You can get by with a little help from your Friends.

You can get by with a little help from your Friends.

Sometimes, tough experiences can yield amazing results.Over the last few months, I can easily say I have experienced the toughest conditions as a business owner I have ever faced. It is at these times that my friends and family have stepped in and saved the day.  I have been encouraged to share some of that story here.  I normally keep my online presence as positive as I can but at times I believe it to be really important to also share the other side of things.

To begin, in recent times a rival candle company had been scoping out my business with the intent to take what I do and move in on my space in the market. In a highly aggressive move, they bought the remaining stock of the candle tins I use from my stockist.  As you may imagine, at this time of year that can have devastating results and it really was a hard blow. I suspect they even attended some of my workshops.

In an attempt to have a very negative impact on my sales at this critical time of year, something amazing happened. Luckily, I had been testing and sourcing a new style of tin for release in 2018. I was able to get a large order of these in and started making day and night. These tins allow for a better scent throw, they burn down beautifully and cost less!

I had already worked with the insanely talented Abigail and Ryan of AbigailRyan on a re-design of the labels. These guys totally understand me and my brand (better than I do) and really came through for me. Even down to the wording.  They were able to take my initial designs and revamp them while still holding true to my style and ideas. Along with this, they have done photos for another range of candles and helped me with the structuring of the business through their mentoring scheme, which I honestly could not recommend highly enough. They gave me the confidence to really push ahead into the retail sector and I haven’t looked back since.

Next to step in was Maria and Jenny from McGowans print, here in Belfast. They pretty much had the new stickers to me in next to no time, even dropping them off at a local café. I have been using this local company for a few years now and cannot recommend them enough.

The third part of the story is Kat, from  Kat Mervyn Photography. I dropped off the new candles to Kat and she started snapping away. Kat got me the photos through and I was able to get them online straight away. Kat had originally photographed the original Irish collection and carried through with the same stunning style.

During all this my friends, Sister and Mom kept me uplifted and supported.  Without their late night phone calls and a few shoulders to cry on, I would not have got through this.

Lastly, you guys and your support though your visits to the markets, online purchases and social media connections, have always reminded me why I love what I do and really helps me stay inspired.

Through it all, I have had the un-ending love from my wonderful dog and companion Teddy.  A huge and heart felt thank you to all you guys. I truly am so lucky and am humbled by all the support. Peace out everyone.