- Twitter: twitter.com/thesmelloffear1