I remember the first time I saw a Posh Candle. As I chuckled at the name of “F**kboy Repellent” big and bold on the candle, I knew I wanted to meet the person behind the successful business the candle came from. Tay Watts, the founder of Posh Candle Co., says its more than just “making candles.”

The mission is to inspire women to be their authentic selves by using catchy phrases and statements that encourage a positive mindset, promote self-love, spark laughter and offer an on-trend approach to the relaxing flicker of a candle flame. But we don’t want you to purchase just any candle. We know that something as small as lighting a candle has the potential to spark some amazing things so each candle is made out of love, fun and excitement for life.

I caught up with Tay as she discussed how she started Posh Candle Co., marketing strategies, and how she made a successful company from the ground up!

Tay Watts, Founder of Posh Candle Co.

 

How did you start making candles forming your company Posh Candle?

 

TAY: “I first played around with candle making as a hobby in 2014 simply making them for fun and giving them to my family and friends. A year later, I wrote down the idea to make candles that resembled desserts but it proved to be a little more time consuming than I had imagined so I stopped making candles for a while. Fast forward to 2016, after resigning from my job, I found out that I was pregnant. During this time I was also in graduate school so adding another member to the household was not a part of my plans but we were going to make it work. I knew having a business would allow me the flexibility to continue to pursue my personal goals but I had no clue what type of business it would be. The idea of a candle business came to me as I was shopping and browsing the candle aisle. I unable to find anything I liked so I went home that day, put pen to paper and started mapping out my plans. It took around 4 months for me to launch Posh Candle Co as during this time I was researching and took a candle making class to help me correct some issues I was having. December 27, 2016, I launched with four scents; Boss Girl Magic, Dear Book Hoarder, Mister Smell Good and Tea & Happy Things.”

 

As a mother of two beautiful children, please share ways you balance your time between your day job, family, and your company?

 

TAY: “Balance almost seems non-existent but it’s either you do it or you don’t. I don’t want to sugar coat it so some days I’m a hot mess. As of three weeks ago, I’m candle making full-time until I can find a job closer to home. My boys, ages 1 and 3 years old are home with me full-time as well so my days are super busy. I’m up at 4am to do a light exercise, make candles and pack orders before my kids wake up. I like to light candles while I work and have breakfast so this gives me a little morning self-care. Sometimes I’m able to get my hubby to wake up early to just to talk without the kids tugging at us but he’s also always complaining about me packing too loudly. The kids are awake by 7am and I try to have their clothes picked out ahead of time so after they eat breakfast, we can get out of the house. Our first stop is usually the post office and then we head to the park. I try to get the majority of my errands done in the morning to have us home by 12pm for lunch and naptime. Some days we meet up with their dad for lunch which helps us get in family time during the week. If the kids actually nap, I use that time to either nap with them or catch up on things I was unable to do in the morning. When they wake up, we have snack, do a couple hours of learning and watch a movie. My hubby aka Super Dad is so supportive and that makes all the difference. When I was working, he would help me with business emergencies on his lunch breaks and he will often take over with the kids when he gets home from work.”

 

The Posh candle names always have me tickled! It makes me want to buy them all lol. What strategy or marketing tools do you think is important while running a company?

 

TAY: “Thank you! I believe collaboration is key. Sometimes businesses can get too caught up in protecting themselves at all costs that they try to shut others out. We can’t get far without collaboration and for me the most important marketing strategy is using influencers that will post our products and of course creating products that people want to share.”

“Mister Smell Good” soy candle available on https://poshcandleco.com/

 

Tell us a typical day at Post Candle Co.! What is your pick- me -upper when you’re not feeling motivated to work?

 

TAY: “As a one woman owned business, I’m doing everything on my own so it takes a lot out of me some days. As I mentioned before, I try to get all of my business errands done in the mornings and the kids are with me to make it interesting. Some days go smooth. If you were with me a few days ago while my kids were running off, hiding under store shelving and testing my patience, you may have a good laugh at my pain. So a typical day is just me grinding it out with my kids until their dad is home from work. I’m a fan of planning so I’m most unmotivated when my plans don’t go as expected. Towards the end of the day, I like to reflect on my day which usually ends with me discovering how much I was able to get done despite having the kids with me. My Hubby is always reminding me if my WHY which is a huge pick me upper. I also check in with myself when feel this way; make sure to eat well, get enough sleep, and stick to my off days because self-care is so important.”

 

What is your most favorite candle you’ve created?

TAY: “My favorite candle is Fuckboy Repellant simply because it’s hilarious. This single candle starts some interesting conversations and I really love the girl power behind it.”

 

Social media has become the platform for budding entrepreneurs! What ways has it been effective for your company?

 

TAY: “You’re so right! I use Social media for a variety of things. I use it to drive traffic to my website but actually being social, liking, commenting and engaging with my followers is effective. I also like to keep our social media fun by posting engaging content, funny quotes and other sayings rather than flooding my timeline with sales pitches.”

Tay Watts, is a passionate Los Angeles based Mental Health professional and Chief Chandler at Posh Candle Co. which launched December 2016 in her kitchen where she would experiment with candle making as a hobby and gift candles to friends and family. Inspired by a trip through the candle aisle and her love for candles, she discovered her passion for creating, design and entrepreneurship. She launched Posh Candle Co. after designing a line of candles that would inspire other women to embrace their individuality as she believed burning candles was more than just filling her space with a beautiful aroma.

Contact: hello@poshcandleco.com