Meet Kia’ Cooper

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kia’ Cooper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kia’ below.

Kia’ , thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
As an individual who thrives off ideation, even I have struggled with creativity in my journey as a business owner. In what some may call a “saturated” market, I often find myself developing ways to set my self apart and stand out from others. There are two main ways in which I do so, one of which is remaining authentic. As hard as it may seem, I don’t force myself to come up with ideas surrounding my business. While I may have an overarching theme or concept in mind, I allow my ideas, designs, labels, marketing, ect to come to me naturally and jot them down as they come. One single idea drives the creativity and one thought populates, another, and then another until I have a fully generated concept and can proceed to execute. Secondly, I remain in the know and understand what’s relevant and popular in not only my industry but around the world. I wonder how I can make an idea my own and work effortlessly to ensure my products are not only safe and functional, but unique to both myself, my culture and my business. A mixture of these two components keeps my creativity alive and going!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Coop To Candle serves as a candle and home essentials business based out of my hometown, Jacksonville, Florida (Duvallllll). After over a year of research, I established CTC in 2021 and founded my business as a way to share a piece of myself and my culture as a woman candle chandler. While my initial focus was candles alone, I quickly expanded my product line to include wax melts, room/linen sprays, and bundle boxes to appeal to a variety of home fragrance lovers. As a small business owner, I hand-pour in small batches, design marketing content and labels, and package and ship all my products single-handedly. I love creating unique and memorable names for all my products and hope to trigger personal memories through the variety of fragrances I offer. Currently, I am testing and curating new products to launch by the end of 2023 which will include hand-made soaps and dessert candles. I continuously work to ensure my products are both functional and safe for all of my customers and strive to have them encounter positive vibes and a stress free energy upon opening their packages. A few of my long-term goals for CTC is to wholesale for stores across the country and eventually expand into a brick and mortar.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
While my journey has not always been filled with rainbows and sunshine, I am thankful for it. If I could give any advice, the first suggestion would be to do your research. Learn about the industry, conduct market research, understand how you plan to make an impact. Do not be discouraged because you see others with a similar idea as you, just find ways to set yourself apart. Secondly, do not strive for perfection, it’s unrealistic. Before I launched my website, I was hyper fixed on having everything perfect; everything from the lighting in product photos to the wicks and labels being exactly centered, ect. Some of the best advice I was ever given was to “just start”. Things will eventually fall into place and come together, but you won’t know how you can grow until you have something to grow from. Also, do not delay your purpose and progress with what-ifs as the fear of failure and the unknown can overpower your will to move forward. Lastly, for anyone who is starting a business, new venture, or even hobby, one of the key things to remember is to not compare your journey to others. While this can be very difficult, you have to shift your mindset to focus on YOU and your goals. Do not look to social media, similar businesses, or others to redirect or define you. I’ve had thoughts of giving up plenty of times, but I am still standing and thankful for all I have accomplished.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I would not still have a business today if it were not for the support of some of my closest friends and mother. They have played a critical role in my development as a personal and business owner. This journey is not for the weak, as long as you have one person who can be reliable and supportive throughout your journey, it will make such a huge difference in your success. We like to think we can do everything on our own, and if you’re like me, you may be reluctant to ask for help. However, when others see how motivated and dedicated you are, they will gravitate to your energy and willingness to win, they will feel your “why”. I am more than grateful for my small inner circle for everything they have contributed – everything from testing products, sending me event/vendor opportunities, and promoting and patronizing my business time and time again. I could not imagine this journey without their support!