Why did you choose the specific industry your brand is in?
Aside from the personal symbolism, candles are a collaborative experience between the maker and the recipient. There’s a real sense of intention and connection on both sides that I love. We use candles as part of our daily rituals, our forms of worship, to mark moments of celebration and memorial, to uplift our moods and spaces, and as a symbol of abundance. To make something that provides a connective experience for someone else is deeply satisfying. When smell triggers a memory in someone, I can see this profound reaction occur. It’s as though the memory becomes tangible, and it’s visceral. This involuntary reflex can be an overwhelming flood of sensations and emotions. I’m really interested in the way scent can root us so deeply to a sense of time and place, and I’ve found it to be an incredible tool in connecting to ourselves on a deeper level.
What did you do before starting your business?
I did a little of everything. I like to be challenged and when I’m interested in something I strive for mastery. I started in retail at 16 and managed my first store at 21 (RIP Waldenbooks). I managed several stores throughout my 20’s, learning everything I could about the operations of all these huge companies. I learned from several leadership models and that was helpful in identifying what kind of leader I wanted to be and how much I love working with a team. I spent 3 years in loss prevention whereI detained shoplifters, conducted internal interviews, audits and safety trainings. Managing stores and working in loss prevention provided me valuable business acumen without having to get an MBA. I worked part time at a chocolate factory (yes, I ate so much chocolate!) during the 4 years I operated my textile business and leading up to the formation of Particle Goods. I spent time as a tour guide, a visual merchandiser and created new inventory systems. Working there gave me insight into other business areas such as sourcing, small batch production, sustainability, fair trade and Good Manufacturing Practices. Watching another business scale was a helpful experience in determining how I might scale my own brand later on. I spent years bouncing between traditional jobs and creative pursuits and at times it felt like I was never going to “figure it out.” In actually it helped me cut my teeth and develop some sharp skills even though I couldn’t see the whole picture.
The variety of job experiences helped me try on different business models and learn from them before choosing what would work best for my own, and I’m incredibly grateful for that. I’m less concerned with having it all figured out now, and instead I try to find ways to expand my knowledge and gain mentorship where possible.
What’s the most important thing you attribute to your success?
I’m a ‘done is better than perfect’ kind of person. Not having unlimited resources or time can be a valuable gift, because it pushes you to get over your fears and to allow you put things out there that you might not feel are perfect yet. I think that having deadlines and financial commitments pushed me to be a solution oriented person who becomes more curious when faced with a problem. Some of your ideas won’t work, some of your attempts to build a business may not work, but that shouldn’t keep you from trying. Start where you are and use what you have. Be open and curious to the process instead of fixating on the outcome. Sometimes your ideas or products may shift in a really beautiful way because of it.
What’s the hardest thing about being a business owner?
Protecting your time. It took me a long time to figure out how to set good work boundaries, especially when working from home. I try to be consistent with my work hours and schedule because I find that it makes it easier to protect my off time. I need time for rest and play and the occasional Netflix binge. I work best when I’m powering down from business related thoughts for part of the day. One of the things I’ve learned recently about myself is that I dislike having appointments or obligations in the middle of the day. It breaks my focus up in a way that makes it harder to gain momentum in my work and not be worried about how much time I have left to do something. It’s not always possible but understanding that I work better if my production time is not divided is really helpful and I can use that to make better time commitment decisions in the future.
What do you wish you knew when you were first starting your company?
Candle sales are somewhat seasonal. About 1/3 of candle sales happen in December. Even though summers provide the most opportunities for outdoor markets and craft shows a lot of folks tend to think about candle purchases in the cooler months. I find that having some other offerings, like our perfume, helps to balance that out and I use the slower months to build up stock and focus on our wholesale outreach or behind the scenes stuff. It’s good to know if your product has a high/low season.
Where do you see your company in 5 years?
Personally, I’m working on getting more experience in perfumery so we can continue to stand out among other fragrance companies. As for the overall business, I’m really focused on building Particle in a way that can grow our community impact. Seattle is a difficult city to live in, and while we donate a portion of our sales to local charitable organizations in an effort to make our community better, I think the strongest marker for community impact is the ability to provide jobs, skills and income that can go back into our city.
Any advice to someone wanting to take a leap of faith to start their own business?
Be patient. Write a business plan that includes your value statements so that they can inform your decisions from the beginning. Collect as much related experience as you can for as long as you can before leaving your job security. HIRE A BOOKKEEPER, we both know you’re not going to magically become good at math ;)
Your biggest inspiration?
Nature is the biggest influence, specifically ocean and desert landscapes. I’d love to visit Iceland and Greece next. Aside from that home décor and plants are a big inspiration too!
Favorite “Get Sh*t done” Song?
I KNOW it’s cliché, but Eye of the Tiger by Survivor is the song I play when I need motivation or the song I play in my car right before I have to do something that feels scary or hard.
Dream Brand Collab?
I’d love to work with another artist on a candle series. Some of my favorite female artists out there right now are: Blockshop Textiles, Heather Day, Chandlyr Jackson (of Freckled Fuchsia) and ceramicists Erica Williams, Katherine Moes and Samantha Lee.
