We recently connected with Laura Lutz and have shared our conversation below.

Laura , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Everyone has a different relationship with the word “success”. For some, it’s how much money is in the bank. For others, it may be the number of followers you have. Humans do a really good job of always moving the needle of success farther and farther out of reach so we spend much of our time in a state of wanting more and feeling unsatisfied with the present. It takes a long time, experience and years lived to understand that success is subjective and unique to every individual. Once I realized that no one truly knows what they’re doing (we’re all here for the first time, after all) and worrying about how we’re perceived is a losing game, I made peace with my idea of success.

When I started my business, my idea of success was to quit my day job and be a full-time entrepreneur. Success to me is the freedom of time. Now I know, running a business is literally a 24/7 occupation but I value my time and the freedom to do with it what I want, even if that includes thinking about my work for the majority of the day. Getting to that goal takes determination, a little bit of delusion (okay, maybe a lot of delusion) and a blind confidence that everything will work out. When you look around at the rich and powerful they don’t seem to lack confidence OR delusion, so getting to a place of success really is just a game of “fake it til you make it.”

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Borough Home started in 2021, after burning a brand-name candle that smelled amazing but performed poorly. The next day I set out to create the best candle I could: one that smelled amazing, out-performed the best candles on the market AND were affordable. Three months later I launched my first core collection of 6 scented candles that I made in my kitchen. I took all the product photos myself and built my own website. My basement was a converted shipping station and storage space, where I hauled 50 pound boxes of wax to my 3 foot work space.

Nearly 4 years in, I have my own studio in Portland where I’ve expanded my product selection to include perfume oils, soaps, body care and in-person fragrance workshops. My absolute joy is sharing my passion with others and crafting my own products by hand. I’ve created custom scents for other business owners, hosted workshops for corporate teams and have been a full-time business owner for 2 years. Scent is such a magical, intangible sense that often gets overlooked. My brand seeks to use fragrance as a tool for joy.

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

I don’t really believe in competition. So many folks that want to start a candle business say that the market is “too saturated”. Well, it’s saturated because people LOVE burning candles. A lot of business owners feel intimidated by doing what they really want – especially women. We fear stepping on other’s toes, encroaching on a market that they don’t feel they belong to and being afraid to be seen as unapologetic and fearless. One of my favorite aspects of doing what I do is building community. Finding the right people is so important! Being a business owner can be very isolating so reaching out is a way to learn and grow from people who understand what you’re going through. I try my best to find people who share my values and share their talent over and over again. Who will mention your name when you’re not in the room? I want to be that person for others.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

My business was 100% self-funded. All of my extra income as a barista went towards supplies, fragrance oils and product testing. I did not have loans, a big chunk of change given to me from relatives–my business was bootstrapped from the start. I was nearly broke many, many times but I knew that my persistence and determination would eventually pay off. Keeping my overhead low allowed me to grow enough until I had the opportunity to rent a small studio space at the exact time I got my first huge wholesale order. The universe has blessed me with impeccable timing – I’ve still never received grants or outside investment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopboroughhome.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boroughhome

Image Credits

Photos by Rachel Surgalski