Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Bruschi.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Paul. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Jack Be Nimble is an artisan candle company located in Atlanta, Georgia. I am a former professional ballet dancer and the Jack Be Nimble name was inspired by a coloring book drawing of Jack jumping over a candlestick. For me, it brought together my two passions… ballet and candles!
I started making candles because I would purchase expensive retail candles which smelled great in the store but would lose their smell after a couple of burns. I knew there had to be a better way… so I started making my own. I tested for over a year to get the right scent mix and scent throws and after much trial and error, I found the perfect formula for Jack Be Nimble.
I officially started selling my hand-poured, soy candles in 2010. My husband and I started doing small school and church craft shows and every year it has gotten bigger and bigger. We sold around 100 candles that first year. We are projecting to sell almost 10,000 in 2017.
Today we do 20+ festivals a year and have an online store via our website. We also have our candles in several retail locations in the Atlanta area.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I started this business I was still dancing professionally and struggled with finding the balance between both jobs. Even today I still teach dance once a week because it’s something that I’m not ready to give up.
One of the biggest challenges is wearing every hat in my business. Not only do I create and test each scent (which takes between 6-12 months), but I do almost everything else, too! I pour, label, box, ship, answer customer inquiries, handle social media, do the accounting, and of course sell at shows and shops. Fortunately, my husband helps me load, unload, and set up at shows and he is also an amazing salesperson. This year I have hired a couple of people part time to help with production and selling at our busy Holiday shows.
Another challenge has been getting customers to buy directly from the website. Candles are like food…you need to see and smell them before purchasing and the website obviously doesn’t allow for that. However, once customers make the purchase at a show or retail location, they then know the quality and value of our candles, and begin shopping on the website for re-orders. We have customers in 38 states and 5 countries that we have shipped to.
Please tell us about Jack Be Nimble.
Our focus is creating high quality, small batch soy candles. We personally hand-pour each of our candles in batches of 12 in our studio in Midtown Atlanta. All of our candles are made using American grown soy wax, all natural cotton wicks & fine fragrance oils. Modern and sleek design, Southern nostalgia, and family gatherings define and inspire our candle collections.
I think what sets us apart from other candle companies is that what you smell when you first pick up our candle is what you will smell every time you burn it. Many of our customers tell us how amazing our candles smell from start to finish and how long they last (50+hours). Our mission is to provide a superior product and a one-of-a-kind candle that will significantly change the ambiance of your home.
In 2016, we introduced our luxury candle line called The Jack Collection, which is a play on the Jack Be Nimble name. The Jack Collection was started after being approached to expand my candle line at one of the many craft markets that I still do yearly. We have now expanded into 6 retail locations in Atlanta, including the Loews Hotel in Midtown and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens Gift Shop. I’m most proud of this accomplishment as a company because just 2 years ago, this was still a dream.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
As a child, I remember going to family reunions in South Georgia during the summer. It was always at this huge house by the river and I would smell the honeysuckle and eat watermelon on the wrap-around porch. These memories inspired one of my candles called Georgia On My Mind.
Pricing:
- Jack Be Nimble- original 10 oz candles $18 each
- The Jack Collection- luxury candle line $38 each
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jackbenimblecandles.com
- Phone: 404.784.5560
- Email: jackbenimblecandles@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jackbenimblecandles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackbenimblecandles
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jbncandles
- Other: https://instagram.com/thejackcollection/
Image Credit:
Heidi Geldhauser
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