We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sherese Sutton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sherese, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I’ve been in Atlanta for five years. Before living in Atlanta, I lived in Philadelphia. People always ask me what made me move to Atlanta. I didn’t want my friend to live in Atlanta alone, so I told her I would move with her. We packed up a U-Haul and moved. I took a risk. I had never been to Atlanta before. My first time coming to Atlanta was when I had to get the keys to my already-paid-for apartment and do an inspection. Wild. But I took a risk. I moved over 800 miles away with, only knowing the person I was moving with. Looking back, I can see why people are shocked about my decision. I am grateful that I allowed myself this experience. Moving here changed my life. I met my amazing husband, had a baby, started a business, and so much more. I’m happy I freed myself from other’s people expectations and took a risk on myself.

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

I am Sherese Sutton, the founder, and chandler of Suttonly Lit. Suttonly Lit is a hand poured candle company in Atlanta. We pride ourselves on creating our candles with pure love and intention. Our candles are 100% soy wax and made with cotton wicks and non-toxic fragrance oils. I have been in business as long as I’ve been a mom. A few weeks after having my son, I started pouring candles. My passion for fragrance began when I was young. My mom always kept our house smelling amazing. As I became an adult, my love for fragrance grew. I was tired of giving other companies all my money to make my house smell good. So I decided to try making candles myself. From there, Suttonly Lit was created.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I went from working 40-plus hours a week to learning how to master this new title of mom and jump into business simultaneously. I had to pivot when I became a stay-at-home mom and business owner at the same time. I had to change how I looked at things and how I responded to things. And what I allowed to have my attention. It wasn’t easy, but it was well worth it.

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

In 2017 I moved to Atlanta from Philadelphia. I had never lived on my own or away from my family. It was a lot harder than I imagined. But I never thought about quitting. I remember breaking down in the aisle at the grocery store while on the phone with my dad. I just cried. I cried because I couldn’t afford to live. I wasn’t making enough money at my job and felt defeated. But I never gave up. I worked two jobs, got a promotion, and then received a promotion again in less than a year. I believed I deserved more, and I was determined to have it.

Contact Info:

• Website: suttonlylit.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/suttonlylit
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/suttonlylit

Image Credits
Sherese Sutton