Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Decker
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Like many artisan makers, it started with experimenting at home and giving a lot of candles away. Shortly before Lee and I (Elizabeth) got married, I had stumbled upon some videos About how to make candles. I began researching the science, the process, and the craft of not just making candles, but making high quality, clean burning candles that would not give me headaches like so many candles from big box stores had done. A few months later, after our wedding in March, Lee encouraged me to just order some supplies and start experimenting. Friends and family loved the candles, and I kept working to make them better and more efficiently. By December of 2021, we made a website and started a business. We called it the Jackabee Candle Company because our dog, Yonah, is a Jack Russel + Beagle–a Jackabee.
We did our first ever market in February of 2022. It was freezing cold, but it was so exciting to see people actually taking our candles home. So we did more markets. And we developed more products. We got more active on social media. By March of 2023, I was turning down markets simply because I didn’t have enough time. So Lee encouraged me to go full time. I dove in head first. By September, I was considering hiring someone else. So Lee came aboard as well. Then we outgrew our home studio, so we moved into Made Mercantile in Downtown Woodstock, where we make all of our products, do classes, and sell in the retail area there. It functions as a small business incubator program that is done by the city of Woodstock.
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?
I think making the leap into doing this full time was the hardest thing. I was a teacher at the time, which I loved, so it was sad to leave the school I was at. I stayed on their sub list just to have an excuse to visit from time to time. I was so afraid to walk away from a steady paying job, but my teaching paycheck continued into the summer, which helped give a safety jet for those first few months. That was so immensely helpful because we were able to take most of the profit from those first few months and use it to grow our business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We primarily make candles as our name suggests, but we do other fragrance products as well, such as wax melts, room sprays, car scents, Reed diffusers, etc. We use soy most of the time, but we are starting to explore working with some beeswax as well. We are also beginning to expand into some candle accessories and other home items.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Do it even if you’re not sure you can. There is no part of me that ever thought I could do anything entrepreneurial, but then I did. And I never imagined it could be my full time job. But then it was. I never imagined I could have something I made on a shelf at an actual store for people to buy, but then it was. And all because I did it anyway.
Pricing:
- $10-$45
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jackabeecandles.com
- Instagram: @jackabeecandlecompany
