Before we get into how it's going, let's get into how it started. The tea:
I knew I wanted to start a business before I knew what I wanted to sell.
It was May of 2020, the beginning of COVID, and I had just finished college and began working as a temp at a data entry job. I was so happy to have a job outside of the food industry, but the quiet atmosphere and lack of natural light starkly contrasted the hustle and grind of a typical work day in a restaurant environment. Needless to say, I was bored and needed some form of mental or physical exercise, so I began passing the days by listening to various podcasts while I worked. I listened to mostly mindset, personal growth, and entrepreneurship podcasts until one day I stumbled across Dave Kern's The American Perfumer on Spotify and took a more serious interest in the fragrance industry. I remember thinking, "I found my calling!" a joyous epiphany that was short-lived as it was followed by a recollection of my intro to chemistry class in college and how I relied on make-ups and extra credit to get a decent enough grade. So I did what anyone would do in this situation and promptly started researching the next best thing I could think of: How to make a candle.
(Photo: some of the many notes I jotted down as I listened to podcasts and conducted my research.)
Resme Candle Co. was born in October of 2020.
The name Resme came from combining part of the word "Reset" and "Me" to acknowledge the rejuvenating properties that candles and fragrance can have on your mood. I started selling to friends, coworkers, family members, and handing out samples with my new business card to shops on the town square. Around this time I also began working as an assistant manager at a Buff City Soap Corporate location where I was finally surrounded by other creatives just like me with a passion for fragrance. I also found an amazing support system of wonderful people who invested in my brand and lifted me up both personally and professionally. I wouldn't be where I am today without their support and encouragement!
(Photo: "self love" champagne-scented + hand-poured soy wax candle jar)
Despite the overwhelming support my business was given, I felt that my branding was missing the mark somehow. In addition to my brand message being unclear, I wanted to have the opportunity to diversify my product lines in the future away from selling just candles. So I knew I had to make some big changes and pivot to take my business to new levels.
One and a half years after launching, Resme Candle Co. Rebranded to Scent and Spill Studios!
Scent & Spill literally came to me in a dream. (I know this sounds like something Salvador Dalí might say, but hear me out) it was May of 2022 and I had a long list of potential business names in my notes section, yet none of them felt quite right. I must have been reading over them before bed because around 3 am I woke up suddenly as the name Scent & Spill popped into my mind. I quickly grabbed my dream journal and scribbled it down before it escaped forever. When I woke up for real that morning I thought it over and felt such certainty in my body that this name was THE name for my branding and it was gonna encompass all things bold and fun.
(Photo: first Scent & Spill product photoshoot at Funky Fun Studios in Dallas, TX. Pictured is the "daydream" hand-poured soy wax candle tin.)
By this point, I am working at Purveyors of Fragrance, a candle manufacturer based out of Dallas, Texas, where I have gotten the opportunity to assist in bringing all of my bosses' wonderful ideas to life through product development, testing, and pouring lots of candles! So basically I'm a candle maker living, breathing, and just about eating candles every day, but I wouldn't change a thing about this journey.
Currently, I'm focusing on getting my product into more stores locally, expanding my product lines to include more home decor items, and most of all, having lots of fun!
I am so glad I took that leap of faith and started a business, because it was here that I found a net of support in my peers, mentors, and my community. I'm so hopeful to see where this business goes in the future and aim to keep lifting up and inspiring other entrepreneurs in the way that so many amazing people have done for me.
That's the tea!
Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear any comments from you about future blog ideas, questions you may have, or just use it as a space to spill the tea on whatever you've got goin' on!
