Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Everson.
Hi Natasha, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story started in the summer of 2019. I was at a crossroads and felt the pull to do something creative in my life. I had a 2 year old and when she started to go to her Father’s house once a week, I felt completely lost. I needed and wanted to find something to occupy myself as a distraction but on the same hand find a way to feel more like myself again. Motherhood is magical but you do tend to lose yourself for a bit while making sure your tiny human is safe and sound. I have always loved candles. They tend to make every house feel like a home, make the best gift and really makes life feel cozy. I wanted to bring that feeling to people’s homes. I started out by making a couple testers, giving them to friends and asking for feedback. I continued to do this and finding ways to better the product. At this time, I was also bartending so decided to bring candles to work with me to hand out to customers there. The feedback I received was amazing so I kept at it. I signed up for my first in person event in September of 2019. I was absolutely terrified. Investing so much money into making a product that no-one had ever purchased from me but I was willing to give it a chance. I showed up, sold way more candles than I expected and left that event feeling like I was on cloud nine. I received messages from people around the area asking how they could get their hands on my candles. Honestly, my mind was blown. I did not expect it to blow up in the best way. Come early 2020, the shut down occurred. I was not able to go to my full time job or my part time job. I was terrified like everyone else was. But what I did still have was candles. And the will to not give up. When everyone was stuck at home, what better way to find comfort than to strike a match and light a candle? I decided I was going to keep going. I did a facebook live sale and sold out in 20 minutes. I couldn’t believe it. Gas was cheap so I offered to do free, contactless deliveries to people. I did this once or twice a week, as much as I could keep up. I would sometimes drive for up to 8 hours. It was honestly soothing. Having that time to jam to music, bop around the country side and bring a little comfort to people as they’re stuck at home. Fast forward to being able to go back to work, I couldn’t keep up with the candles. I was working all night to get them made and then figure out how to still deliver to people. It was a lot but I got through. I continued to balance all the things: 2 jobs, my candle business, being a mom. It was wild and I look back honestly unsure how I did it but proud of myself for pushing through. I eventually quit my full time job in 2021. I was quite scared but I kept reminding myself: if you never try you’ll never know. And most importantly: your daughter is watching you, be afraid and do it anyways. I continued to bartend for 2 years after that time and then eventually gave that up too. I’ve been full time with Velvet Couch Candle Co. since December of 2023 and I am so thankful to be here. I found a space to move all my candle making to in May of 2023 and it’s changed my production for the best.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Nothing worth having is ever easy. I stayed up most nights in the beginning until 1-2 am while my daughter slept, I made candles and then would sleep for a few hours, get back up and go to my full time job during the day. I honestly was just so excited to be doing what I was doing that I just never gave up on it. I’ve had to make some hard decisions along the way on what events to partake in, what businesses to sell my candles in, how to handle all the things customer service related. Lucky for me, I’ve worked in customer service my entire life so honestly it just comes naturally to me. I just truly want to bring joy to people’s lives and homes.
There were times mostly in the shutdown that product was really, really hard to get. I would run out of necessary product and have to figure out how to or where else to get it from without straying from my standards. I eventually got a pallet of product, as scary as it was to spend that money, and from then on I continued to do the same.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I create 100% soy wax candles. I use lead free, 100% cotton wicks & only use phthalate free oils. I did not realize how toxic candles can be when they are made with poor quality products and I wanted to ensure that my product was made with the highest standards. I name every candle after a song: music is so nostalgic in my life and I know it is in most people’s as well. I use the feeling I get from the candle scent to come up with the song title I use for the candle, or vice versa. I have people see a candle name that reminds them of their Dad, Mom, Grandma, a best friend. It brings a smile to my face and true joy to my heart when people connect with something that can fill their cup like that.
How do you think about happiness?
Living life with intention. Caring about people and wanting to bring joy into the world. Being kind. Everyone has a story and sometimes we just need to have a good moment of human connection and when I get to do my events I feel like I can do that with people. Give a customer a hug, hear a story from them, have them tell me all the lovely things and it truly makes my heart smile. I think that true human connection doesn’t happen as often as it should anymore so when we get the chance to connect with someone, make it count.
Pricing:
- $10 for a 4 oz candle
- $22 for a 9 oz candle
- $32 for a 16 oz candle
- $28 for a cork lid specialty candle
- $10 for wax melts
Contact Info:
- Website: https://velvetcouchcandleco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/velvet_couch_candle_co/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/velvetcouchcandle/#
