It started with a question many new parents ask themselves: what's actually in this stuff we're bringing into our home?
Join Bora Celik as he chats with Michelle Simmons, Founder/CEO Slow North.
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For Michelle Simmons, that simple question during her maternity leave in 2015 led to an unexpected journey from corporate sales professional to founder of Slow North, a thriving natural candle and wellness brand. But unlike most founder stories that begin with a lifelong passion for their craft, Michelle wasn't a candlemaker. She wasn't even planning to make anything herself.
"I was going to outsource it. It was gonna be an Amazon only business," Michelle recalls with a laugh. "I would just design the packaging and do all of the marketing."
The reality turned out quite differently. After ordering hundreds of candles from different manufacturers, Michelle wasn't satisfied with what she received. "The performance of them was a little weak," she explains. "I felt like I could make stronger candles that were still natural."
So there she was, baby strapped to her chest, experimenting with wax and essential oils in her detached garage. Her entrepreneurship degree and natural inclination toward business-building were about to merge with something more hands-on than she'd initially planned.
The turning point came at local markets, where Michelle would set up a simple table to get direct feedback from potential customers. These face-to-face interactions proved invaluable, helping her understand exactly what people wanted. "I started playing around with the blend of wax and coconut oil and making candles," she says. "You get real-time feedback on the new scent blend or a size of candle or how the price is landing with customers."
One early lesson? People were hesitant to commit to larger candles without knowing the scent. "I was like, OK, I can do a mini tin, like a two ounce tin," Michelle explains. "At least I can get you to commit to one small candle to take it home, fall in love with it, and then hopefully return to our website and get the larger version."
The brand's signature scent, Eucalyptus and Lavender, emerged as an early winner and has remained their bestseller for nine years. "It feels like a spa," Michelle notes. "If someone wants to relax and light a candle, Eucalyptus Lavender is a really good go-to."
As the business grew, Michelle found herself at a crossroads. What started as a side hustle was demanding more attention, especially when wholesale accounts started rolling in. "I was getting busy... I'm getting the feedback from customers that this might work," she remembers. With some savings and her husband's stable job providing a safety net, she took the leap to full-time entrepreneurship.
But the transition wasn't without its challenges. "Terrifying," Michelle says about leaving her successful sales career. The seasonal nature of candle sales added another layer of complexity – after all, who wants to light a candle when it's 100 degrees in Texas?
The business has evolved significantly since those early garage days. What began as a planned Amazon-only brand has grown into a multi-channel business with a retail location, a production facility, and a team of eleven people. They've expanded beyond candles into therapy packs (weighted eye masks and neck wraps filled with unscented lentils), and their products have been picked up by major retailers like Anthropologie and Crate & Barrel.
Looking back, Michelle sees the value in staying nimble and listening to customer feedback. But she's also learned some tough lessons about scaling and forecasting, especially in the post-COVID landscape. "Our wholesale has declined... And it's been hard to forecast and wrap my head around. How do we navigate that forward?"
Today, Slow North continues to evolve. They're consolidating their retail and production spaces to create an immersive experience where customers can watch products being made and even take candle-making classes. These classes have become a bright spot in the business, offering a hands-on experience in an increasingly digital world.
"Everyone walks out beaming," Michelle says. "They're so happy with themselves."
The name Slow North perfectly captures the brand's ethos – "slow living" paired with the idea of finding your way forward. As Michelle puts it, "We're all wayfinding our way through life. It's like a directionally positive way that we're heading."
For someone who initially planned to outsource everything, Michelle has embraced the maker's journey, even if it meant learning to sew therapy packs along the way. Her story serves as a reminder that sometimes the best business plans are the ones that evolve naturally, guided by customer feedback and a willingness to adapt.
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