We were lucky to catch up with Keonna Rutley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Keonna, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I keep my creativity alive by constantly thinking about what I could try or change. Whether it’s trying different fragrances or set up for markets, I’m always looking for a new ideas. I study other businesses to see what they are doing to draw in the customers attention.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I started Infinite Glow Candle Co. in the spring of 2020. Due to the pandemic, I was laid off from my job. I felt like I needed a hobby or something to do while at home. I have always loved candles, so I looked into how to make them and bought a starter kit. Once I got the process down, I decided to turn it into a business. With the support of my family and closest friends, I launched in the spring of 2020.
What sets Infinite Glow Candles apart from other candles is the quality components that I use. The soy wax is a high-quality wax that is natural and kosher. I use fragrance oils that are free of phthalates and
carcinogens to make the candles as safe as possible for people and pets. I also use cotton wicks that are threaded with paper. This prevents mushrooming tips and there’s no need to trim them.
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?
One skill that impacted my journey is patience. It took a lot of research and testing to make a quality candle. I went through quite a bit of wax and fragrance oils learning the process. YouTube videos helped a lot. Another skill I believe that helped me is mathematics. It’s a lot of weighing and measuring the wax and fragrance oils. Learning how many candles a pound of wax makes. Lastly, the willingness to learn and to keep learning. The candle business has been learning the trends of the candle world. Every season or year is not the same.
My advice to anyone starting a business is to do your research. Not just about the product or service you want to provide, but also the target audience that you want to reach, the ups and downs of the market and brainstorm ideas of how you want to get to work out about your business or service.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My family and friends have been the most helpful with overcoming challenges and helping me with ideas. Whenever I want to make a change or question myself about anything with the candle business, I ask for their opinions. They are all honest and also give great advice. Whether the feedback is positive or negative, I appreciate it. This has helped my growth tremendously.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://infinite-glow-candle-co.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infinite_glow_candle_co/profilecard/?igsh=NnlidnJ3MzR5dWh5
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14LVefxbEA/?mibextid=wwXIfr
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
