Today we’d like to introduce you to John Marquez.
John, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The idea of Sawdust & Embers was born back in 2015. We have been designing, building, refinishing, and creating furniture and items for the home for friends and family. We decided we wanted to offer our design services to others.
So in 2016, we founded Sawdust & Embers and immediately began work on developing our product lines. Our biggest goal from the start was to use the best ingredients that meant lots of research and testing of various waxes. We ended up finding a sustainable coconut wax which is all natural, it’s extremely clean burning and holds a significant amount of fragrance. We then put a considerable focus on developing fragrances that, inspired by our many travels or materials we frequently use in our workshop. All of our scents are phthalate-free, and our wicks are made from native, sappy fruit trees and sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified mills and manufactured with pride (and great skill) in the USA.
All our products are designed, poured, and packaged in Garland, TX.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being an entrepreneur always means a rough road at some point. Starting this business and self-funding it is not the easiest way to get a business going, but I wanted to stay debt free at least at first and operate on a lean budget. It has been a successful approach thus far. The biggest struggle has been scaling the business as I take on wholesale accounts.
Sawdust & Embers – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
At Sawdust & Embers, we take pride in every candle that leaves our studio. We set out with a goal to develop custom blended fragrances inspired by our many travels and natural materials, such as the woods we frequently use in our workshop. Our scents were curated to be appealing to the rugged outdoorsman, while still being tasteful and appealing to the ladies. We like to use the best ingredients that means sustainable coconut wax, (FSC) certified wooden wicks and American made containers. We designed our brand and packaging to stand out from the norm. We wanted it to be bold yet uniquely Sawdust & Embers.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I was raised to set goals for myself, and I have always strived to meet or exceed them. The same holds true with Sawdust & Embers. Not every single product idea or development makes it to production. We test hundreds of fragrances and formulas until we find the highest quality we can offer. If I wouldn’t sell it to my momma, I wouldn’t sell it to my customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: sawdustandembers.com
- Email: info@sawdustandembers.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/sawdustandembers
- Facebook: facebook.com/sawdustandembers
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
