We recently connected with Rachel Arnold and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel , appreciate you joining us today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?

Family businesses are the heart of small business and shopping local! I’ve always strived to make my kids a part of the process as much as I can. Obviously I’m cautious about them handling hot wax and want the candle labels and such to be straight. But they love putting on warning labels, lids, mixing- that sort of stuff.

The kids have worked with me, even been there for markets. They are a huge part of my social media, in stories and reels. After all, they are what we’re working so hard for right? Customers love seeing them, asking them what their favorite scents are. My oldest even loves checking people out on the point of sale system or bagging up their items. So of course if they chose to make candles down the line, I’d be ecstatic. Our company name is our last name, so I’d be happy if they continued the business.

I think it’s really important to show our children what it means to dream big. While education is important, you don’t need some big degree to be successful. Small businesses are so important, You are literally supporting families when you shop small and local!

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

Of course! I started making candles as personalized gifts almost 5 years ago. When I started Arnold Acres I was making candles just on my kitchen stove. As things started to grow we had to get more efficient with the process and take it out of the kitchen, for my husbands sake ha.

I then started selling my products at the local makers markets and covid happened, quickly putting a halt to those dreams. All the markets were cancelled and I was left with a ton of materials and product, so I had to shift my game plan. I started reaching out to various local shops to carry my candles, before I knew it I was in several stores!

One of the things I’m most proud of is I was approached by a California based company who was a sponsor for the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards. They wanted to incorporate one of my candles into their celebrity gift boxes for the February 2022 SAG Award show. That was really special to see something I created, packed and shipped with the help of my family, being sent from Maryland to Hollywood, California.
I’m super proud how the final product looked and especially the blend we created, “Citrus Basil”. It captured the scent they were looking for perfectly. Honestly, our Citrus Basil is one of my best sellers! Perfect for all year round, a good crisp kitchen scent.

The label and vessel also looked super sleek in their gift boxes and package photos. I was in a little time crunch to create the candles, have them completed and shipped. So I even reached out to a local print company to have them help produce the labels. That was really special to include another “mom and pop” shop on items being sent across the U.S. I even gifted them one of the candles because they were able to help me quickly and it was a special memory for us both!

In early 2022 I made a huge leap to open my own store front. Seeing all the hard working makers out there, as well as the dedicated shop owners, inspired me to try my hand at owning a store. While I recently decided to close my doors with the change in the economy, I don’t regret trying at all. I like to think of it as putting a “pause” on my storefront dreams. I was able to show my children hard work, determination and give them experiences I know they will never forget. I also was able to meet so many amazing customers, some of which I know will be friends for life.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I started my business just before covid happened. So a lot of people were stuck home, not able to shop the markets in person. Social media was a huge creative outlet for me. It gave me the opportunity to show a face behind the product.

I often would use social media to focus on a scent of the week, give various candle care tips, and utilized hashtags to get seen by new customers.
Over the years social media has really changed. It was more posts, then I’d go live, and now it’s more reels and stories. I don’t utilize Facebook as much as I did initially. Now I use Instagram or TikTok reels to show my personality, not even necessarily things about candles. My kids love being able to be involved with reels or making our own spins on trending sounds.

I also utilize stories often, people seem to watch them more than scrolling posts these days. Story sales bring a lot of revenue for me. Also allowing me to clean out inventory, even items I may only have singles of that aren’t worth adding to my website.

Just be YOU. If you’re authentic, show something you genuinely enjoy, the people will come. They will fall in love with you, your family, your products and you’ll organically grow from there.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I recently decided to make a shift in my business as I closed my storefront doors. While it was not an easy decision, MANY small businesses are struggling with the changes in the economy.

Having a storefront is hard work, and there is alot of overhead that has to be taken care of first prior to taking a paycheck. I know at this time, it was the best decision for my family. In doing so, I have had several other stores offer to carry my products, so that’s been a blessing.

As well as I started doing more candle classes. Making candles is truly a joy of mine. So being able to see others creations, what blends they create and names they come up with, inspires me to keep creating. I’ve been able to team up with other local, small businesses to create candle nights- where you make a candle while enjoying something they too offer like a milkshake or bottle of wine. Those classes have just been selling out like crazy, so benefitting two businesses at once!

While I don’t know what the future will bring for my business, whether it be the economy or rise in cost to make products and such. Being a small business owner means you wear many hats and you’re creative! So the ability to make shifts in your business to fit those things and your family, is what it’s all about. Makers truly do a happy dance with each sale, no matter how small! There are so many talented makers out there, we are so thankful when they chose to shop with our family. It’s amazing to see people loving something you created from scratch and allowing our product to light up your homes.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.arnoldacrescandles.com
• Instagram: TheArnoldAcres
• Facebook: ArnoldAcresCandles