We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shanetta Turner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Shanetta thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later
It’s funny you ask that question because I do wish I had started my candle business earlier. I began my small candle business in 2021, did a relaunch in August 2022 with a different name than I have now, and this happened due to my lack of knowledge in basic business information. I didn’t know about things like registering your business name, obtaining an EIN and tax numbers, and ensuring all legal aspects are in place before making your first sale. Uncle Sam always wants his money, and as a business owner, a lot falls on the owner to handle things themselves. Small businesses don’t typically have an entire entourage to manage things for them. Many small business owners, especially Black women-owned businesses like mine, have to rely on themselves and learn from their mistakes as valuable information isn’t always readily available.
I’ve been in the nursing field for over 20 years, and I am also a survivor of domestic violence. I have been in an abusive relationship before that drained me emotionally. So, I embarked on a healing journey, seeking happiness and peace after enduring so much trauma. I’ve always been independent, having worked since I was 17 years old. The idea for a candle business emerged during my healing journey when I incorporated scented candles into my meditation practice.
Looking back, one thing I would change about my experience is to have listened more, stopped expecting perfection in everything, and stopped worrying. I would have prayed, had faith in a higher power, focused on alignment, practiced self-discipline, accepted rejection, and used it to fuel my strength and determination.
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?
Certainly! I’m 42 years old, a mother of three boys whom I call my Boys to Men and a fur mom to two Yorkies. I find joy in nature, and despite being an introvert, I have extroverted tendencies. I love to travel and meet new people, while listening to smooth jazz, contemporary music, and R&B. To truly know me is to respect my journey, as my past is marked with scars. This healing journey symbolizes my peace and tranquility in life right now. I grew tired of financial struggles and desired something different for myself and my children, so I pushed myself into uncomfortable educational environments.
I am the CEO, founder, and owner of JMariah Candle Collection, where I craft handmade organic candles that embody simplicity and a cool vibe. I handle every aspect of my business, and my numbers are on the rise – for which I am grateful. While I acknowledge I have much to learn as an entrepreneur, my goal isn’t to become rich from my business. It’s me living my dream and I find that to be a humbling experience in running a successful business and growing wealth. In addition to my candles, I offer digital products, run a Youth Mentorship Program for aspiring teen candle makers, and have authored two books. I value having multiple streams of income to secure my children’s future and my own.
I take pride in my evolution, transitioning from someone who constantly doubted themselves and their business to where I am now. If only I had believed in myself more and not been consumed by worries of others’ opinions, I could have made more progress. I had to delve into my inner self, heal past wounds, and blossom into Who I Am Today
I want my followers and supporters to know that I always offer my authentic self. While things may look polished with edits and makeup, the journey can be challenging. Dealing with mental illness is a battle, and being open about it isn’t easy. Despite encountering some rudeness, I remain appreciative of everyone, focusing on positivity and good vibes. I am grateful for my genuine supporters and invite anyone who enjoys a good candle vibe to visit my online shop and follow my candle/personal blog.
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
Recently, we celebrated our first sold-out market event for Juneteenth. To my surprise, I also won first place in Table Presentation. During the summer months, I decided to participate in vendor events to engage with my target audience. Even if I didn’t make a sale, I offered free scented wax melts to attract attendees and encouraged them to subscribe to my email list. This way, I can gather feedback on preferred scents for different seasons – it’s like Candle Gossip!
For the Juneteenth celebration market event, I prepared 20 candles and brought an extra 5 just in case. I sold out of everything, which was both exciting and nerve-wracking as I had another event in just 2 days. Typically, I like my candles to cure for at least 2 weeks, but I had to think on my feet this time.
With no wax on hand, I had to improvise with homemade business cards and labels. It was a mental battle convincing myself to sell the candles, especially with the added pressure of time constraints. My anxiety was high, but I knew I had to show up to not disappoint my audience and the event host.
After some brainstorming, my fiancé suggested contacting our local wax supplier for expedited pick up, saving the day. We managed to create 15 candles in time for the next event while fulfilling online orders for pickup.
In the end, we succeeded, and I couldn’t have done it without my fiancé’s support. It reinforced the importance of surrounding yourself with people who genuinely want to see you succeed.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
My business partner & I met when he had to fix my vehicle at a repair shop he owns. So being a single Mom I had to implement habits of knowing good repair shops so that I can rely on their expertise keep my car up and running official that I can be financially stable And we became good friends he supported my healing journey and now we are engaged 7yrs later
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jmariahcandle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejmariahcollection?igsh=MTJpMW80NHFyZDFlZg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091638447503&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: Tiktok
https://www.tiktok.com/@jmariahcollection?_r=1&_d=e12e9c8iiiehel&sec_uid=MS4wLjABAAAA4ER7lXJe2gpP2kQVecilp-6sJpGDczj-JznKzOuI2wD_Wo4R3J586EqeIAtOjf9k&share_author_id=7080927096369251374&sharer_language=en&source=h5_m&u_code=e12e9kb0geim63&ug_btm=b8727,b0&social_share_type=4&utm_source=copy&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAA4ER7lXJe2gpP2kQVecilp-6sJpGDczj-JznKzOuI2wD_Wo4R3J586EqeIAtOjf9k&tt_from=copy&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=client_share&enable_checksum=1&user_id=7080927096369251374&share_link_id=ACA4FD79-A021-4E7E-9040-3A35BC2F19D9&share_app_id=1233