We recently connected with Marsha Guillory, PhD and have shared our conversation below.
Marsha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
Having been a business owner for over 15yrs prior to launching Guillory Candle Co. one would think returning to a “regular” job would no longer be a consideration, but it still exists. In my experience as an entrepreneur, one of the biggest factors that keeps me from acting on this thought, is my mindset. I’m happy, passionate, and focused on providing products or services that add a little joy(candles) and meet a need (medical billing company). These elements along with ambition, have been the driving force propelling me through the challenges that come with being a business owner. Conquering these obstacles have allowed me to demonstrate a degree of progression and growth that I might not have obtained on a regular job. I’ve achieved a level of accomplishment, contentment, and fulfillment–although it meant working longer hours and taking fewer holidays. Being my own boss gives me a sense of authority over my time and destiny. I can work at my own pace, create my own schedule, and dedicate time to something I am proud of. Candle crafting has also given me the opportunity to showcase my creativity.
Aside from What I do, there’s the versatility of technology that provides options for Where I can do it—eliminating the daily commute and having the leisure of conducting business from anywhere in the world. This is most entrepreneurs’ dream. Finally, there’s the degree of autonomy that being your own boss affords, that working for someone else doesn’t–for example how money is spent and calling the shots on how much you earn.
Speaking of money, this is probably the biggest reason I and most entrepreneurs consider returning to a regular job. Who doesn’t want the comfort of having a consistent and routine paycheck? When business is slow and money is barely meeting the necessities of life, it’s easy to think about throwing in the towel. This is the time to dig in your heels and become laser focused. Self-discipline and determination become your greatest assets. It’s at these junctures of doubt or uncertainty that I realized I would not let the temporary lack of funds, energy or confidence deter me from the long-term goals of unlimited potential.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Marsha Guillory, PhD, CCS-P, CPC, owner of Guillory Candle Co .and a medical billing company that started my entrepreneurial journey over 15yrs ago. I am a Dog Mom and proud aunt to my nephew and niece. I earned my doctorate by the age of twenty-seven from LSU in Sports Medicine and Health Science. Soon after, I began my career as a college professor. After years of teaching coding and working jobs to gain practical experience, I decided to open my own medical billing and coding company. Since I work from home, I wanted to create a relaxing, yet productive environment, so I started buying more candles. After reading the ingredients and doing some research, I found that most big box candles contained harmful chemicals. This brought about the idea to merge my entrepreneurial spirit with the desire to create clean candles. And as they say…. the rest is history!
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
When it came to financing the business, I didn’t want to repay a loan or receive governmental funding. I found it difficult to qualify for some grants and didn’t have viable investors. The last option was to self-fund. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to build and maintain profitable investment accounts. When the decision was made to start Guillory Candle Co., one of those accounts was liquidated. I saw it as an opportunity to re-invest into Myself! It was a risk I was willing to take, and I couldn’t be happier with the returns. I admit, self-funding limited inventory size and the number of different products the business could carry. But I’m not ashamed of humble beginnings. Having a fixed budget, drove the eagerness to see the business succeed and grow organically. On the other hand, self-funding eliminated being indebted, whether through a loan or other receipt of monies. It kept me levelheaded about how/where/what to spend money on. I would highly recommend everyone take advantage of the many funding resources available for new/start-up businesses. I would not change my method of financing the business, because there’s nothing better than being your own ROI (return on investment).
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
Guillory Candle Co. has become more than a “side-hustle” because of customer loyalty and continued requests for our products. After a successful launch, attending many marketplaces, and ongoing support from family and friends, we are seeing a demand that is driving the need to expand. Along with our luxury candles, wax melts, and sage, we will continue our line of plant-based body products. They were such a hit after being featured in our holiday gift baskets. The line includes hydrating wash, moisturizing lotion, soothing shea butter, polishing sugar scrub, beard oil & cold pressed soaps– for women & men. We’ve also added our exclusive blend of coffee to the line-up –the pods are recyclable and hand-filled. One of Guillory Candle Co.’s primary goal is to create an all-natural self-care experience. We want you to enjoy our products as much as we love making them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://guillorycandleco.com
- Instagram: @guillorycandleco
- Facebook: Guillory Candle Co.