We were lucky to catch up with Xavier Peoples recently and have shared our conversation below.
Xavier , 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?
To keep my creativity alive, I constantly seek inspiration from various sources like exploring new places, engaging with different forms of art, and interacting with people from various backgrounds. I also make time for regular brainstorming sessions and creative exercises, and maintain a routine that includes listening to entrepreneurial podcasts hitting the gym & yoga this helps keep my mind clear and open to new ideas.
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?
I’m Xavier Peoples & I’m a full time entrepreneur growing my candle company Top Shelf Candle Co I started making candles out of recycled liquor bottles during the pandemic I was furloughed from my career as a 10 year flight attendant & I was looking for a hobby to earn extra income I was taking the trash out one day & saw all of these liquor bottles in the recycling bin & thought to myself how could I turn this trash into treasure. After some research & self taught lessons on glass cutting I started creating candles & selling them online. One day I went on a date to a local candle making class that I thought was pretty boring so I decided to create my own candle making class that was interactive & unique. Combing my unique candles & my flight attendant experience with customer service i started hosting weekly candle classes at local venues. Almost every class was sold out! I decided to leave my career as a flight attendant & take on the entrepreneur journey full time. After 5 months of teaching weekly classes & crafting candles out of my brothers garage I moved into a 2,500 warehouse that I’ve since transformed into the home for Top Shelf Candle Co. Currently I am in year 2 of running my business full time we have weekly candle class, private events & pop up creative events like paint & sip, wine tasting, door mat painting, figurine painting & more. The space allows me to get as creative as I can & create new & fun activities for the charlotte area. Moving forward I’m looking to expand the company & grow more into the retail market by opening up a retail store in Charlotte first then franchising & bringing the experience to other states
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?
Looking back, three qualities that were most impactful in my journey as an entrepreneur were resilience, adaptability, and networking.
Entrepreneurship is filled with ups and downs. The ability to bounce back from failures and setbacks is very important. The business landscape is constantly changing, and being able to adapt and stay updated on trends is key to long-term success.
For those early in their journey, my advice is to start small and be patient. Take small steps to build your skills and knowledge in these areas, and remember that progress takes time. Surround yourself with supportive individuals, stay curious and open-minded, and don’t be afraid to take risks and learn from your experiences.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
In the past 12 months my biggest area of growth has been time management. Initially, I found myself trying to handle every aspect of the business on my own, which led to feeling burntout. By learning to prioritize tasks and responsibilities, I’ve been able to focus on strategic decisions and growth opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://topshelfcandlesco.com/
- Instagram: topshelfcandlesco
- Facebook: Top Shelf Candles Co
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