We were lucky to catch up with Kandice Brock-Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kandice, 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?
First and foremost, I give all glory and honor to God for blessing me to establish my Christian boutique, “My Blessed Nest.” I am a firm believer in acknowledging God in all of my ways according to Proverbs 3:6. As God moved upon my heart to start this business, I was inspired by King Solomon’s wisdom in Proverbs 14:1a which states, “Every wise woman buildeth her house…”
As I sought the Lord about a business name, I pondered the passage of Proverbs 14:1a in my heart. There was a message of personal accountability that spoke to me. I also considered the Proverbs 31 woman who exemplified a wise woman that excelled at building her house. A wise woman knows how to make a house a home. She knows how to edify and build up those around her. The Proverbs 31 woman’s home (her nest) was truly blessed! I desired my business to reflect these specific Bible passages. I also knew that there had to be an aspect of personalization and a sense of ownership for each of our customers as an invitation into this great blessing! Hence the name, “My Blessed Nest!” When you say the name, it’s personal and unique to you! It’s a name that every customer can proclaim and feel a sense of belonging and ownership when they visit our boutique for inspirational items to uplift their homes.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Certainly! My name is Kandice Brock-Smith and I am the founder and CEO of “My Blessed Nest” located in Prince George’s County, Maryland. “My Blessed Nest” is a Christian boutique that offers an array of Bible Study tools and faith-based home décor items. We specialize in handcrafting custom-blended home fragrances such as room sprays, wax melts, and candles that are inspired by God’s Word.
I am truly grateful that God has blessed me with creative vision and the ability to work well with my hands. I love all things pertaining to art! I am fond all forms of arts and crafts including painting, sculpting, and even refurbishing furniture, just to name a few. I enjoy museums, theatrical performances, and musicals. I have played my fair share of instruments including the clarinet, violin, and viola. In addition, I enjoy writing music and poetry. I also consider cooking to be a form of art, which I absolutely love! Ever since I could reach the stove, I have enjoyed cooking as it has allowed me to express my creativity and show love and kindness to others. Last but not least, I am passionate about interior design and home décor! Growing up, I enjoyed watching the Home & Garden Television network (HGTV) with my mother, who would often allow me decorate our home freely. This practice grew into a lifelong passion.
I love being able to turn a house into a home! I believe that everyone deserves to have a clean, safe, and beautiful place to call home, no matter their financial status. The atmosphere we set in our dwelling place has the potential to impact our overall wellbeing. This primarily involves being a good steward over our homes. Before starting “My Blessed Nest,” I assisted the elderly, disabled, and others facing various challenges by cleaning, organizing, and decorating their homes. It continues to bring me great joy to be able to serve in this capacity wherever possible. Initially, I decided that a timeless candle would be a memorable and inspiring gift to leave at each home upon the completion of my work.
For as long as I can remember, I have always adored candles! I enjoy the flickering glow of the flame, the invigorating aromas, and the comforting ambiance. Interestingly enough, my mother did not allow me to light candles in our home growing up. Her primary concern was not merely the potentially hazardous flame, but she was not willing to risk introducing the toxic chemicals that are found in many conventional candles into our home. Little did I know that this once “forbidden” home décor item would later become the start of a new business!
“My Blessed Nest” was birthed from my alone time with God. One day after a noonday prayer session in my home, the Lord placed an idea in my heart to create fragrances inspired by various women of the Bible. I began to capture these ideas in my journal, not knowing what it was for at the time. As I continued to walk by faith, God’s providence truly confirmed His plan. Not only was God preparing me in fasting and prayer for the journey of starting a new business, but He was also preparing me for something that would change my life forever. In 2021, my beloved father, Pastor Robert Brock-Smith, Jr., passed away from pancreatic cancer. Until his dying day, my father embodied a love, strength, and resilience that could only be explained by the grace of God. While heartbroken over the loss of my father, I was comforted in knowing that the life he lived was not in vain. I was inspired to boldly step out on faith and to use every God-given talent to its fullest capacity. Realizing how short life truly is, I remember praying, “Lord, I want to leave empty.” I was encouraged by Ecclesiastes 9:10 which states, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” God ignited a fire in my heart and I was determined not to hold back on the gifts that God placed in my hands.
It also became increasingly important to me to source ingredients that would not be toxic to our health. Knowing that life and death are in God’s hands and there are certain things that are beyond our control, I asked God for the knowledge, understanding and wisdom to be as health-conscious as humanly possibly. By God’s grace, I was able to produce unique, faith-infused candles, wax melts and room sprays with sustainably sourced, custom-blended fragrances that are free from harmful ingredients. “My Blessed Nest” offers a variety of candle collections featuring iconic figures of the Bible, scriptures, and inspirational themes. Each of our fragrances offer an uplifting, sensory experience! Our hope is that our home décor items to help our customers adorn their homes with reflections of the love of Jesus Christ!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
At “My Blessed Nest,” our mission is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, through expressions of home décor. Our faith-inspired décor items are intended to offer a message of hope and encouragement through reflections of the Word of God. It is my sincere desire to be a vessel to be used by God in the way that He sees fit, and my business is a platform that God has given me to do just that. I am very unashamed about my faith in Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life for me! I am just so excited about the love of Jesus that I want to let everyone know that His incredible love is available for all!
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
While social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram are effective methods of communication and engagement, my primary method of keeping in touch with my customers is through my emailing list. I am committed to respecting my clients time. By being intentional and sending emails of value, such as encouraging content through newsletters and exclusive promotions, I am able to build mutual trust and transparency with my customers. I also take the time to speak with customers face to face when possible as doing so builds genuine relationships and helps my customers to feel valued, seen, and heard. I authentically show my customers that I care and that I am here to provide them with exceptional service.
I foster brand loyalty by striving to operate in the spirit of excellence. Colossians 3:23-24 says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” By working as unto the Lord, I am compelled to put forth my very best effort. In doing so, my customers also receive the best from me, which encourages their loyalty to my business. I also seek ways to delight my customers and put a smile on their face with every order they receive, such as including encouraging notes and surprise gifts with their orders. Lastly, I invite my customers to be active participants in my business journey by engaging them in fun voting activities, giveaways, and question & answer (Q&A) activities. Engaging my customers on this level causes them to feel invested in the brand. This sense of ownership and loyalty to the brand is fortified through the realization of the business name, “My Blessed Nest!” In my experience, customers are loyal when they are shown genuine love, respect, and care. Sharing the love of Jesus Christ allows me to show genuine concern for each of my customers!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://myblessednest.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/myblessednest247?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551936846182&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@myblessednest247?_t=8hRAU74NpkI&_r=1