Okay, real talk – who else has cried over burnt cookies at 2 AM while secretly dreaming of quitting their soul-crushing day job? 🙋♀️ Raise your hand if your “side hustle” once involved selling handmade soap to coworkers who definitely thought you were going through a midlife crisis. Been there, scrubbed that.
Three years ago, my “empire” consisted of 12 succulents and an Etsy shop called “CatLadyCandles” (RIP Mittens, your hair truly made each product unique 🐾). Today? My plant collection has tripled (priorities), and that little candle gig funds my entire life. But here’s the messy truth nobody Instagrams: My journey involved equal parts glitter glue disasters and existential meltdowns.
Lesson 1: Your “Dumb” Idea Might Be Gold (Seriously, Ask My Therapist)
When I first told friends I wanted to monetize my candle obsession, the responses ranged from “But Yankee Candle exists?” to awkward silence. Then I found a 2023 Harvard study showing 68% of female-founded businesses started as “accidental” ventures – solutions to problems others ignored. My “problem”? Chronic migraine sufferers (like me) needing non-toxic aromatherapy. Turns out hospitals wanted bulk orders. Who knew?
Lesson 2: The 3 AM Pricing Panic (And Why You Should Charge More)
Early on, I nearly bankrupted myself pricing candles at “what my mom would pay.” Then I met Sofia, a ceramics artist who shared her game-changing formula:
(Material Cost x 3) + (Hours Spent x Living Wage) + “I’m Worth It” Tax
Example: That $8 candle actually costs you $4.76 to make. At 40 hours weekly, you deserve $25/hr. Suddenly $32 seems reasonable. My sales tripled when I stopped apologizing for prices.
Lesson 3: When Your Hustle Grows Legs (And Demands You Quit Your Job)
The scariest moment? When my candle profits surpassed my corporate salary for 3 straight months. My lizard brain screamed “STABILITY!”. But data from the National Women’s Business Council shows women who transition fully within 18 months grow revenue 4x faster. I took the leap during lockdown – best decision since buying stretchy pants.
The Unsexy Stuff They Don’t Post About
– Taxes: Learned the hard way that “write-offs” don’t mean “free designer desks”
– Scaling: Hired my first employee (shoutout to Karen, 62, who knows more about TikTok than me)
– Burnout: Once tried to make 300 candles in a weekend. My kitchen looked like a crayon factory exploded.
Your Turn (But Let’s Keep It Real)
1. Start small: Test ideas with a 10-person WhatsApp group before websites
2. Track EVERYTHING: My “vague business plan” was literally Post-its until 2022
3. Embrace the cringe: Early product photos? Let’s just say my candles modeled with my dog’s bandanas
Final thought? Building my empire felt less like “girlbossing” and more like learning to swim by being thrown into the Mariana Trench. But here’s what my 73 plants taught me: Growth happens in the messy, imperfect stretches between sunlight and storms. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to explain to Karen why we’re making pickle-scented candles next month…