Conversations with Emily Powers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Powers.

Hi Emily, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started making candles over three years ago. It began when I was fresh out of college, newly married, and looking for a new job. I was with my husband having lunch at the Nashville Farmer’s Market, talking about creative ideas with how I wanted to spend my free time doing something I loved. As we sat there and brainstormed, the idea of candle making came up and from there,  I started on my journey of pursuing this creative outlet for myself. I ordered some beginner candle-making kits and dove right into researching what goes into candles, how to make them with non-toxic ingredients, and planning out  what I wanted this little hobby to look like for my future.

One day while I was at work, I had a conversation with my co-worker Nick about my candles and the dreams I had to start selling them. From there, we started brainstorming branding ideas, designs, etc. As we were talking, this was also around the time of Mother’s Day and I had mentioned how expensive I thought stationary and greeting cards were getting, as I had gone to the store to purchase a nice card for my mom, but also wanted to budget enough to buy her a nice gift as well. After expressing those thoughts, we talked about the idea of combining the two concepts of a card and a candle into one product. From there, Thank U Candle was born!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it has been a journey to say the least, but The Lord has been so faithful. Figuring out  how to make candles was a huge trial and error. I began experimenting with how much wax was needed per batch, combined with the  fragrance amount, and then choosing the right vessels, wicks, labels, and then overall look I wanted for the brand.

I would say it required a lot of prayer, positive and negative feedback, and plenty of friends testing candles out for me and recording how long the candle burned for, how strong the scent was, etc. All of it was a lot of fun! But I think the biggest lesson I learned was to be confident in this business that I built and in myself.

I had my first sale at a small market in Nashville and then opened an Etsy and have been learning and growing ever since.

The advice I give myself when it still gets hard is to not give up, do everything to the best of my ability, and remember why I started this to begin with— I wanted to have fun and create a quality, non-toxic candle for myself, family, and friends. I am so glad to say that has grown to creating a product that promotes gratitude and sharing love to others and I can’t wait to see what is in store for the future Thank U Candle!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I love structure and organization, but also having an outlet to be creative and create something meaningful has brought so much peace to my life.

For me, I think I am set apart with my candles by creating a library of curated scent offerings for any time of the year, a clean and simplistic design with candle vessels that can be repurposed, affordable prices with high-quality ingredients, and the biggest thing would be the ability to combine a card and candle in one product. This is a perfect two-in one gift for any occasion or for the customer to enjoy a nontoxic candle for themself!

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Being genuine.

I want every customer to know that each and every sale means so much to me personally. I pray over each candle batch I make that wherever these candles go, those who end up receiving them are blessed and feel loved and cared for by whoever gifted them one of my candles.

I also believe in buying the best ingredients because I think quality is what backs up the heart to my business. I work hard to research and find the highest quality plant- based wax, wooden wicks, and scents that are distilled with essential oils, while also finding vessels that last and can be repurposed once the life of the candle has been used so nothing has to be wasted.

Pricing:

• 19.00 per candle

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThankUCandle
• Instagram: thankucandle
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thankucandle/

Image Credits
Hannah Morgan