Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in candle-making but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Joyce Smith, Owner of Ascentuate Wix, located in Fairview Heights, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Ascentuate Wix offers notable fragrances for the mind, body, and soul ~ handmade with LOVE!! We offer long-lasting, soy-blend candles with wooden wicks, powerful room sprays, and scented candy, also known as wax melts!
Our target audience is YOU! We carry an array of fragrances for all. For the women who love woodsy, earthy fragrances, we have just the fragrance for you! Men, we didn’t forget about you either! We offer strong-manly, floral, and sweet fragrances you’re guaranteed to love!! We also create custom candles for anniversaries, birthdays, and even personal gifts from Realtors!! No idea is too big or small!! Give us your vision, and we’ll create your lovely candle or gift set! Now, prepare to awaken your scentsibilities!
Tell us about yourself
I am Joyce Smith, the founder of Ascentuate Wix. I am a native of East Saint Louis, Illinois – the little BIG city! My life is a true roller coaster ride serving our vets by day and educating our young adults by night – all while being the sole provider of my own starving college. College tuition is what started the candle business! Buy a candle, send my kids to college!! Funny but true story! Not to mention, I LOVE candles!! I would burn candles from sun up to sun down! Yet, the candles I was purchasing would burn so fast. I had to figure out a way to make my own candles but make them last longer! With all the free time I had been an empty nester, I decided to focus on what I liked! What brought me joy… CANDLES!! After months of research (cause no one told me making candles was an art and science), I birthed Ascentuate Wix!
My motivation comes from serving others. Serving others is my specialty and constructing flavorful aromas is my chemistry! I created Ascentuate Wix to bless your happy place with delicate fragrances to captivate the essence of your soul. Ascentuate Wix is an aromatic journey bound to awaken your scentsibilities!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is remaining in business!! LOL… being a business owner is challenging! Now, add handmade products to the equation craziness!! No one knows the countless times I quit behind doors! Yet when those orders start rolling in, I run to the lab to create my love candles!! I welcome the challenge of being a chandler! Finding or creating the perfect fragrance that marries the wax I use is pure bliss!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the most challenging things about being a chandler is creating fragrances or finding the right fragrance for the wax you use. Everything with candle-making is all about testing! I had to find the right waxes (since I blend two different types of wax), the right vessels, and wicks to allow my candles to get as much burn time as possible. I don’t want people wasting money on my product to enjoy it momentarily. I wanted long-lasting candles!
After finding the right wax, vessel, and wick, I needed fragrances to set my candle apart from all of the other glorious candles on the market. Testing fragrances to create your own fragrance can be extremely challenging. Since there aren’t any candle supply stores in my area, I have to order samples. Once I mix and match fragrances and test them, I can now order the fragrances we will offer. It can be a long, complicated process!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
My top 3 tips would be to first do your research. Research is extremely important when deciding to start a business. This will let you know if you are willing to give everything necessary to own your own business! Second, allow room for errors! There will be days when things aren’t right. You’ll forget to order those bags or that fragrance oil. You may decide to rebrand and choose a different vessel that just doesn’t work for your business style. A variety of things can and will go wrong! However, learn from those mistakes and KEEP GOING!! Last, remember why you started and simply have fun!! That’s hard because it’s business, right?! But candles are my passion! I love candles! Most importantly, I truly enjoy creating products that my customers love too!!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://ascentuatewix.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ascentuatewix/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentuatewix/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.
