Today, we’d like to introduce you to Madison Batman.
Hi Madison, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Hi! I was born and raised just south of Austin and moved to the DFW area in 2016 to pursue college. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UNT, and while I was working as a temp at an appraisal office, I began to dream of exploring entrepreneurship and starting my own business.
I have always had a fascination with fragrance, so I began teaching myself everything there is to know about candles and home fragrance until I launched my candle business in 2020 and re-branded two years later as Scent and Spill, with a new focus on all things funky, bold, and nostalgic.
Since then, things have been moving slowly but steadily. I have had my candles in 8 different shops between Canada and the US, with my biggest project being custom paint can candles for Meow Wolf, an immersive art experience in the Grapevine Mills Mall. As my business grows, I have begun to explore the fields of product photography and design as other possible avenues to venture down!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing worth doing is ever easy. I think I thought that this business would be a straight diagonal line, like the amount of effort I put in would equal exactly the amount of progress I would get out, and we would continue on this upward climb. But in reality, it looks more like a wavy line, with gradual peaks and frequent dips. I just focus on making sure I have a solid foundation, recognize when something isn’t sustainable, and look for ways to adapt and change so that it is.
But in reality, it looks more like a wavy line, with gradual peaks and frequent dips. I just focus on making sure I have a solid foundation, recognize when something isn’t sustainable, and look for ways to adapt and change so that it is. Lately I have been struggling with staying motivated to work on my business when I get home from my full time job, but the other day I received a DM from an old high school friend that had come across a post I had made on Instagram. He said he was happy to see me still at it and told me to never give up! It was exactly what I needed to hear, and it reminded me to revisit all the reasons why I started this business in the first place: to brighten people’s day and to make their homes a fun and inviting place. Even if I influence just one person in a positive way, I think I’m doing alright!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
A lot of people ask me where the name “Scent & Spill” came from and I tell them it came to me in a dream (as cli·ché as that may sound)! I knew then that it was the perfect name for my brand, and it was going to encompass all things bold and fun!
I’m a one-woman show, so I do a little bit of everything when it comes to my business, but I like to tell people that I mix fragrance + fun together and pour it into handmade candles for anybody who loves good smells and lots of color. The biggest motivating factor behind each of my handmade products is to help people to celebrate what makes them unique and to foster a sense of carefree curiosity.
My work for Scent & Spill embodies those dream-like, surreal, and nostalgic elements, with a foundation of self-care and mindfulness that I learned while pursuing my degree in Psychology at UNT. Each fragrance is carefully chosen to feel bold, nuanced, and somewhat familiar, with names that suggest that it’s more than just another candle; it’s a lifestyle. Some of our best-selling candles feature names like daydream, cereal and cartoons, lucid dreams, self love, and night drive.”
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
They say, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” I would say that I have been preparing for luck to strike for a while now by being consistent in my business and building it slowly and steadily. I am hopeful for an opportunity to come along, and sometimes, those opportunities have to be made myself.
I never hesitate to reach out and connect with businesses or other creatives to see if they are interested in working with me, the worst they can say is no, or “not right now.” I think staying consistent and proactive has helped the growth of my business tremendously, and if an unexpected opportunity comes along I never shut it down right away, even if I’m not sure how to make it happen quite yet.
Pricing:
- Soy candle tins – $15.25
- Mini candles – $6
- Motivational prints – $12
- Room and linen sprays – $10
Contact Info:
- Scent quiz: https://scentandspill.com/#
quiz-29HDD0 - Website: https://scentandspill.com/collections/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scentandspill
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@scentandspill
Image Credits
Madison Batman
