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

Alright, Julia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I was looking for a creative outlet and something to fill my time outside of my full time work. I began researching the best materials and process for pouring candles. I started ordering supplies and testing candles in mason jars. I had friends and coworkers giving me feedback on fragrance combinations I came up with. Truly, it was testing, testing and testing again. I learned the wax, wicks and fragrance combinations that worked for what I wanted to create. Simultaneously, I was shopping for vintage and antique glass for my vessels and began testing with them. Though shopping for the glass is still the most fun part of my business, I am at the mercy of what is available and while there is a lot of glass in our thrift and antique stores, I have maintained a high standard of condition and variety. So, sometimes I leave a store empty handed. Because this was all being done on nights and weekends between work, it took nearly 7 months to perfect my process and product. Once I had all of the back-end business pieces ready, like my website and the ability to legally sell in Texas, I hosted a soft launch in my home with friends and family. Then, a few months later I participated in my first vendor event. I didn’t sell a single candle at that event, but I continued showing up to events and have had great success since. From that point, there was nowhere to go but up!

Julia, 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 am a born and raised Texan, but both sides of my family are from northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania. That area of the country is where most of the famous and successful glass factories of the 19th and 20th centuries were located. Some still operate, but many of them no longer exist. I grew up visiting some of the factories and learning to appreciate the craft of blown, molded and pressed glass. When visiting my grandmother and other family members, it is not uncommon to see Blenko, Fenton or Viking pieces displayed and used around the dinner table. When starting my business, I wanted to give these pieces a new lease on life to reduce waste on a couple of fronts, but I also wanted to bring this glass to people who may have never seen or heard of it before. Because most of the companies no longer exist, it means the pieces are no longer being produced. This makes the hunt for glass exciting and sometimes difficult, but it also means that every sherbet, goblet, spooner, sugar dish, honey box, etc. has a story to tell. I am proud to tell that story for each piece, helping my customers find the perfect one for them. It fills me with joy when a customer connects with the glass and fragrances as much as I do. Sometimes the pattern name is their own and other times the fragrance transports them to a memory they share with a loved one.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Aside from the basics like a transparent website and reliable shipping, I think what has built my reputation in my market is the quality of my product and my ability to tell the story of my pieces. With the help of my mom’s background in retail displays, I put great effort into how my in person booths are displayed, often practicing each one at home before packing everything in the car. Eye catching displays and my attention to detail give my customers the ability to shop freely and easily. My customers can trust that I know the story of my pieces and can guide them through color, decade, fragrance and price to find the perfect candle for them. Because I spent so much time testing my materials, I also take great pride in mixing my own fragrances. I do not purchase the pre-mixed combinations that smell artificial and don’t have a balanced burn. While most of my customers buy a candle for the glass vessel it is in, I believe it is important to provide a quality candle, even if they never burn it. As many businesses can attest, not every person you meet or speak with is going to purchase your product. I always aim to provide the same level of story telling and guidance to every person I speak with. My hope is that at the bare minimum, they enjoyed learning about the pieces and conjuring memories of people and places they love.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

As the owner, maker and sole operator of the small business I run out of the back room in my home, every sale is my favorite sales story! Any time I make a sale from my website from someone I do not know personally, I feel great success because they found me somehow, maybe through social media or word of mouth. At most in person events, my mom works my booth alongside me, talking with customers and packing their purchases. Every single purchase at those events is like a bolt of lightening, boosting my confidence and energizing me for the next one. Each candle sold is a subdued squeal and high five with my mom, just like the small business memes! Some stories that come to mind that mean a lot to me include a teenage girl buying a piece for her grandmother because it and her grandmother share a birth year, a father discretely buying a piece for his daughter (who was right behind him) for their family secret Santa, a few people buying pieces because their name matched the pattern or glass maker’s name, and of course, all of the sales to friends and family who continue to purchase from me for their own collections or to give as gifts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vintageglasscandles.com
• Instagram: @vintageglasscandlesbyjulia
• Facebook: Vintage Glass Candles

Image Credits

fleur de cay photography