Life & Work with Amy Hammer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Hammer.

Hi Amy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Mt. Juliet, Tennessee is my hometown. I’ve lived in Mt. Juliet my whole life and my husband and I have raised our 3 children here. After working at Mt. Juliet Christian Academy for 20 years and getting our children through there and to college I decided I was ready for something new. I’ve always wanted to be my own boss (I mean who doesn’t) and with my husband’s encouragement, we jump head first into combining a couple of my passions, DIY crafts/projects, and candles.

Mt. Juliet is one of the fastest-growing cities in Tennessee. It’s not my small town anymore. Back in the day (the 80s) if you wanted to do something entertaining you had to go outside of Mt. Juliet to Hermitage or Nashville, but not now. There are small clothing boutiques and places to eat all over Mt. Juliet, but there aren’t many fun, friend and family type of activities to choose from. While everyone loves some Nashville country, it’s not always the easiest place to get in and out of. So with my new freedom, I opened up 615 Candle Lab, Candle Classes & Artist Boutique. I have seating for candle-pouring classes from 1 to 24. It doesn’t have to be a party or special occasion to come in and create your own custom candle, but I do have a lot of bachelorette, birthday, girls’ night out, and holiday parties. Date night is a popular pouring also.

I take pride in the fact the custom candles customers are creating are clean burning and non-toxic. Made with natural soy wax, essential oil blends, and cotton wicks. Customers choose from a variety of candle vessels and 27 different scents. While candle classes are the focus of 615 Candle Lab, in the retail section of the shop I like to display custom, handmade art or products from local artists. You’ll find anything from jewelry, macrame pieces small and large, wood projects, paintings, and of course candles. I love being able to use my space to help others display their beautiful creations.

Custom orders are a favorite for me. Creating large orders for companies, weddings, or charity events is always an exciting challenge. I’ve created custom orders from 10 to 300. Communicating with the customer on the scent they are wanting, the look of the vessel, and creating their custom label. It’s encouraging knowing my creations are in people’s offices or homes making them feel calm and comforted.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not! My husband and I put everything we had physically, emotionally, and monetarily into opening our shop. We were so proud of ourselves for not having to borrow money and me figuring out how to start a business on my own. I opened 615 Candle Lab in July 2019 and eight months later one of the worst tornadoes to ever come through Tennessee came right through Mt Juliet. Less than half a mile from my shop buildings were destroyed, Mt. Juliet Christian Academy was severely damaged and people I had gone to church with for 30 years had lost their lives. I felt so guilty sitting in my shop waiting for people to come to spend money so I closed the doors and helped out where I could. Within weeks the COVID pandemic hit. I was closed for 3 months.

Reopening in July 2020 was like starting all over. Not to mention nobody wanted to get outside of their home, much less gather in a group setting. The last three years have been hard and to this day when everything seems to be “back to normal” small businesses are still struggling.

PERSEVERANCE! That’s what I continue to hold on to.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Ever since I was a little girl I can remember hanging out with my dad in his workshop in our basement. He is definitely where I get my creativity and curiosity to make things. I’m always looking at things and thinking “I can make that” and then it’s like I challenge myself to create it. It really doesn’t matter what type of project it is; wood, macrame, crochet, painting, wood burning, and the list goes on. So of course, custom candles fell right into my creative niche.

Who doesn’t love candles? They give you light in the dark, make your home smell amazing, bring back pleasant memories, and create a calm and relaxing environment. Candles have been around since Jesus so I feel like I picked the right shop to open.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Ironically, I almost lost my house to a fire started by a candle. Yep! My then 13-year-old son, fell asleep in his bedroom one night with a candle still burning. Our 16-year-old black lab was walking around in the middle of the night and accidentally hit the table the candle was on. We woke up at 3:00 am to our son screaming and his bedroom on fire. It was one of the scariest moments in my life. When it was over we were very grateful nobody was injured, but we did have to renew almost the entire inside of our home.

I do use this story in my candle-making classes with young children. I give all the warnings about not leaving a candle unattended or don’t burn a candle at bedtime. Preferably for children, don’t burn a candle out of the presence of an adult.

Lesson learned!

Pricing:

• Small vessel pouring $20
• Medium vessel pouring $34
• Large vessel pouring $40

Contact Info:

• Website: www.615candlelab.com
• Instagram: @615candlelab
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/615candlelab 

Image Credits
Amy Hammer and Terri Crutsinger