We recently connected with Reggie & Kena Odrick and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Reggie & Kena , thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
Burnout can occur fast or over time when working in your business. Something that was once a passion, can quickly feel like a chore and become overwhelming. Our small candle business began as something that kept our minds occupied during the pandemic. We received tons of orders and support in the beginning, but once the newness runs off, maintaining your customer base, gaining new customers, and learning how to keep your business thriving can be a challenge.
We found ourselves having full time jobs, part time jobs, along with working on our business everyday of the week. Our business was growing and as we were learning, we felt the need to dedicate majority of our time to it. Soon we realized that we were mentally drained because our productivity, and eventually sales, decreased. We physically felt the effects of burnout as we began to feel tired all the time, frequently became sick, didn’t sleep well. Emotionally, we overall lost motivation.
Once we recognized that burnout was a issue within the business, We began putting systems in place to help us streamline productivity. We began to only ship our items certain days of the week, having weekly meetings on what needed to be accomplished for the week, pre planning emails and social media post. We did this consistently, which was a gamechanger. This freed up time for us to do other things that were outside of our business. We also made sure to take more time off.
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?
We are Reggie and Kena, the owners of Hill and River Collection. We are a small business that focuses on connecting with people through fragrances. Candles to be exact. We name our candles after different places within our home state, Virginia. We found that this not only connects us with our state base customers, but this allows them to gift their loved ones and friends with something they love, which is home. We also enjoy hearing the memories that sense of scent brings our customers. We blend our fragrances to make unique scents that you are unlikely to find elsewhere.
We currently sell on our website, www.hillandrivercollection.com and we also offer wholesale options.
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?
Sales- Reggie has a background in sales and is very knowledgeable about the customer experience. He is great with marketing the brand. Adaptability- Understanding that you have to learn new skills is the first step to being open to expand. We both had to learn website hosting and how to connect and maintain customers via email.
Time Management- this skill alone allows us to separate personal and business. Its also allows us to be organized and get items accomplished for our business.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Yes, we are always looking to collaborate with other businesses. We are actively looking to collaborate with wineries, coffee shops, boutique owners, floral shops that can house our candles and also gives us the opportunity to partner with them to make custom candles.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hillandrivercollection.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/hillandrivercollection
Image Credits
Tina Take My Photo
