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

Sarah , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

My idea was not initially candles, although I had been pouring my own when I started my business. My original business was funny wine labels. Wine labels were a fantastic way to personalize something most of my friends already enjoyed, but with the added bonus of a laugh.

I launched Miss Congeniality in 2019, obviously before the pandemic, and It was during a difficult time in my life and I was struggling to express myself. A mini identity crisis, in a way, My children were more independent and I was taking stock in my friendships and appreciating those that I could truly just say whatever I wanted to without censoring myself, and my words could be just funny, instead of something deeper or heavier. It seems that as we age, those friendships tend to be the purest connections, and I needed more laughter and authenticity in those days.

I realized the wine labels were fun and a great creative outlet for me. They allowed me to say whatever I wanted and brought more fun back into my life. But, when I added candles to the site with the similar labels I was already creating for wine bottles, they would sell twice as fast. Which then became the most fun for me.

I was obsessed with trying to figure out the best selling labels, my favorite scents and the most consistent way to do everything in my business, from packing to stickers, to pouring. All while trying to be eco-friendly. Which, aligned with our organic soy wax.

I became fixated with every aspect of my business and would stay up late nights creating labels, researching distributors, available packaging options, and ordering product. Then the following day, I would work on my site and fulfill the orders coming in.

I was able to move from a small office in my home to a 1500 square foot warehouse within a year of launching Miss Congeniality, llc.

Sarah , 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?

I have been an entrepreneur for most of my adult life. I had a clothing boutique while my husband owned a veterinary practice, prior to having our three kids. Although they are both still in business today, the clothing store had to be sold after baby number two, merely to minimize our stress, and the husband and I unfortunately split after 15 years of marriage.

Launching another business was a passion project because I needed something that was just mine again. I have always had a strong work ethic and being idle has never been good for my mental health. Connecting with customers who order from us over and over has been incredibly satisfying.

Although Miss Congeniality, llc is an online business, I prioritize messages from my customers and try and communicate clearly and answer questions at all hours. I want my customers to feel appreciated because they are spending their money with a small business. I don’t want them to have a disconnected and robotic experience. Our candles are generally for gifts and the demographic of my customer base is so good. I want to cherish these people. We are so similar!

Inclusivity is an important aspect of my business. I am a passionate ally for the LGBTQIA+ community. My daughter is trans and I have recently become more outspoken about this. Not having the words and/or feeling isolated from authentic friendships is incredibly lonely. So showing my support by speaking out, and offering items on my site is the least I can do for the community.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the operating behaviors I had to unlearn with my current business is knowing when “people pleasing” is appropriate and when it has no place in business.

I think as a woman who came from a history of both animal care and also customer service of outfitting other women, not being bullied into someone else’s vision or opinion was a conscious struggle. I started this business, and had to do everything from the ground up, in terms of decision making.

When I was approached by a rep who wanted to carry my line, she wanted to know every dollar it cost on my end to make my candles, so that she could decide what I would sell them at wholesale as. I had to internally struggle with telling her, out of fear of “starting off on the wrong foot.” I had to rely on my own experience of being a business owner and not second guess myself on something I already knew.

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

In June of last year, I fractured my spine in three places and had a tbi that required 10 staples down the back of my scalp, from a downhill skateboarding accident. A pastime my youngest son and I did frequently at the time. It was a traumatic injury that required surgery in order to relieve some nerve pressure damage that was causing partial paralysis in my bladder and bowels. It was a last ditch effort and my surgeon wasn’t super hopeful.

Luckily, my surgeon was wrong and I am doing very well today. I am incredibly grateful to him, because two other surgeons passed on offering any options to help me. However, I was bed-ridden for two months and then still struggling with some aphasia (remembering and expressing words) from my head injury and physical weakness/pain when Christmas arrived.

I am proud to say, Miss Congeniality was able to keep up with orders, due to the help of the amazing staff I have been lucky enough to have throughout the duration of my healing.

Contact Info:

• Website: Misscongenialityshop.etsy.com
• Instagram: @misscongenialityshop
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Kyia Marie Photography