Meet Becki Olejnik

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

Becki, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I believe I was born with it, yet also experienced resilience in my home too. I didn’t really have many obstacles as a child to overcome as I naturally was strong willed and passionate about life/sports/faith and relationships. However, I experienced a situation in 2018 which changed me tremendously. It’s difficult to explain but the best way is to say I experienced a physical response to a situation. So my body took over and I was unable to control it. I experienced symptoms beyond explanation and with that comes fear, anxiety and searching for answers. I had found myself in the ER, many doctors’ appointments, taking many supplements (I am not privy to medications), medical testing etc. It was an extremely difficult time for me. I had sought out methods I had learned to help in my healing, acupuncture, EMDR, talk therapy and most importantly prayer with my local church to help calm down my body’s physical response. I realized I really had only one response, I had to press on and not quit. Many times I thought about just giving up, but knew down deep if I did, what kind of example would I be to my kids, husband, family, and friends who knew me? What kind of Christian would I be representing if I did not utilize all of my knowledge of the amazing God I serve in this life changing event where I need to depend on Him 100%, if I did not do it? I had to choose, would I stand strong, put on my armor and continue this fight, or would I buckle and allow this to win? Would I be the overcomer through Christ, or would I be overcome? I made the choice. I decided I would not allow this world and these “things” take over, yet I would wake up every morning and ask the Lord to empower me to get through the day and for the symptoms to calm. Over the course of the next year or so, they finally did. It was the most difficult time, personally, in my life. Both of my parents also have been this way as well. They were not weak in their demeanor nor passive in any way. My mom has a very different personality than me. I would say I am more like my dad, but definitely a person of my own for sure. Through their example, I witnessed how they pressed on when life threw them curve balls.

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?
In 2006, Sydney Candle Co was officially formed. My husband and I started our business with my mom and dad, yet in 2017, my father unexpectedly passed away. He and I were the forerunners in the company and worked together daily. When he passed, I was fully in charge of the business and took over all aspects of running the company. Sydney Candle is a pure soy candle manufacturer located in Cortland, Ohio. We create non toxic candles and tart melts which are highly fragranced and an amazingly manufactured product. I also own another business which is turning into an enterprise, GuardPlus+, LLC, established in 2015.  GuardPlus+, LLC incorporates storage units and warehousing spaces for rent along with currently building on a vacant piece of property, a few retail shops, residential homes, a warehouse and storage units as well. The property development is our current focus along with growing our retail and wholesale candle business. Our children are now young adults and have decided they would love to be a player in our family businesses. They bring much intelligence, creativity and insight into our plans and work very well together.  I run the business on a day to day basis and make the majority of decisions for it. 

Our main business is Sydney Candle Co as we have been creating scented candles and tart melts for over 20 years. We service retail outlets, retail customers online and conduct fundraisers all over the USA. We are a family owned business, starting ground up back in 2004, when we started our learning about the industry and began formulating our products.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The 3 qualities I feel were most impactful in my journey were and still are, confidence, support, and strength in Jesus! Confidence is key. Even if you are not a confident person, you are able to acquire confidence as you move through the motions. Most often, when we continue to move in the direction we are being led, even doing it afraid, naturally builds confidence as we begin to see our lives unfold and our dreams being opened. Do what you need to do, move in that direction and don’t stop. Never allow difficulty nor obstacles deter. Never leave a stone unturned unless you are absolutely 100% sure you are being led away from whatever you had started.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
Well, I have had more much more than 12 months of growth! My personal testimony and journey started about 5 years ago. During these past years, through all the difficulties and pain I have endured, I have learned that much of what we do depends on personal accountability. We need to be willing to change and change in a way of progress. Many times we do not look inward and ask the questions: what could I have done different in a situation? Or, how could I have spoken differently or with a different tone? Or, am I able to see this from a different perspective? Then, once we begin the self evaluation, we are held accountable to do the work. We have to not only learn how we work, but recognize our shortcomings and then intentionally work on those areas to change. It is really a simple solution, yet so hard to do. But absolutely and confidently I say… NOT impossible 🙂 ALL things are possible with Jesus!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Dan Pressly- Pressly Photographic Noah Olejnik- Cultivate Consulting

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