Seven5 Seven3 Marketing Group is pleased to present our October Feature Friday interview with the very talented Kimberly A. Wright, owner and founder, of SweetWaxations, Baltimore, MD. We had the opportunity to visit with Kimberly to discover how she’s spreading sweet scents, beautiful candles and more to her loyal following in the United States and far beyond.
Seven5 Seven3 Marketing: Please tell us a little about yourself and your company?
Kimberly : From my love of candles and childhood nickname “Sweet”, the name was born (SweetWaxations™). I started dreaming long before I began actually making candles, perhaps I can attribute that to the great men and women in business who have gone before me. I’ve always wanted to cultivate my creative side, so I decided in September 2009 to go for it! The candle creations come to mind mostly while driving to and fro, as strange as that may sound, its true. The names and scents can be invoked by a number of things. A friend of mine did a product review for me, on a very popular social network. From that review, many customers were drawn to SweetWaxations. To show my appreciation I named the candle “Mumsy Wumsy” after her daughter Johniyah whose nickname is Mumsy. It has become one of SweetWaxation’s best sellers to date. The name usually comes to me first, and then I begin to think of fragrances that would go best with the name. I love it so much; it never feels like work.
Seven5 Seven3 Marketing: What inspired you to start SweetWaxations?
Kimberly: I was inspired by the “Yes We Can” movement. For so long, I was told no! No you can’t go to that high school or college; no you can’t have that job or promotion. I began to let the “no’s” win over my will to succeed and God given abilities. I became comfortable with where I was in life and settled on looking around watching everyone else follow their dreams and visions. All the while, there was this longing inside of me to step out and pursue my craft but fear was often present. One day, I just said to myself today is the day. I bought two cases of supplies and off I went on to creating candles. While it may not seem like a big deal to some, it was huge for me to step out on faith and believe in myself. Lastly, I’ve always had a longing to help teen girls and those seeking higher education. I wish money was readily available to assist in purchasing items such as books and supplies but that is not always the case due to various reasons. Having SweetWaxations allows me to donate a portion of the profits each year so that young ladies will be able to purchase the materials and books they need to succeed in their studies. Giving is the most fulfilling aspect of this entire venture.
Seven5 Seven3 Marketing: What type of training or education did you receive before starting your business?
Kimberly: I would love to say I graduated top of my class (summa cum laude) from the University of Candle Making having majored in Waxology. However, I began researching “how to” make candles strictly through utilizing the World Wide Web and many popular social networks. Along with that comes the saying “it’s all in the wrist”, I believe we all possess a gift for something and mine happens to be candle making.
What I did to create TEB hair butter was a lot of research on natural products. I researched, asked a lot of questions of people in the healthcare profession, and sought advice from successful businesses that provide similar products, for more than a year. There are no chemicals used or mixed to make the product. The main ingredient is raw African shea butter and the other ingredients are all natural as well. It’s been used by many, and has produced amazing results.
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