Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Charisse Adams. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Charisse, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I built my confidence and self-esteem by mainly three ways: 1) trying a whole bunch of random activities that interest me, 2) studying as much as I could in a given industry, and 3) being more compelled by my desire to try versus being fearful of failing or being judged.
Before I began this business, I tried everything and anything that sparked my interest. I would work for free or even pay sometimes for experiences just to explore what they were about. Having confidence or self-esteem was not as much of a factor here because I did not have to commit or tell anybody if I did not want to. I also feel its important to say that this process was organic for me and not something I planned – just how my life unfolded. Ultimately, these experiences gave me a basis to form my own opinion about what I was seriously into and what I could let go as just a fun or informative experience.
For the experiences that did interest me, I would study the broader space. I took online courses, interviewed people, read articles, blogs, and discussion boards. If I could get my hands on a market report, I would read through there. I would soak in anything that helped me have a better understanding of the space. Thinking back, this helped me understand how to start in building my own. That was key because I believe a component of not having confidence is just not having enough information about the space or where to start. Through this part of my life, I didn’t have much self esteem. To be honest, I did not believe I could do anything on my own and I sat in that for a while. While I was disabled in action-oriented activities, I did keep studying. I, now, know this was a part of the building blocks for the next phase.
Eventually, I realized you can only study so much. The materials I read were repetitive. It was hard to glean the insight I wanted from others’ words or experiences. I just felt like I was watching other people live their lives and here I was, stuck. I had all this information but I wasn’t doing anything with it.
In this part of life, my circumstances changed drastically and I had a fork-in-the-road situation. I was tired, stressed out and just felt like there had to be a better way. That began my journey down this path of building of my own business.
I was not very confident – just exhausted of how I lived. My confidence came over time, as I put ideas to action. It also came in levels. First, I gained the confidence to just try. When I started failing, i.e. my ideas were not receiving the positive feedback I needed, and saw that the world didn’t end, I was still loved by my people, I still at least liked myself, it gave me motivation to try again.
I eventually got confidence to build. I created a lot of prototypes and went to market with them, received great feedback from both my people and those I did not know (via pop-ups). This was a boost in confidence because I realized I could do something that mattered to someone else and that they would pay for.
Another critical piece of building my self-esteem was engaging with my small business and vendor community. Before going down this journey, I felt a lot of times that I was not understood & maybe just tolerated. When I entered this space, I felt that people would say my secret thoughts but for them, it was normal conversation. This gave me so much peace that I was not alone or that strange. & that’s the beautiful thing about finding like-minded people to be in your corner. You don’t have to explain to them what is already understood – it helps you focus on more productive thoughts and build your beautifully unique path.
The last thing I would say, in full transparency, is that I still struggle and maybe that will always be a part of my story. In those moments though, fake it, until I make it. I smile, put my head up, think of all those who love and support me, how I love me, and fight for what I want.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Char. I am the owner of Concrete Garden Candles. In the past, we focused on only scented candles. This year though, we are transitioning to candles and home decor. Our message is still the same – to provide pieces that are fun, beautiful, and help our clients create a space that they truly enjoy.
I’m a lover of business and crafting. Throughout my life, I have always kept these experiences separate. This brand allows me to combine them and create my own spin on it so that I can share with others.
The name Concrete Garden is a take on the pop culture references, ‘Concrete Jungle’ & ‘Secret Garden’. I wanted a brand that honored the reality of the hustle we have to live but also remember, the softness that we deserved in life too.
Many of our products also play with these two ideas. For example, our concrete half-face woman pieces are hand-crafted in-house with artisan concrete, sealed with natural wax, and filled with a scented candle.The design is a thoughtful or sultry woman, depending on how you look at her, but she’s still made with an industrial material. It gives soft with an edge that really helps up play up the themes of our brand.
Overall, I want to help people create a world that they want to live in. For me, that means taking what’s here and making it in a way that makes you smile.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
This journey is teaching so much. However, the most important lessons I’ve learned so far are: 1) Understanding gross profit, 2) Learning how to pivot, and 3) Using your authentic voice to build your brand’s story.
Understanding net profit
Finances can be so challenging. My background is accounting and its still a challenge for me. It’s still important. Here in New York City, we have tons of resources we can tap into such as NYC Business Solutions that can help us navigate them. The federal resource, Small Business Association (SBA), is also a great resource that can be accessed anywhere in the states. A non-for-profit that I love, HelloAlice, also provides resources and sometimes, partners with corporations for coaching sessions. All that to say that for me, learning how to translate what I was doing to sales and costs has been an ongoing and key process for me. For example, I was exploring so much through this business (some would call it research and development). That was fine in the beginning – I had to learn – but over time I had to consider if the cost was worth it. The main way I made the decision was based off of my net profit. The question I have to ask is, Did this cost translate into growth for the business? The follow up question, Is there a better way to grow without this cost? These considerations have helped me make decisions that improve net profit (what I can take home or reinvest into my business). This helps my business stay alive.
Learning to pivot
When I first started this business, I was so major on being minimalist in my products. All my bigger candles had hardly any labels or designs on them because I felt like my niche preferred simplicity and pieces within their interior that blended well with their other decor items. However, I realized it’s actually flipped for my niche (which I found out by mostly by engaging with customers and through observation at pop-ups). People enjoy something different and for the most part, fun. If it can be natural and repurposed? Even better. Changes have happened over time but most of our products have been created considering this kind of feedback. Generally, when any of us are first creating something, its in silo. There’s no understanding of who we are serving and what they’re into. For some businesses, it doesn’t matter. Many businesses, though, have to consider their end user. For me, remaining open to feedback and to the pivot has helped me adjust to the desires of my customers and clients. Sometimes, this means just adding something extra to the existing design. This also may make more sense if you are limited from a budget and resource perspective. Other times, it means going in a completely different. Either way, I think it’s important to remember that your first version of a product or service may have to go through a series of iterations before its what your target market wants. & that’s ok.
Using your authentic voice to share your brand’s story
I believe one of the most important parts of business, aside from fulfilling a need or desire, is sharing a relatable experience with others. This comes through the story you share through your brand. I feel that talking about my WHY for this business has helped build it. My emphasis on creating a relaxing space comes from experience of living in a small, overcrowded New York City apartment. The reason why having fun matters to me is because I know the opposite – working to the max and still not having room for fun or even just a break. Encouraging other people to create the world that they want to live in stems from my experience of not doing anything to create the world I was living in. For many in my niche, they get it or are inspired by it. & all I was doing was sharing my truth. I believe it can be the same for other brands, especially those starting out. We all have a story that is relatable and needs to be heard.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I recently read Dream First, Details Later by Ellen Bennett. I really enjoyed the author sharing her story because she talks through her beginnings, which were a little chaotic, and eventually, how she formalized and established her business.
Some highlights include the following:
1) She spoke about bootstrapping and how she worked her job for awhile and concurrently, built her business. She also stressed the importance of never spending more than you earn and having a savings.
2) She explored her experiences where she had to learn to adjust to the needs of her business. This included getting staff that were aligned to the brand’s mission and direction. Also, she talked about how she developed as business person, learning to accept criticism and navigating difficult conversations.
3) She spoke about the switch from being reactive to proactive, specifically by creating formal processes so that she could minimize the ‘fires’ that arose in her business.
4) I also appreciated her tenacity and determination to connect with established people within her industry. She was as much courageous as she was fearless – that was inspiring.
There were a lot of nuggets throughout the book. I listened through Audible where she narrated for a little 4 hours.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://concretegardencandles.com/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/concretegardencandles
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/concretegardencandles
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/concrete-garden-candles
Image Credits
Char Adams Marlon Row Joliette Mandel
