Life & Work with Beth Hughes of ATHENS

Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Hughes.

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?
At a young age I was obsessed with reading product labels and pitting things in jars. I love jars. And I love reading about products for women – That gave way to flipping through magazines, gawking at entrepreneur’s on the pages somehow Knowing I could be one of them. One Christmas I sat down and had a real talk with myself and decided to make the jump. I left 16 years of corporate America behind in early 2018 to step into entrepreneurship. It is still the best decision I have ever made. Not knowing at the time I left my marketing director position, I was expecting. my son Heywood. Now Heywood is one of our top sellers. I began to chip away at the little studio in my backyard, expanding the brand, engaging in more retail relationships, and growing my extensive clientele through creative collaborations. Looking back at my early years, I have always just loved putting things into bottles. A telltale sign of an apothecary girl…

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I had received wonderful advice about always giving Little Light Co. its day in the sun. Meaning, always put your brand on your product so I get my acknowledgment and marketing’s worth out of each client. Well, along comes a designer that really had a good idea in their mind, but it was her way only. It was in the early tears of little light co and I was eager to gain bigger names and cooler client if you will. I allowed them to private label in exchange for social and digital media recognize, which never happened. Silly me. I allowed their graphic designers to submit the labels, which i always designed myself. They were a mess and all to be reordered. Again, silly me.
Hold the line! Know your worth and remember the reason you set your brand standards and collaborative guidelines is to elevate and protect your company and artisanship. I will never private label, if you want to work with us, your know our products have a n excellent reputation and we add value to your gifting.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Little Light Co. is a southern soy candle and home goods company designing sophisticated scents and products. Hughes creates the distinctive scents in her Athens, Ga home, inspired by the natural surroundings of the South. Made with natural botanicals, organic soy wax is blended with coconut oil and finished with all 100% all natural cotton wick. Scents include: Lavender & Lace, Porch Swing, Honeysuckle, Marmalade, Clothes Pin, Ginkgo and Longleaf Pine. Simply put, she pours the South right into a mason jar. And the result is just as charming as you’d expect.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Wellness is not a trend, its a lifestyle. For those of us with growing concerns about what we put in our bodies all natural apothecary is one tool in our holistic toolbox. I think as women are becoming acutely more aware of Menopause, so are the benefits of magnesium soaks and calming rituals we need will be a health priority for us all. Big Shifts? Yea – go back to the little companies and the slow small batch way of doing things. Your mind body and soul will thank you.

Pricing:

• Travel Tin Soy Candles $12
• Salt Soaks $18
• Aromatherapy Mists $18
• Soy Candles $25+

Contact Info:

• Website: https://littlelightco.com/contact-about/
• Instagram: @littlelightco

Image Credits
PHOTOs Headshots of Beth are LIZ MCSHANE

product shots WHITEWOOD EVENTS