Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Glover.
Carrie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Although I began making candles in 2017, I didn’t find my passion for business until 2018. I went through a lot mentally and emotionally that year, but I couldn’t find a therapist that worked for me. I was actively looking, and going to my therapy sessions, but didn’t feel like I was able to close any chapter of my past that I needed to heal from. My last attempt at therapy I literally had my therapist tell me “I’m going through a lot right now; I can’t help you.” So, what was I supposed to do? The licensed professional that I was paying to assist me through these things gave up on me. I didn’t feel like I could help myself and I didn’t want to be a burden to my family and friends. That’s when I learned that my healing had to begin with me, so I figured since I need to be the beginning, I’ll take the whole process into my own hands. So, I started to pour all of my stress and pain into my candles. I would turn on my music, pray and create. These candles Literally saved my life.
I originally started out as “Serenity Scents”, but since candle making had become my therapy, Sessionz was born. The “z” is just for extra flava. Our phrase “Have a great session”, is part of a personal mantra that I would say to myself in the mirror before going into any appointment I had with any therapist. The entire thing was, “You are healing. You are helping yourself. You will be whole again. Have a great session!” It helped me to understand that going to therapy is not a bad thing and it was necessary to heal and grow.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been a smooth road, but I am passionate about what I do, so I make it work. I think one of my biggest challenges in the beginning was the lack of support from family and friends. I have family members who still buy candles from the big name stores, but will support other small businesses for other products and I started to question the quality of my products for a little while. I had to realize that it’s not me or my products, people just are more willing to support a stranger than someone they know. 97% of my sales come from people I’ve never met before and I’m okay with that.
On the business side, I don’t struggle, I may learn lessons along the way, but I will never attach the word “struggle” to my business. The legal and technical side of business has given me a run for my money, there are a lot of components to it, but I have a system in place that works and networking with other professionals helps as well. As for my products, there is a lot of researching involved as well as testing and retesting the formula for each batch of candles to make sure they are burning properly before sending them out to my customers. This last year in business has taught me the importance of cohesive branding, customer retention and a number of other things. It’s a journey and the most important part of the journey is what you learn along the way and how you implement those things.
Sessionz Candles – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Sessionz Candles is a home fragrance company that specializes in 100% soy wax candles. The name is from my journey of finding an alternative method of therapy for myself and wanting to offer that option to others as well. Therapy doesn’t have to be you just sitting on a couch telling another person about all of your pain, there are alternative methods and they are just as great. Most importantly, therapy is lit! Candles are used in almost all homes across the world for relaxation, meditation, setting the mood and so much more. Some of our more popular scents that we are known for are The Kickback, Love Crime and Pillow Talk. Our unique scent combinations are what set us apart, I can guarantee that you won’t find them anywhere else.
I am most proud of my resilience, my ambition and dedication to my brand. There are no limits in life and if you aim for the stars and work your ass off, you’ll reach them. It won’t always be easy, and I’m okay with that as long as my passion never dies.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me is measured by the amount of people I can help. I have started a brand for candles, and I am passionate about that, but I am truly driven by my desire to help others.
A portion of my earnings from all candles are allocated to a fund that will allow me to purchase supplies to feed the homeless, give them bags filled with hygiene products, blankets, and other items that will help make life easier for them. There is a project that I’m working on for that as well, so I can’t give too much detail, but my vision has always been larger than candles, and I have set small goals that will lead to my bigger goals to keep me on track. I don’t think success should be an end goal, it’s a never-ending cycle. I don’t want to ever feel like I’ve reached a peak of success, I want to always give myself something to work for.
Pricing:
- 16oz candles – $22
- room sprays – $12
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shopsessionz.com
- Email: info@shopsessionz.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/sessionzcandles
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/sessionzcandles
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/sessionzcandles
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