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

Taylor Marie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

It’s actually such a full-circle story. When I was about 14 years old, my mom had the idea of starting her own candle brand. She has always been a lover of aromatherapy and wanted to start her own but couldn’t decide on a name. I came to her with a few ideas, but my favorite was Euphoria. Being that my mom was working a full-time job with three kids to take care of, her hopes of starting her own candle brand were put on hold. Years later, my brother gave me the brilliant idea of creating candles inside of seashells, and I instantly remembered Euphoria but felt like it was missing something. After months of researching, I had to choose what I wanted the brand to represent and how I wanted our customers to feel when purchasing and lighting our candles in their space. That’s when I decided on Euphoric Aromas as the official name of the brand.

Taylor Marie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Where do I even start? There are so many points in my life that brought me full circle to where I am now and what I do. As a kid I was always in my room writing in my journals or drawing in my notebooks. I loved being able to tap into my artistic side and always kept myself busy with my crafts. As I got older, I didn’t write as much as I did in my youth and ultimately stopped drawing entirely. I got busy with the hustle and bustle of life and growing up in general that I forgot about my hobbies that brought me so much joy as a child.

In 2017, I moved from my childhood home to my first apartment and was living on my own. It was a completely new experience for me even more so because I grew up with two brothers and was very used to constantly being in a full and busy household. I remember thinking that I needed to get some hobbies and do something with myself and my newfound independence. One day I went into Barnes Nobles and grazed the isles until I found something that piqued my interest. I remember stumbling across Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert my interest had peaked. I finished that book within the week and was instantly reminded of my love for drawing and writing. It was time for me to pick my hobbies back up and feed my inner child. It then started with going to my first paint and sip and from that point on I painted daily and became a self-taught free hand artist.

That same year my brother encouraged me to start researching how to create his candle in a seashell idea from 2015. I remembered the prototype that he created at that time, so I knew exactly what I was looking for and began my research diligently. Starting with sourcing our authentic seashells from the Indo-Pacific, North Pacific, North Atlantic, North Pacific, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. I wanted to make our brand as eco-friendly as I possibly could, so I decided to use all-natural soy wax, phthalate-free essential oils, and wooden wicks for their non-toxic benefits. Looking back on the amount of time, effort, passion and all-around hard work that was put into building this brand makes me feel nothing but euphoric!

My brand is so special to me and is something that I take the upmost pride in because it was a project that was nurtured into what it’s blossomed into today. I want my supporters to know that I am endlessly grateful to every person that has ever shared, purchased and/or supported my brand in anyway and that I do my absolute best to show that in all of the details and will continue to do what it takes to better the brand in every aspect necessary. Trial & error is a constant in my opinion especially in a good brand/business and I am constantly working towards making any improvements and being open to all feedback which is why I enjoy working Farmer’s Markets/Festivals. Getting the opportunity to meet so many new faces and reconnect with returning ones brings me so much happiness. The best part is seeing people’s faces light up when they come across my booth. “This is so creative!” is a common reaction and probably my favorite. I’m so lucky because I always come across the sweetest and most loving souls that leave me with the most beautiful compliments which makes it all that much more enjoyable and worth it.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I believe that my authenticity and vulnerability is what truly helped me to build the audience that I do have on social media. Growing up, I would sit in my room for hours writing in my journals and drawing pictures of anything that I could imagine on paper so it’s no surprise to me that these passions have stuck with me throughout my life. It’s funny to say but I started sharing excerpts from my journals and iPhone notes on Twitter back in 2017 and from doing that I was able to connect with so many people that resonated with my words. I had no goal with sharing my passages online I solely did it for the relief and the need to be vulnerable. It felt really good to share my work and to be able to have such a positive feedback in doing so. It was always the best feeling when strangers would message me telling me how my words got them through their day or helped them to feel heard by relating to what I shared.

From that point I began to share my free hand art and sure enough I sold my first piece to a client that I connected with on Instagram. That’s when I realized the true power of social media and that your customers are not just your immediate circle or who you know. Like I said my goal was non-existent because I never planned to share any of my work for money. It was honestly all for my inner child and to empower myself through my crafts.

In February of 2022 I was blessed with the opportunity to write for Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty brand through a friend that was working on the project and thought I would be perfect for the job based on my what I had shared on my platforms. Although the project ended up getting shelved that was my first paid gig as a writer and was the most incredible opportunity that I could have ever received through being open on social media.

By the time that I started my candle brand I had so much support through my platforms from previous clients, friends and strangers that I sold out the first batch of candles that I dropped. It was the best feeling of my life and still is to this very day. The best advice that I could give to those just starting to build their social media presence would be to always be yourself because your authenticity is what will attract the audience that you are looking towards building.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

I’ve been fortunate enough to have sold my candles to countless people from all over. I’ll never forget the time I got my first out of state sale and how excited I was. It started with shipments to Atlanta, Colorado, Texas, South Carolina, Canada, Paris, Hawaii, and even Amish Country! The list literally goes on! It was so surreal, and I could remember thinking how proud and grateful I was in the moment that it almost brought me to tears. I slowly started to reach out to specific influencers, musicians and celebrities in general to send them a gift package from my brand for promotional purchases.

The most meaningful connection and promo was from one of my favorite artists Maségo. I remember I was sitting in my brother’s den painting and listening to his music when I thought to send him a message on twitter in hopes he’d agree to receiving a gift set from my brand. To my absolute surprise he responded the same day with the shipping address. I couldn’t believe it! If I had ever needed a sign to keep going that was it. When he received his gift sets, he gave one to his mother and posted the other on his Instagram story which was genuinely unexpected but so deeply appreciated. With him sharing my business on his platform I made my revenue goal for the month and gained so many new customers and supporters it was amazing. That’s when it really settled in that I have to always go with my first instinct and always bet on myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.EuphoricAromas.Life
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/euphoric.aromas/