Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in candle-making but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Leslie Mayes, Founder of Leshay Candles, LLC., located in Madison, AL, USA.

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

Leshay Candles is a handcrafted, luxury home fragrance brand specializing in toxin-free coconut apricot wax candles. Our candles are phthalate, sulfate, paraben, and dye free. We offer our customers a cleaner burning luxury candle.

Tell us about yourself

I am Leslie Mayes, the founder of Leshay Candles, LLC. I left corporate America when my son was born disabled, and later down the road, he had to endure multiple surgeries over the course of several years and required 24-hour care. I was so focused on taking care of my son that I neglected my own self-care. I then realized how important self-care was and that I should never feel guilty for taking care of myself because if I don't take care of myself, I can't take care of anyone else.

Candles always helped me to relax, but the types of candles that I was burning at the time were filled with toxic ingredients, didn't burn evenly, and were causing my husband to have respiratory issues. I wanted to create a luxury candle that was stylish, eco-friendly, toxin-free and burned evenly because it would give consumers a toxin-free, cleaner-burning option for the types of candles that they were burning in their homes.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is being blessed with the knowledge and skills to create a toxin-free candle that my customers can fully enjoy while indulging in the luxury experience and the ambiance that our candles give.

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

As a business owner, there are multiple tasks that I have to complete on a daily basis, and the hardest thing is staying on top of everything while trying to complete each task in a timely manner and keeping everything organized.

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

  1. Keep God first and write out a business plan.
  2. Don't be afraid to take risks. Business is full of wins and failures, but you have to take the failures as a learning curve and keep going. There's no successful business that hasn't gone through failures.
  3. Get out of your own head and realize that you are enough, and don't compare yourself to others or try to copy everything that your competitors are doing. Be unique, stand out, and be you!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I would like to offer a discount code for the readers to try out our luxury candles and home fragrance products. Get 20% off of your order by using the code: LUXE20 - We offer free shipping on all USA orders.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.leshaycandles.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leshaycandles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leshaycandles/

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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