We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stasia Freeman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stasia below.

Stasia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Long story short, the loss of my brother inspired me. I did not realize how impactful and valuable my brother was to others. To me, he was just my brother. I knew he was intelligent, selfless, and amiable. I didn’t realize how much he meant to other people in his life until his wake. My Aunt Diane, a fantastic reverend, spoke at his wake. She shared a story about a phrase my brother commonly used as a child: “Look at the pretty lights.” That phrase danced around in my head for a long time. Eventually, I started to picture a candle every time I thought of that phrase.
I wanted to honor my brother and give our family and friends something to hold onto while we grieved. My brother’s name is Derrick Lavon Campbell, and my candle company is called Dream Like Candles. I had no idea what it took to make a candle, but I knew how to do research, so that is what I did. When my birthday came around a few months later, I asked for a candle-making kit to begin perfecting my craft just as my brother would. People spoke highly of his work ethic and attention to detail, which I also pride myself on. It took me two years to create a product that I am proud of. Little did I know how useful it would become because we also lost my uncle, so I curated a line that symbolized key aspects of who my Uncle Walter is, for my Aunt Angela.

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?

My name is Stasia, and I have pursued a variety of interests. Over the years, I have taught myself how to make wine and candles. I am a pet sitter with a culinary arts background and a Navy veteran who loves guns and video games. I am also a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a niece, and a cousin. I chose candles as a new venture because they embodied my aunt’s phrase during my brother’s wake. I was looking for a way to bring some light into the darkness we were all feeling. I started with sharing my test batches with family to a finished product.
Right now, I consider myself very small business-wise, as it is just me. I provide candles and wax melts with some unique scents. My husband and I stumbled upon a scent blend that smells like waffle-crisp cereal. A future goal is to lean into the custom lines for potential clients. That includes creating a custom label as well. I am also building a website and expanding my social media presence. I am very honest and upfront about everything that I do. I don’t believe in cutting corners. Hard work and resiliency are valuable tools to have.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up, I was, and, to a degree, still am, a very introverted person. I prefer to avoid talking to people if possible, and that is how I lived for a long time. That is not a very good behavior to have when you want to sell a candle or anything for that matter. I was very shy and uncomfortable talking to my own family about buying my candles. My mother made an announcement one day; I sheepishly walked around, showing what scents I had, and answered questions. After that, everyone started asking about my candles, what new scents I was working on, and giving me feedback. Now that I have had more practice and confidence in my craft, I can easily talk to everyone about what I have. I enjoy talking about the process and the intricate steps of candle making. It reminded me of the before and after change I went through being in the military. My job required me to be assertive and take control of a situation if needed. This was the opposite of who I was, but I learned I could push myself to step outside my comfort zone. It is not all bad.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Learning how to make candles is a long process. I once watched a video that said to make 100 candles and give them away before you sell your first one. It is not as simple as melting wax and putting a wick in a jar and calling it a day. You have to learn how to create in the elements of your environment. Somedays, my test candles would come out great. On other days, nothing goes right. The wick is crooked, or it came unstuck in the jar and is now floating around. The wax cooled unevenly and now there is sink holes. You must have a great deal of patience because sometimes the wax you want to use does not perform to your standards, which is okay. I used to sit in my kitchen and watch the wax solidify to ensure everything went well. Sometimes, you fall in love with a fragrance, but it does not perform well with the wax and wick you chose to use for your vessel (candle jar). So, you’ve spent a few hours that day creating the candle and, depending on the wax, 48 hours to 2 weeks waiting for it to cure before you can run a test burn. It takes time. You have to be resilient when facing mistakes or mishaps. The finished product is worth it. Even something so small as a hand-poured candle. It is worth the stress, effort, and frustration.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dream_like_candles_/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dream_like_candle