We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Natasha L. Mason a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Natasha L., thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
The name, Creations By N.L.Mason consists of my first and middle initial, while honoring my father, John L. Mason with our last name. I thought it would be a beautiful way to put the Mason name on the map without a jar, of course!
As a creative, I needed a business name that would not pigeonhole me from spreading my wings, allowing me to streamline various types of artistic mediums without limits. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” (Shakespeare)
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?
Caught the Shakespeare reference? As a playwright for over 20 years, I speak fluently in movie quotes and play references. Although I’m mainly recognized for creating mouth-watering scented soy candles, wax melts and embeds (candle decorations); throughout the years, I’ve also shared my writing talents with private community theaters and faith-based organizations. My mission has always been to reconcile God and Mankind through literature, drama and the arts. If you read this, Je’Caryous Johnson, David Tablert or Tyler Perry, give me a call!
I’ve certainly maintained the lights, camera, action theory on my entrepreneurial journey, as I deem it another form of Show Business. There’s the glitz and glamour of seeing the finished product of my hyper-realistic looking candles, along with the behind-the-scenes preparation and business portion. In essence, I am still appealing to the eye and the appetite of consumers.
According to Doctor’s I shouldn’t be here at all, let alone having full activity of my limbs and speech. Trigger warning: After surviving a nearly fatal car accident in 2007, my third metacarpal (bone in my right hand) was shattered so much, that bone fragments had to be removed and replaced with a metal plate, seven screws, and a wire in my right wrist. In 2015 and 2017, myasthenia gravis exacerbations required me to relearn to speak, relearn to use my hands and all fine motor skills. I even had to relearn to swallow solid food. The fact that I have to bake and taste the real product in order to make the replica is also miraculous. While some simply see a candle, there’s tenacity mixed in each batch.
Have you ever had to pivot?
When getting acclimated to a wheelchair, pivoting is one of the first skills you learn. Although this concept may be foreign to some, it was my reality off and on throughout the past 10 years, until I walked unassisted again. I found that in life and in business, pivoting properly prevents accidents, or tripping over yourself. I remember being taught with a sense of urgency to back my wheelchair into an elevator or a room, so I can always see what’s coming.
In life and business, depending on the kindness of strangers to guide you is never an option. Your destination is not their destination, and you must remain independent. On weaker days when I couldn’t push myself, I had to enlist properly trained help to assist me. Catch the correlation? No matter the situation, I was trained to safely pivot around it and keep on rolling. Life pivots with or without our permission. It’s just a matter of happily adjusting and keeping it rolling.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Remember, I told you about my Father earlier? I refer to him as, “my silent, loud, business partner.” He has no physical contribution to making the products, yet, he surprisingly provided the initial capital for my business. It’s a pretty interesting story!
As I mentioned navigating through different art mediums. I started in 2000 designing and selling Avon gift baskets. Around 2016, I started making diaper cakes for baby showers and money cakes. As any Daddy’s Girl would, I would send him pictures of my creations, as he is also an artist. He would always express how my work was too good to just to be a hobby.
Fast forward to January 2017 after coming out of a medically induced coma, and relearning all basic skills, I found purpose in my pain. As physical therapists visited me at home, I would relearn to walk by day and study the art of candle making by night. Self-taught and armed with skills from call centers to my dental assisting/lab career, I tapped into every skill level I’d ever known, from sales to sculping. With a restored life, but no savings, I wondered how I would achieve this giant feat! Unbeknownst to me, my dad saved and mailed a $600. seed from his home in Connecticut to fund the fundamental paperwork and supplies for my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Creationsbynlmason.Etsy.com
- Instagram: CreationsByNLMason
- Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/GiftsByNatasha
- Twitter: YummyCandles4U
- Youtube: CreationsByNLMason
Image Credits
Headshot by: Forever Green Branding. (AI generated Background via Meta)
Product Photos by Natasha Mason, via Canva