Today we’d like to introduce you to Latera Dennard.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was in an almost fatal car accident in 2019 and could not work for some time. In that time, I was going stir crazy, to say the least. So I took it as a time to get back into creating. I’ve always been very crafty. I grew up with a father that played professional baseball, so whenever he would get injured, he’d have to do something therapeutic during his downtime. He’d always do something creative and crafty whether it was sewing, painting, making things in general. He developed his attic into a craft/playroom when I was a child so I could always have a space to explore my creativity. So I guess you could say I took a page from his book. When I got back into crafting, I felt things come alive in me that I hadn’t felt in years and realized my passions for it never died and that it was time to take it serious. I begin making candles from scratch and other handmade items and started selling it to friends and family which gave me word of mouth to start bringing in residual income. Now, in 2022 I’m rebranding and ready to take on bigger markets and show others has handcrafted items are not just cool, they come with a story behind the hands that produce them.
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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. Every start comes with highs and lows. With me being relatively new to the business world, I’ve learned so much about not only the business aspect but myself as well. I had to start utilizing self-care a lot more when overwhelm would set in. I realized that I am my own worst critic, and it is up to me to shift my mindset in order to really dive into what my brand could produce. Imposter syndrome has been the worst! No matter how much time and effort I put into producing something, if I stare at it too long, I’ll start talking myself out of how great it actually is. That’s when I realized its so important to keep a team of support because on those days where you feel like you’re not meeting your goals, and maybe your things aren’t as great as you thought, they can offer a sound mind that gets you back going.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in handcrafted items that range from aromatherapy(candles, room sprays, incense, etc.) home decor and branded merchandise (coming summer 2022, haha). I’m very proud of how much effort I put into each craft because it gives a look into my creative mind and allows other people(consumers) to enjoy that part with me. What sets me apart is that I love to study people. So when I study people, I’m able to create things and or have things created by real people that can convey what that person needs and is looking for. It makes it less generalized and more individualized with each product.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’m not sure what I would call good luck or bad luck in this experience. Everything has felt like learning lessons honestly. I’ve lost some friends along the way due to lack of support and just entering different points of life. I’ve had financial misfortunes that would cause me to pause and have to decide if it’s worth still investing in with the odds that were stacking against me. I had to decide to choose my passion because anything else would just be dissatisfying. If I only have one life to live, I’d rather live it on my terms and doing what actually fulfills me. My mother fell terribly ill during this time, and I had lost motivation for some time, but a driving force ignited in me when I realized that with me putting my all into this endeavor, I could start affording to take stress off of her by having the funds and platform to help with hospital and physical therapy bills. I’m still on this journey, but with an unyielding drive to take this as far as God wants me to go with it. I believe that’s the top. Haha.
Contact Info:
- Email: thehomebodyessentialsclub@gmail.com
- Website: thehomebodyessentialsclub.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thehomebodyec
- Other: tiktok.com/thehomebodyec
Image Credits:
@shanticolee @_rarestsoul @brookeobester @itsterabomb @visualsbytera
