Meet Lawdie Pahlavan

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lawdie Pahlavan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lawdie, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I’m constantly inspired by the resilience of my friends and family. This year alone I’ve seen several close friends go through losses and come out on the other side more self assured and excited to tackle whatever’s next. When faced with a layoff two years ago I never felt the desire to give up and wallow because of the support of so many people around me. While I searched for a job I used the time channel some of my unused creativity towards this small project, starting with drawing the logo and designing the bags. As it grew into a real business, I discovered this undeniable sense of accomplishment that only comes from starting something that is all your own. Although being laid off was tough, I’m grateful for the forced space away from my career because I’m not sure if I would’ve had the opportunity to open Lawdie’s otherwise.

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 run an online candy shop that specializes in fancy candies from the UK and Scandinavia. All our imported candies are made thoughtfully, non GMO and free of HFCS/dyes/trans fat. I wanted to open a candy shop because I simply love candy, a self proclaimed candy monster since I was little. What I love most about candy is that it’s truly for everyone, no matter your age, culture, gender or socioeconomic status. It brings instant joy to children and has this nostalgic quality for adults. Serving up a dose of happiness with something so simple is a no brainer to me. Every time I saw a candy shop when I traveled I felt at home, it gave me a sense of comfort no matter how far away I was from home. These European sweets have delightful textures and sensational flavors, they really are in the league of their own. Paired with our cute packaging I knew we had a hit in the making!

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?

It’s always hard to start something new especially when it requires investment and opens you up to judgement. Something I continue to work at is simply finishing. My partner, Ryan, passed along the best advice he ever received: get in the habit of finishing the task at hand. When I first started the candy shop I dragged my feet a little, unsure if I could actually accomplish what I set out to do. As I kept taking next steps I felt like I could just continue pushing forward. Focusing on the immediate task at hand and then moving to the next on the to do list helped me open the business without feeling overwhelmed or seeing my goals as out of reach.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I have a few friends who decided to start their own (very different) businesses at the same time I did mine—shout out to Living in Cahoots and Sort It Out! We are leaning on each other for advice, marketing ideas, outreach tips, and as collaborative soundboards when we’re stuck or need a fresh point of view. It’s rewarding to see how their businesses are growing and it makes the whole experience feel more communal.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.lawdiescandy.com
• Instagram: @lawdiescandy

Image Credits

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