Today we’d like to introduce you to M K.
Hi M, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started making candles in 2018. After learning from my sister, I began to fall in love with it. I took candles to work with me and sold them to my coworkers. On Fridays and Saturdays after work, I would pack them into boxes and drive around to different businesses. I went to beauty salons, tax offices, barber shops, honestly.. anywhere that was open and had a crowd.
When I decided to create a business, I wanted to relaunch my dad’s business and make it my own. My dad was the previous owner of Fragrances That Last. He created and sold body fragrances to men and women for as long as I can remember… until he passed away in 2016. Growing up, he took me to different Salons and other businesses with him as he sold his products. I didn’t realize it, but I was doing the same things he did to grow my business. That realization gave me the idea to relaunch as “Fragrances That Last CTL”. The “CTL” stands for Continuing That Legacy.
After COVID, I started working from home. I was a top sales producer at my job with great hours and benefits! But in the midst of working, I would always find myself making candles or doing something that contributed to my business. My focus and work performance began to decline drastically. I wasn’t happy working there, and I was also trying to finish my last year in undergrad.
In May of 2021, I decided to take a leap of faith and open a Candle Shop. Looking back, it’s still crazy that I quit my stable job in this economy! I was able to do what I loved, and work around my own schedule. I graduated from college with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing and found out that I was pregnant the same year!
Fast forward to now, 5 years later.. I’m a full-time business owner and mom. I enjoy creating candles and hosting Candle Making Experiences with my kids. I love the fact that I’m able to show my kids “it’s possible to provide while doing something that you enjoy”.
I’ve added Air Mists, Carpet Fresheners, Scented Burner Oils, and Scented Mop Oils to my product line. I also host Candle Making Experiences, giving people the opportunity to enjoy their own music playlist, drink choice, create candles, and relax in an intimate setting. Over the years, I’ve become one of the top-rated candle shops in Fort Worth, Texas, on Google. I’m also listed on FortWorth.com.
This has been a long journey, but I can’t wait to see where my business will be in the next 10 years.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It started out smooth. I thought that I had everything under control. I started my business while in undergrad so I thought that I had everything under wraps! I was doing everything by myself. Now that I’m growing, the road is getting bumpy! I’m realizing that I can’t do everything by myself and it’s okay to ask for help.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in creative Candles. I enjoy creating hyper-realistic candles that resemble food, personality, or scenarios. I’m known for the creativity and smell of my candles. I can proudly say that I can light up a room with my candles in there, without them being lit!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Everyday that I wake up, choose to create candles, and show up to my business is a risk!I think about this daily! It’s not just me that I have to provide for, I have two kids. Everything count’s! I would consider myself a risk-taker, I feel like you have to get uncomfortable and take risks in order to grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://FragrancesThatLastCTL.net
- Instagram: fragrancesthatlastctl1
- Facebook: Fragrances That Last CTL
- Youtube: Fragrances That Last CTL
- Other: https://Linktr.ee/fragrancesthatlastctl
