Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melissa Ottstadt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Melissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

Sustainability has always been a top priority for me. When building my candle brand, I had to educate myself on what materials are safest for the environment as well as my customers, then find suppliers to match my standards. I decided on a unique coconut blend wax because it’s vegan and comes from a highly sustainable plant, avoiding soy wax due to its significant water usage and socio-economic impacts. I also chose recycled glass vessels, cotton wicks, and recycled paper labels, along with sustainable shipping packaging. All fragrances used in The Lys Collective candles are “clean” and do not contain harmful toxins. I know that my customers prioritize the environment, which is why I have done significant research and made the most eco-friendly choices I can for my candles, without sacrificing quality.

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?

The Lys Collective is a product of my desire to create a cozy home and share my own small way of coping. During the pandemic and while spending a lot of time at home, I began using candles to separate my day.

Since I was burning them so much, I decided to order a candle making kit and found that I really enjoyed making them! What started as a coping mechanism and a creative outlet, turned quickly into an obsession – as I soon threw myself into researching and testing wax, fragrances and vessels – asking for feedback, taking notes and going back to the drawing board many times. After a year of learning and prepping, I launched my brand. 6 months after that, I left my corporate job to pursue it full-time. It’s been a dream come true (and a way of healing) to create something with my own hands that I know will bring joy to others.

When I talk about my journey, I share authentically that not every day is easy. Nothing prepares you for being an entrepreneur. While I can rely on my prior experience working in corporate retail, I still feel like I am making the rules up as I go while running my own business! Some of the best decisions I’ve made are making an effort to connect with fellow makers, and not being afraid to try something new. Building a community of people who are on my same path (no matter what part of the journey they are on) has been invaluable. I’ve also opted to purposely put myself in situations that make me uncomfortable and take risks where I can in order to move forward.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’ve had to sacrifice a lot in order to pivot my career, walking away from corporate (and a steady paycheck!) and pretty much the entire life I had prior to fully focusing on my candles. I’ve also had to rely heavily on my family (which I am grateful to have) because all of the planning in the world could not have prepared me for how long it actually takes to make a living on your own!

I started my business during the pandemic, which was clearly a time filled with uncertainty – but I think that huge shake up actually helped propel me onto a new path. As with many others, that experience triggered something in me to take more chances, to dream more, and to finally take action on the question “why not me?”

I am a believer in seeing challenges as opportunities and moving forward with love and not fear. As a person and a business owner, I am ever evolving and fully embrace the possibilities for change and improvement. I encourage others to do the same and use my voice hoping to connect and inspire.
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Through The Lys Collective, my goal is to reflect how the simple act of lighting a candle can change a mood, brighten a day, and be a reminder that you can find comfort even in uncertain times – just as it did for me.
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Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I’ve had to unlearn is that, there isn’t just one way of doing things and there isn’t just one path you can follow. Never in a million years would I think that I’d be striking out on my own. I thought that I needed to try and make my career what I wanted it to be, based on someone else’s rules. But I’ve learned that’s not the case. I look at so many amazing people out there carving a path for themselves that looks nothing like the typical 9-5. Growth, connection and the freedom to explore are what’s fueling me right now. I don’t know how it’s all going to play out, whether my small but mighty candle brand will succeed in every way that I want it to, but that’s ok! I think what’s important is that I’m allowing myself the opportunity to try a different way of living, I’m taking the good with the bad and staying focused on my goals. That’s a huge shift in thinking for me and it’s one that I’m happy to keep exploring!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thelyscollective.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelyscollective/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelyscollective/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-ottstadt-0849385/

Image Credits
Joanne Rabenarisoa