We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Savannah Moss a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Savannah, thanks for joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?
When I started the business, gaining customers was challenging due to a lack of brand recognition at farmers’ markets and festivals. Initially, we sold all our products to family and friends that my mom had informed about the business. However, through our persistence in attending various markets and events, we have successfully scaled up and acquired repeat customers. My brother and I have also implemented sales tactics to spark interest in our candles, which piques the curiosity of most people we meet. Additionally, by networking and establishing relationships, we have secured large orders that have helped spread our brand name.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My brother started Brentwood Candle Company in February 2023. Brentwood Candle Company focuses on creating affordable, high-quality, all-natural candles in a variety of scents. We currently sell candles in 6—and 10-ounce jars and wax melts. We are always looking to bring new things to our business. As of November 13th, we have roughly 40 scents, with exclusive seasonal scents released monthly. Our primary focus in creating this business was to solve the problem of candles that aren’t made with all-natural materials. This is because it tends to cause problems for people sensitive to scents due to the chemicals in these candles.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
In the beginning, my brother and I had different businesses. My brother created a liner for the inside of hats, a project he started in 2021. Meanwhile, I helped launch a company focused on marketing for other businesses at the Entrepreneurship Innovation Center run by Williamson County Schools.
In early 2023, my brother decided to pivot and started the Brentwood Candle Company. He worked primarily on it by himself for the first four months. Once he graduated, I joined him as we had planned. This collaboration allowed us both to pivot and create a profitable business together.
Looking back, neither of us would change our decision to pivot and start this venture.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Funding the Brentwood Candle Company was a relatively straightforward task due to the low start-up costs and the nature of the EIC program created by Williamson County Schools. In the EIC class, we were assigned the task of developing an idea that we would eventually turn into a business. My brother was in his second year of the program when we began funding the Brentwood Candle Company, so he was already familiar with the process. Our teachers requested that he create a presentation outlining his idea, including crucial details like the cost of goods sold (COGS), the target market, and the problem we aimed to solve. Additionally, they asked him to explain how this business would differ from the previous one.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @brentwoodcandle.co
- Other: @brentwoodcandle.co
