Unique Brightness on Cloudy Days

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jordan Martin, Founder of Cloudy Candle Company, located in Carmel, IN, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Cloudy Candle Co is primarily a candle business focused on creating secondhand functional art that can continuously bring brightness to your day. We have expanded into selling wire-wrapped candle tools, wax melts & more! We create unique, natural, non-toxic candles so you can breathe easily. Our customers have an interest in sustainability, art, mental health, and self-care.

Tell us about yourself

I first started making candles as a hobby while living alone during my senior year of undergrad. It has been proven that creating a new smell in your environment raises your dopamine and serotonin levels creating euphoric/happy feelings. I always have a candle lit, so I decided to try to make them myself! I started to create a business out of it during the pandemic while being unemployed with lots of time on my hands. I have been able to combine my love for painting (every candle jar is hand-painted by me!).

With my love for candles, along with creating products that can help with one's mental health, and it is such a blessing. Seeing my customers light up when receiving our products really motivates me to keep going every day. The creative outlet this business lets me have also is a big motivation because one day, I have the goal to make this my full-time job!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is getting through all the ups and downs of owning a business and not giving up! Running your own business is hard enough, but the scientific process behind creating candles can feel really defeating sometimes. But my goals keep me moving forward through all the trials and tribulations. I still am shocked that I have been able to grow this business from the ground up and have sold over 400 products to about 30 states in the US!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I have been blessed not to have had to get a full-time job since starting this business in 2020, but with recent price increases for living, I have had to pick up a full-time job which has been hard to balance with my candle business, taking care of my own well-being and other living things. It has really stipend my business's flow and slowed the product process down immensely. So balance is one of the hardest things that I have been dealing with as of late.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Set goals. Daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, yearly goals, ALL THE GOALS. So you can easily organize what you need to do and when. And also have something to look forward to and grow.
DON'T GIVE UP. No matter how hard things may get, you have the power to get through anything! If your business is struggling, look into why that may be and readjust! Success is not always on an upward path.
INVEST. Invest your time, money, and patience into creating the business for yourself! Your future self will thank you.

I recommend creating your own definition of success. You can look back to when you are feeling defeated in your business to remind yourself what truly matters! Everyone's definition of success will be different. My personal definition of success is that it does not lie in the number of likes, views, etc., on the internet. Success is a happy customer and doing the best you can with what was given. Success is never giving up.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://cloudycandleco.bigcartel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CLOUDYCANDLECO
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cloudycandleco/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CloudyCandleCo

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.

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