Today we’d like to introduce you to Eboni McCory.
Hi Eboni, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Since I was young, I’ve always pictured myself as a businesswoman, I vividly remember telling my mom that one day I’ll wear a suit, carry a briefcase and make a lot of money! And then of course, there’s life and reality – and it comes at you fast. I’m a native of Buffalo, New York and moved to Atlanta in 2002 to attend college at Clark Atlanta University. I initially majored in Computer Science at the suggestion of my mom but after the first year, realized that though I was excelling, I wasn’t really interested in the field. At the end of my freshman year, I switched my major to Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and immediately knew I had found my path.
Post-graduation in 2006, I began my corporate career as an Analyst and spent my first 3 years post-grad trying to figure out life. I resigned from my analyst position at the height of the recession and tried my hand at day trading stocks full time. I spent over a year prior to resigning from my full-time job, learning the ins/outs of investing and trading and got to a point where I felt comfortable enough to make the leap and give it a try. With my small voluntary leave package, I was able to successfully keep myself afloat for about 6 months before I decided to look for a job to supplement my income. I guess you can say, I’ve always been a bit of a “conservative” risk taker and know when to have a plan B in place just in case plan A doesn’t go quite as planned.
After finding the “temporary” job, I switched my focus to broadening my education and decided to enroll in a Masters Certificate Program, majoring in Project Management, I completed my studies in 2010 and was able to land a position as a Network Engineer in the telecommunications industry. Even though I’ve managed to build a career for myself, I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of starting a business, tapping into my creative side and turning an interest into a side hustle. And one constant remained from childhood into adulthood, my love for working with my hands and the opportunity to get creative and decorate a space.
While working in corporate, I briefly studied interior design, I took on a few clients and did home organization projects and with my second home purchase, I made it a point to really hone in on my interior designing obsession. At the suggestion of friends, I initially considered pursuing interior designing for others or something dealing with home decor, but wasn’t quite sure what I could see myself doing day after day.
In late 2019, I found myself in a rut. I was working at a Data Analyst by day but really wanted to do something fulfilling and that would allow me to tap back into my “creative” side since I spend so much of my day using my “analytical” brain. While brainstorming, it led me to the idea of making candles. I’ve always used scent as a way to transform a space and make it feel more warm and inviting. I wondered what it would take to create scents that differ from what I typically find in the market and so my research began. I spent about one year learning and understanding the basics of candle making, fragrances, how to choose quality and eco-friendly ingredients and blending fragrances. Combining my background in business and my love for home decor, Black Sage Home was born.
Alright, 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?
Absolutely not! I can assure you that there have been many days where I’ve contemplated just giving up, but I’ve never been a quitter and throughout my life, I’ve overcome so many challenges. Aside from working a full-time job, I am also a single mom, which is a 24/7 position itself (which I wouldn’t trade for the world BTW). When my daughter was a baby, there were many weeks where I had to wait until my paycheck was deposited at midnight just to go buy her formula and diapers. For the first 18 months of her life, I drove almost 400 miles a week just to get her to her caregiver on the opposite side of town and make it to work. Looking at my life from the outside it may seem as though I’ve never had any struggles but I came to Atlanta alone, with very little financial support and though I had college to lean on, I still had to work to support myself and survive. When I became a mother in 2012, it further fueled my desire to become more financially stable and build a more secure life for both myself and my daughter. I want her to be proud of me and I want to be in a position where I can set her up to be more financially secure than I was at 17-18.
Currently, I work as a Senior Data Analyst during the day but the majority of my time away from work is spent building Black Sage Home. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint at heart and really requires consistency, discipline, a willingness to step out of your comfort zone, be a forever “student” and almost have “tunnel vision” at times because there will be many distractions along the way. And no matter how many books you read, or mentors you consult, there will always be unexpected roadblocks to navigate. Over the past few months, I’ve been learning how to pivot (due to supplier issue), international shipping delays, trademark issues, refining my niche/brand, funding and identifying which opportunities are best to seize at the right times. Despite these challenges, I am building a business that hopefully one day can support my family and continue to fulfill and share my creative desires.
Black Sage Home will be celebrating it’s one year anniversary this coming August and to date, we’ve participated in 4 local pop-ups and our candles and home fragrances can be found online at both our site www.blacksagehome.com and www.cupcakesandcashmere.com. I sometimes sit back in amazement at how far I’ve come in such a short time but still feel like I have such a long journey ahead of me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Black Sage Home was created with the intent to bring a little luxury into your intimate spaces. Born out of an obsession with creating warm and inviting environments, and the way scent transforms spaces and invokes memories, our brand encourages self-care and slow reflective moments.
We obsess over details and quality. Black Sage Home candles are developed, mixed and packaged in the founders’ home studio in Atlanta. Each candle is infused with phthalate-free, non-toxic, high grade, essential oils and fragrances, all-natural virgin coconut and soy wax and hand poured into a reusable glass vessel.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Support as an entrepreneur can come in many forms and on this journey I truly have to thank many of my friends, coworkers and family for supporting my business by way of purchasing products, sharing my business via social media or simply word of mouth. I also want to send a special thank you to my best friend since college, Nicholas, for being an early investor – it’s really encouraging having someone not only believe in you, but also believing in your dream. I also want to thank my friend LaTara for her constant encouragement and reassurance that I’m on the right path. She has been by my side at all of my pop-up events and every time I hit a milestone, she’s the first one I share it with. Being a business owner can be a lonely journey and having support, even if few in numbers, can be the fuel needed to make it through each challenge.
Much of my professional and business journey has been a solo venture but there have been individuals along the way that have made an impact. Many thanks also goes to my mom, who I believe at first didn’t think I was serious about my business until she started seeing orders being shipped and when I secured my first wholesale order! She has been helpful when it comes to labeling and packaging and hopefully as the business grows, I can bring her on “full time” to help. And lastly, I want to thank my daughter Aubree, she’s my forever cheerleader and even though it’s sometimes hard to pry her away from TikTok, doing her dolls hair or any other busy body activities she can find, she loves helping mix fragrances, pour candles and (sometimes) help pack orders. I don’t give her too hard of a time right now, but I often have to reassure her that the time that I’m putting in now to build and grow this business is to provide more freedom by way of time and finances for us in the future. Truthfully, as a mom/career and businesswoman, there is no real “balance”. Every day, I try my best to show up in each space and give my all.
A few months ago, my daughter told me that she told her teacher that her mom owns a business making candles and she subsequently presented a drawing of a brown skin superwoman and said it was me! Knowing that she’s watching me and is proud, makes my heart full and all the ups and downs of this journey worth it.
Pricing:
- Signature 12 oz candles – $48
- Minimalist 8oz candles – $34
- Room Mists – $24
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@blacksagehome.com
- Website: www.blacksagehome.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/blacksagehome
- Facebook: facebook.com/blacksagehome
Image Credits:
Sophia Victoria Photography, TZB Photos
