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

Hi Tasheena, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The mission behind my company The Simple Pleasures Candle Co. is to provide the simple pleasures to the home through aromatherapy. Our home is our sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Our entire mood and energy shift when we smell something amazing. I want to provide that relaxing feeling through all my products.

Tasheena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Well, my name is Tasheena Salmon I was born and raised on the beautiful island of Jamaica. I am a Clinical Social Worker, my area of focus is treating adults with Substance Use Disorder and other Mental Illnesses. Outside of being a Social Worker I run and operate my candle company The Simple Pleasures Candle Co. I started my company Nov. 11th, 2020. The idea to create candles came during the heart of the pandemic. I had no idea what I was getting into but I allowed my faith to lead me. I purchased all the supplies and then got to work in the “lab”. It also turned out to be a great way to release some stress from all the chaos of what was happening with the pandemic.

When I started the company my focus was only candles, now that I’m approach my 2nd year in business I’ve expanded to other areas. I now provide reed diffusers, wax melts, car perfumes, room sprays both travel size and full size along with body oils and even massage candles. My products provides aromatherapy to soul in all forms. I am very proud to hear from clients when they share how good they feel after lighting one of candles in their homes or when they enter their cars and that sweet aroma greets them.

I like to say I’m the Candle Therapist because I realize there’s different ways to cope with lives stressors and sweet aroma of something can immediately elevate someones mood. It is safe to say my passion is to help others. In my career I’m helping people through talk therapy and with my company I can help people through aromatherapy.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I have my website on Shopify. I decided to use that platform because it is truly designed for an e-commerce business. It is hard to think of any cons with Shopify because they really make it simple. There’s a lot of applications that can be installed to run a successful business without feeling overwhelmed. They also have financial analytics that’s perfect for pulling reports during tax time. Shopify has a variety of features to make this automated which will help with customer retention and building engagement with customers outside of social media.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Oh geez I had to pivot so many times in the last two years. I would say a few months after I launched I had to switch vessels due to supply shortages. It was a major blow for me because I had to adjust a few collections and delayed the process to create. I also learned a major lesson on how busy the candle industry is during the holidays. Once there’s a shortage during the holidays, supplies will not be back in stock until later the following year. Now I plan months ahead, I start stocking up on my holiday supplies as early as June.

It is okay if you need to pivot in a business or career as long as you keep moving you’ll end up at your destination.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thesimplepleasurescandle.com
• Instagram: @thesimplepleasurescandle
• Facebook: thesimplepleasurescandle
• Other: I also have an app which provides an easy and convenient way to stay connected with the business. The Simple Pleasures Candle app can be found on apple and android.

Image Credits
Photo credits: Christelle Eloi of Eloiphotography