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

Mali, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

We believe in going above and beyond for our customers because we understand that people remember how you make them feel. By including hand-written thank you messages to our customers, facilitating specific customer messages to their recipients, recommending scent combinations, and often sending pictures of the final package before shipping, we not only show attention to detail, we create memorable experiences throughout the gift-giving journey. Personal gestures like these set our small business apart from others, create lasting connections and solidifying new customer relationships.

Mali, 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?

That’s easy – we love candles! But with just a little research, we quickly discovered that the discount store products we were purchasing and burning in our home included potentially toxic chemicals, including lead, paraffins, dyes, formaldehyde, and phthalates. We were determined to create a quality candle that we could feel good about sharing with our friends and family – and eventually, our customers. Guided by a clear vision and clean ingredients, Nori + Mali was born in 2019. Every candle is hand poured and we’ve done the research to ensure that our customers enjoy unique, clean-burning, sustainable candles. In the words of Maya Angelou, “When you know better; do better.” We hope our customers benefit from our labor of love.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

Nori and Mali Candle Co. utilizes Etsy and Shopify platforms for e-commerce sales, as well as local retail establishments to promote our products.

Etsy offers a built-in marketplace with a large customer base, making it easier to reach potential buyers. They’re also a well-known platform for handmade and unique products, which has helped build credibility for our business.

Shopify allows us to have full control over our website design, branding, and customer experience. It also offers a wide range of marketing tools and integrations to help us promote your business.

Retail opportunities at Garage Door Studio (Avondale Estates), Reynolds Pulperia and Makery (Reynoldstown), and Spruill Gallery (Dunwoody) has allowed us build and expand our local audience throughout the Atlanta market.

We value being able to offer customers options for shopping with us, but ultimately, the best platform for new businesses will depend on business goals, budget, and the level of control owners want over their products.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

Receiving an order for 5000 candles to be included in monthly subscription boxes was both exciting and challenging. With the deadline for delivery in less than 7 days and only a small studio and team, the odds were stacked against us. We knew we needed all hands on deck to meet our ambitious goal. This incredible situation taught us a valuable lesson on the power of teamwork. Every member of the team contributed their skills and expertise in wicking, formulating, labeling and packaging in order to meet the goal. Through our support for one another, we were able to not only fulfill the order but also strengthen our bond as a team.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://noriandmalicandleco.etsy.com
• Instagram: noriandmali
• Other: https://noriandmali.com

Image Credits

Nori + Mali Candle Co.