March 4, 2025 • 40 mins
Join us for a captivating discussion with Denise Reese, the visionary founder and CEO of Grace, the Collection. Denise takes us on an inspiring journey from her globetrotting childhood as a military kid to her entrepreneurial stride in Atlanta, where she launched her luxury fragrance and candle line in the midst of a pandemic. Discover how the guiding principle of "grace" became her beacon during challenging times, and learn why Denise believes consistency outweighs chasing after transient trends. Her story offers a refreshing perspective on integrating small luxuries into daily life, serving as a powerful reminder of resilience and creativity—especially for women juggling both family and business aspirations.
Denise shares invaluable insights on transitioning from a corporate role to entrepreneurship, shedding light on the intricacies of the $30 billion home fragrance market. From conducting market research and hiring consultants to tackling supply chain issues and launching on Macy's online platform, she opens up about the highs and lows of building a successful brand. Her tale of overcoming challenging partnerships, with a savvy attorney's aid, underscores the importance of leveraging one’s corporate background to navigate complex business relationships. Through her experience, Denise demonstrates how perceived obstacles can transform into unforeseen opportunities, casting a hopeful light on pursuing one's passion.
Delve into effective marketing strategies with Denise as we explore the balancing act of maintaining personal brand visibility while growing a business. She shares practical advice on setting up the essentials like an LLC and business bank account and the importance of automating processes for sustainable growth. Whether it's optimizing digital assets, leveraging platforms like TikTok, or crafting personalized email marketing campaigns, Denise offers a treasure trove of tips to connect authentically with customers. By embracing challenges as hidden blessings, Denise encourages listeners to trust in their entrepreneurial journey, take bold steps, and remember that they hold the reins of their destiny.
Denise’s Website: www.gracethecollection.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Denise (00:00):
And just after everything that had happened, I
realized we all need grace, andwe need to extend grace to
ourselves most importantly, butwe also have to extend grace to
each other, and so that was thesort of the beginning of the
founding of Grace, theCollection.
Camille (00:24):
So you want to make an impact.
You're thinking about startinga business, sharing your voice.
How do women do it that handlemotherhood, family and still
chase after those dreams?
We'll listen each week as wedive into the stories of women
who know this is Call Me CEO.
Welcome back everyone to CallMe CEO.
(00:46):
This is your host, CamilleWalker, and thank you so much
for pressing play.
I cannot tell you how much itmeans to me to get your DMs
messages and inspiration thatyou receive from hearing the
stories of women like youcreating and building incredible
businesses.
And today we are going to betalking about how boring is
(01:08):
great, that being consistent isactually something that builds
profitability.
It's not always about the nextshiny thing that distracts you,
which can be hard to avoidBelieve me, I know.
But we're going to talk withDenise Reese, who is the founder
and CEO of Grace the Collection, and she has a luxe line of
(01:29):
fragrance and candles that isabsolutely incredible, and I
cannot wait for you to meetDenise she's just a delight and
to share her story aboutbuilding this incredible
business.
So, Denise, thank you so muchfor being on the show today.
Denise (01:44):
Thank you for having me, camille, it's a pleasure.
Camille (01:47):
Yeah, so tell our audience a little bit more about
you, where you're from, yourfamily and what your business is
all about.
Denise (01:54):
Absolutely so.
I am originally from NewOrleans, so New Orleans,
louisiana, is home.
But I was a military kid.
Dad was in the Air Force over30 years, so I've literally
lived all over the world, allover the US, both as a kid and
as an adult, and I'm now inAtlanta, georgia, where I've
(02:15):
been since 2008.
It's the longest that I'velived anywhere and actually
moved here from London.
I spent some time working andliving abroad for several years.
I spent some time working andliving abroad for several years
and I'm in technology sales havebeen for the last almost 30
years, so over 25 years.
Goodness gracious, I can'tbelieve it.
(02:35):
No-transcript forever.
(02:56):
And I thought, yeah, this is agrowing market, I can do this,
and so I launched the company in2020.
Grace was my word for the year,so our words have power and it
worthed.
Grace, the collection and weare a beautiful.
In the next week or so, we'llhave wax melts that we'll be
(03:26):
adding to the collection,looking at adding a reed
diffuser later this year, and wesell online as well as in
multiple retailers around themetro Atlanta area and earlier
last year March of last yearactually launched on Macy'scom,
so you can find the product onMacy'scom as well.
So it's been a journey.
(03:46):
It continues to be a journey,but it's a labor of love.
I enjoy it.
I love sharing the story andthe products with other people
and can't wait for your, yourlisteners to, to learn more
about it.
Camille (03:58):
Yeah, for everyone listening, you actually get 10%
off if you use the code call meCEO.
Just as a little plug there.
But let's hear a little bitmore.
It's so interesting to me thatyou started this in 2020 because
, having done hundreds ofinterviews, 2020 was such a
pivoting year for a lot ofpeople.
So was 2008 because we had therecession, so it's interesting
(04:21):
that you have that session.
So it's interesting that youhave that.
I'm wondering if that got yourmove here back to the U?
S as well, as what was it in2020 and how did you get the
wheels moving when productionand fulfillment was pretty rough
in that year and the next year?
Denise (04:38):
Yes, it was.
So it's interesting.
When I moved here in 2008, Iwas actually moving with a
company that I was working forin the UK and they moved me to,
moved me to the US, and therewas also some family things that
were happening.
I was way too far away from myfamily.
I needed to be closer.
My parents ended up retiring inTampa, and so Atlanta was a
(04:59):
great place to be.
I was taking on the globalrelationship for Coca-Cola, who
was based here, so I had toactually be in Atlanta and it
was.
It was great for me, which isreally weird to say, because I
was coming back to the US with ajob.
But here, you know, you realize, oh my gosh, like I've
(05:19):
literally come back to arecession.
So I was extremely grateful andfelt so blessed that I was in
that position at that time.
But 2020 was really more about.
There was just so much, so muchgoing on in the world.
We had, you know, the pandemic.
We were locked down the.
You know we call it a racialreckoning that I personally
(05:42):
believe that we're still in themidst of.
I remember sitting at mybreakfast bar and this was
probably around the.
It was around the summer, likeJuly, june, july of 2020.
And I never thought of grace asbeing an extremely strong word,
(06:02):
like some of the words that Ihad chosen previous years,
because I don't do resolutions.
I do a word that guides me forthe year, and just after
everything that had happened, Irealized we all need grace, and
we need to extend grace toourselves most importantly, but
we also have to extend grace toeach other, and so that was the
sort of the beginning of thefounding of Grace, the
(06:24):
Collection, and I also thinkit's so important for us to
surround ourselves with littleluxuries every day.
It doesn't have to be anythingthat breaks the bank, but it can
be a warm bath with a greatbody, something that you got, or
some flowers that you can putin your bath, you can light a
candle, you can spray something,you can eat something that's
(06:47):
nourishing and good for yourbody.
So I think there's just thingsthat we can, small things that
we can do.
That gives us those reprievesand it reminds us of the divine
that's already within us, but italso gives us a little touch of
lux as well, and I believe thatcan be accomplished through the
power of scent.
Camille (07:08):
Well, you talked about a lot of senses there where you
talked about a bath being.
It's interesting.
You say that because the lastcouple of days I've had my
little boys that have been sickand the number one thing that
has brought them reprieve is animmersive bath, and you kind of
forget sometimes that somethinglike that can feel so luxurious.
And we lit a candle and weadded some special it was like a
(07:32):
Dr Teal's eucalyptus to thebath water and so it was the
sensation of the feel, the scent, the smell, like all of it
immersed together and that hadbeen there all along.
But my son was like, wow, thisthat was really made me feel so
much better, and even my hotshower and just being grateful
(07:52):
for that.
And we talked about how indoorplumbing and having a hot bath
or shower is something thathasn't been around really for
that long.
And anyway, that literally wasour conversation going to the
school today.
So I think that it's reallyspecial to think about adding
those things to your life, tomake those luxuries a part of
your everyday that we consumeand take in.
Denise (08:21):
It can even be, you know , binge watching whatever series
the housewives of every city ismy guilty pleasure.
You see the fabulousness, andwe all, we often think that you
have to have those big things tocreate luxury and ease in your
life, or happiness, yeah, and soI would say happiness is
(08:43):
something it can be relative,right.
I prefer to have joy in my lifebecause joy is something that
is a mainstay, regardless ofwhat's happening around you.
Happiness can ebb and flowdepending on what's going on
your life.
If you have an anchor of joyand grace, then that can be
(09:06):
something that just carries overinto every aspect of your life,
and so it doesn't need to be,you know, these big sweeping
things that we have to do.
It really is about the littlethings and those small things
that we can do to just createroutine, to create an intention.
Like, I'm a big believer inmaking the bed in the morning
because that helps you to kindof set an intention.
Like I'm a big believer inmaking the bed in the morning
(09:27):
because that helps you to kindof set your intention and it's a
great way to kind of start yourday.
I usually will light a candle,even in the mornings.
I work from home quite a bitand I'll, you know, light a
candle in the morning while I'mdoing my prayer time, my
meditation.
So all of those little thingscan kind of add up to just set
(09:47):
you up for what I think issuccess for the day, even if the
day gets a little bit crazy.
Camille (09:53):
Yeah, it's right.
Before you said that I wasthinking the routines, the
bookends of the day.
It's the beginning of the dayand the end of the day and it's
those joy plugged in momentswhere it's what are those
connected moments where you feelin tune with yourself, your
intuition and setting thatintention for the day.
So I love that you said that,because I think you're right.
One thing that I actually had Iwas speaking with a group of
(10:17):
women about setting intentionfor your day and making it
romance, romancing or making aromantic view of your ritual,
and the thing that I said waslight the candle when maybe it's
when you're waking up in themorning or you put the kids to
bed and you light that candleand that signals to your mind of
it's my time and you get tohave the 10 minutes, the 30
(10:39):
minutes or whatever it is.
That kind of initiates that gotime with your brain taking that
deep breath.
So I love that you created aproduct around that because it's
so empowering and also reallyit's captures the senses, which
is really cool too.
Denise (10:57):
Absolutely, and you know , when you're marketing a
fragrance product, people can'tsmell it.
So I try to tap into all ofthose other sensory aspects that
can give folks, I think, agreat idea of what it's like to
use the product, what it lookslike in their homes, in their
(11:17):
hands, and it's also why I'vereally invested into amazing
branding and design.
Shout out to Emily Wells ofEmily Wells Design.
She is amazing and helped toreally bring the brand to life
in such a beautiful way.
And all of those things reallyare what create the experience
of Grace, the Collection, fromwhen you interact with the
(11:39):
product, either on social mediaor online, right the way through
to the unboxing experience.
It's all a part of theexperience of the products and
of the brand and the company.
Camille (11:52):
Yeah, all right.
Well, we're going to peel backthe curtain a little bit about
developing this business,because maybe there are people
who are listening who havethought about having a product
or thought about doing somethingoutside of their norm, which I
really like.
How, in yours, your story anddevelopment is that you had a
corporate situation going on.
You had a pause because of 2020, but talk to me a little bit
(12:14):
about how you built up thatconsistency, or how it unrolled
so that you were able to developthe products but also still
stay attached to what you hadgoing on before.
Can you tell us a little bitmore about that?
Denise (12:27):
Absolutely, absolutely so in.
You know, as I tell my, mycorporate customers, you know we
outsource non-core competencies.
Get someone in to help you toassess and make those decisions.
So I took my own advice and Ihired a consultant.
I hired someone.
Well, I, first off, I did myown research.
So I took my own advice and Ihired a consultant.
I hired someone.
Well, I, first off, I did myown research.
(12:49):
So I started to look at youknow what are what?
What is the market for homefragrance?
And it's a 29, $30 billionglobal market that's growing
over 4% annually.
I'm like I want a piece of thatand also happens to be something
that I really love.
Ever since I was back in mytwenties, when I got my first
(13:12):
place, had some disposableincome you could find the candle
lit, incense, a plugin, adiffuser, some oils there's
going to be something in thespace to make it smell good and
also my boyfriend at the timewhen we would go out, people
were always stopping me aboutsomething.
Oh my God, I love your glasses,I love what you're wearing.
(13:33):
You've got a really cool style.
This, this, this.
He's like Denise, that's acustomer, so you need to figure
out what you're going to sellthem, because whatever you're
selling they're going to buy.
And I was like, yeah, that doeshappen quite a bit.
But I also wanted it to besomething that was, that was
natural and organic for me andit wasn't just a money grab.
(13:54):
Right After doing my research,hired a consultant who was, who
was in the business but also didkind of one-on-one coaching for
folks that wanted to enter thespace, and very early on I
realized that I was not going tobe in the kitchen with a double
boiler making candles and eventhough I think it's great for
(14:18):
folks who are able to do that,that just wasn't for me.
Number one, because I had a dayjob.
And number two, there is an artand a science to candle making
and if you don't have all of thetools to be able to make sure
that that wax is at the rightlevel, that you've got the
appropriate levels of afragrance to wax ratio to create
(14:39):
an amazing cold throw and hotthrow and the different types of
waxes like, there's a lot thatgoes into this.
So I knew, through hiring thatconsultant, that I was going to
work with a supplier to actuallyhand pour everything, and so
from there I was able to workbackwards from okay, like, what
are those things I need to havein place?
Who's going to be the supplier?
(15:00):
Who's going to do my?
You know I need a logo.
I need marketing and brandingor design amazing design work to
get done.
What do I want the fragrancesto be?
Where do I want to sell?
How do I want to sell?
What's the customer journey?
What does the customerexperience look like?
How are customers going to findme?
So these are things that I havebecome adept at helping other
(15:22):
customers to recognize, or mycorporate clients in technology
to recognize.
And I just took all of that formyself and thought you know what
, if I can build multi-milliondollar business units for other
companies, surely I can do thatfor myself.
And that's what I did.
And you know it means that ittook a little bit longer for me
(15:43):
to launch doing it that way,because I started the company in
2020.
But I didn't launch until 2022because supply chain like who
does a product company of aglobal pandemic, but also the
consultant I was working with weended up having a little things
went awry and they actuallyblocked the supplier
(16:06):
relationship.
That's a story for another day.
Oh no, they blocked thatrelationship, and so I had to
start from scratch with lookingfor a supplier.
But eventually I found HarperMill Candles, who has brought
the brand to life for me andwe've now created an amazing
collaboration.
And so long-winded answer,camille.
(16:27):
But I think the red threadthere is doing your research for
yourself, right?
Don't just depend on socialmedia or what somebody told you
or what they thought or whatthey found out.
Find out for yourself what'sviable.
Understand what the gap is inthe market.
So, part of the consultantcoming on, I was able to
(16:48):
recognize that there's all ofthese high-end luxury brands
that I was purchasing your JoMalone's and your Diptyque's and
your Byrito's but then, whenyou kind of go below that,
there's not a lot in that sortof luxury fragrance, home
fragrance space that gives youthe same experience as those
higher-end brands but at a moreaccessible price point.
And I thought, okay, that'swhere I want to be.
(17:10):
I want to really forge a pathin that part of the market that
I felt like there was a gap.
And then from there I juststarted to do the work and it
took a lot of longer, like Isaid.
But now here we are, threeyears later after launch, and
we're still here and thrivingand have some amazing things
(17:30):
that have happened and moreamazing things on the horizon as
well.
amazing things that havehappened and more amazing things
on the horizon as well.
So, and you're in Macy's, likethat's huge.
Yes, yes, well, macy's dot com.
So we're not on shelf in Macy'syet, but I feel like that's
coming.
But we are on the shelves ofsome other amazing small
businesses.
Woodhouse Spa in Buckhead herein Atlanta has taken us on and
(17:54):
helped to craft a path to getinto the other Woodhouse Spas
around the country, and so justreally some amazing things that
I still sometimes pinch myselfand can't believe that it's.
You know, I've been able toachieve and accomplish that in a
relatively short space of time,but you know, because of my
(18:15):
corporate background, that hasit served me well.
Camille (18:19):
I have a couple of questions.
One is for the partnership thatwent awry.
What is a lesson that youlearned from that experience or
a way that perhaps you couldhave protected yourself from
that block happening?
Is there any like takeaway withthat that you could share?
Have you ever felt like you'regoing through the motions and
not really sure what's drivingyou forward?
(18:40):
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(19:02):
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Denise (19:13):
So the the, the block was the blessing to be perfectly
honest with you.
Camille (19:18):
Which isn't that how it goes.
You know where you're like, oh,this is the worst, and then you
find out yeah, exactly.
Denise (19:24):
Long story short, we collaborate.
I did a home, a bespokefragrance experience with them,
created a scent.
When we're getting to the endof our consultancy, hey, denise,
what do you think about usingthe scent that you created for
your candle?
Because I named it Grace,because that was my word, and I
did the scent experience in 2020as well, just after we were
(19:48):
starting to go back outside frombeing locked down, and
initially they wanted inexchange for the fragrance that
I paid for.
By the way, they wanted a equityplay for my company and I'm
like, no, that's not how equityworks, because I shouldn't have
paid you for consulting servicesand all of the other expenses.
(20:11):
You would have fronted that inexchange for equity.
Thankfully, I have an amazingbusiness attorney who said
absolutely not, but here's whatwe can do.
We're going to give them 20% ofthe gross profit of every
product that you all collaborateon and work on a fragrance.
So if they create a scent foryou, they will get 20% gross
profit in perpetuity as long asthat product is being
(20:36):
manufactured.
I thought it was a prettygenerous deal and it's residual
income if you work it right.
They were not happy with thatand, as a result, they blocked
the supplier that I was going towork with and this happened
right at I was getting ready tolaunch the first cent.
This happen right at I wasgetting ready to launch the
(20:58):
first cent.
So I then had to take a year torecalibrate and figure out like
I'm like, okay, god, I feellike you put this in me, but I'm
not sure if this is thedirection, because this is
happening, and I realized thatthat block what seemed like a
block at the time was a blessing, because that person actually
went out of business shortlyafter all of this happened and I
(21:20):
would have been in their store,would have been tied to them.
That could have beendetrimental for Grace the
Collection before we even fullylaunched.
So it seemed like a reallydevastating thing at the time,
but it absolutely turned out tobe a blessing and we're still
here.
Camille (21:38):
I'm like that's the title when the block is the
blessing.
I think that's so.
That's a great analogy of that,because it really I feel like
it, had you been tied to them,they would have had opinions
about the sense that you werecreating.
They would want to havecreative direction of how it was
, how it looked and how youpresented it.
So, yeah, that's a that was agood, actually a really great
(21:59):
thing.
So a question, another questionI thought of for you is with
your corporate experience, youacknowledge that it gives you an
advantage for others who haveno idea they're coming into it
and have no background with that.
What is it from your corporatebackground that made it so that
you were able to skip over someof other lessons learned that
(22:21):
you you already knew from havingso many relationships and
building, I mean, huge companies?
Denise (22:27):
Yeah.
So I think that's a greatquestion, camille.
I think the main thing is,having been in sales and that's
what I do is I sell stuff for aliving.
It might be big technologydeals, but it's just selling
stuff.
So, leaning into that,recognizing the importance of
relationships I'm fortunate tohave an amazing network of folks
(22:50):
that have shown up for me, thatcontinue to show up for me, and
so really leveraging that, butthen also reminding myself that
people buy things from people,that from people, and so making
sure that I was and continue tobe the face of the brand and I
put myself out there.
(23:11):
It was really difficult at firstbecause I'm like I don't know
if I want to be completely tiedto it, but even when I post
things with if it's just mypicture or if it's a video, even
if it's just a quick like Iwent, I recorded something in
the car the other day and it didgreat numbers.
So I'm like, ok, you have to befront and center, and just like
(23:31):
I have to show up for mycorporate customers, I have to
show up for myself in the sameway.
And then also just kind of thebusiness acumen of it all,
making sure that the foundationwas there starting my LLC,
getting a business bank account,getting a great business
attorney, having a bookkeeper onstandby, being able to not be
(23:54):
afraid of technology and usingall of the different tools that
are out there to be able toautomate processes and to use
that to your advantage, even interms of competitive analysis,
and also doing the research aswell, because when I'm selling a
multimillion dollar, peoplearen't going to give my company
(24:16):
$25, $30, $50 million overmultiple years and have us to
take over something if I haven'tdone my research and I don't
know what I'm talking about.
So I incorporate that into thebusiness as well, and again, it
means that it's taking me alittle bit longer.
But I'm a big.
All of these viral things and wewant to be overnight successes
(24:51):
and you know, social media hasus thinking that we've got to.
You know, suddenly get to likea million dollars in revenue and
you know five million followersor whatever within you know 60
days or something crazy.
But the reality is is nothinghappens overnight.
Success doesn't just happen,it's, it's the culmination of
(25:14):
all of the small things that wedo day in and day out.
We continue to do the work andboring.
Profitable businesses aresustainable and they, they, they
create longevity, and so thathas having that approach has
served me well.
And am I where I think I?
(25:35):
Am I where I thought I wouldhave been now?
No, but I'm also a lot furtherthan what I give myself credit
for, and so just making surethat I lean into that a little
bit more and give myself gracein this whole journey, yeah, ooh
, I love that and I love themessage of your brand, like it's
so, so good.
Camille (25:57):
I'm curious about your, because you have put in such
great detail for the packaging,the branding, the experience of
taking the candle or thefragrance out of the box.
The experience of taking thecandle or the fragrance out of
the box.
Have you been utilizing shortform video or working with
influencers or using TikTok,like where you've had such a
good sales and marketingbackground?
(26:19):
What is it for you that madeyour marketing piece a success?
Denise (26:25):
So I would say it's.
You know, some days are betterthan others in terms of whether
or not it's a success, camille,oh for sure.
But I, you know, what I've I'vebeen conscious of is not just
following the next thing, so youknow the, or the new shiny
thing.
So I've had a number of peopleto tell me you should be on
TikTok shop.
(26:45):
No, I shouldn't be Like,because most luxury brands are
not on TikTok shop and I don'twanna do things that are going
to diminish my brand in any way.
So just because it could maybegive access to a bunch of
followers and maybe an uptick inrevenue doesn't necessarily
mean that it's the right thingfor the business from a
(27:08):
longevity perspective.
I have not been maximizingshort-form video, but I plan to
do that because, as we areseeing and I actually did a live
with a friend and businesspartner, malika Planes of On12
(27:28):
Management we did a liveyesterday talking about the
importance of optimizing yourdigital assets and optimizing
those things that we own,because, as we've seen with
TikTok, as we see with thealgorithm on social, we're
constantly chasing somethingthat's elusive.
So we've got to make sure thatwe're focusing on the things
(27:50):
that we own, and what we own isour website.
We own our products, obviously,we own our email marketing
lists, and so how do we makesure that those things are truly
optimized so that we canleverage them to create real
connection with our customers?
Because I feel like consumerbuying behavior is changing.
We are out of COVID, we're backoutside, as the kids say, and
(28:13):
so we've got to create ways thatreally build community, that
build connection, and people arelooking for that, and I almost
feel like we're taking even astep back with social.
Folks want more connection,want more authenticity from the
brands that they purchase.
They want to know who's behindit, they want to know you know
(28:34):
what is the story of the founder, and so making sure that I'm
putting more of that front andcenter is definitely part of my
plan and strategy for 2025 into2026.
Camille (28:46):
Yeah, I agree with that and I agree with the connection
and the email and with theemail piece, since you just
shared it and it's fresh on yourmind.
I'm actually presenting to agroup of women next week on the
power of email and advice foremail.
So what is your top advice foremail right now?
Denise (29:03):
So, number one automate, automate, automate.
So for me that looks likeKlaviyo.
Work with a Klaviyo or emailmarketing partner like Malika,
who I worked with.
She came in and she did anaudit of my Shopify and an audit
of my Klaviyo gave me immediate, tangible things that I could
(29:26):
do to really maximize my reachon both of those platforms.
And also, again, automate.
You know, get those flows setup.
You know, get those campaignsset up.
Make sure that you'resegmenting your audience and not
just, you know sending outeverything to everybody but
you're able to craft a messageto those customers that's very
(29:49):
specific and intentional andthoughtful for them.
The way that I talk to my VIPcustomers is very different from
the way that I talk to folksthat are.
Maybe they did an abandonedcart right, they came to the
site, they put something intheir cart and they left it.
So that conversation looks verydifferent.
But hiring someone to help toset that up for you, at least
(30:10):
when you're first starting out,it's the best money that I could
have spent.
If you're not able to do that,start small.
Start with a blog.
You know, substack is getting alot of shine right now because
it allows people to create anewsletter format, a way of
being able to connect veryeasily with potential or
(30:32):
prospective customers.
You know, medium is another waythat folks who love to write
and want to put their thoughtsand things out there.
I just think there's so muchavailable to us now that we
didn't have, you know, even 10years ago.
Like you could not set up anonline business 10 years ago and
(30:52):
have your products being soldor or even your service being
made available to literally theentire world and the and tools
like Shopify, like Klaviyo,mailchimp they just made it so
much easier for us to be able tobe able to do that.
Camille (31:10):
A hundred percent.
A new one that I just learnedabout this week is sendernet,
and it is free for up to 15,000subscribers.
Denise (31:20):
I would say just told me about that.
Yes.
Camille (31:23):
It's so good.
It's so good you can segment.
I do like Klaviyo in the waythat you can use it for looking
at product, specific clickingand shopping.
I don't know that sendernetwould be as robust in that
regard, where I feel likeKlaviyo is more for product and
(31:44):
that sort of thing.
But if you're doing digital andI'm still getting to know
sendernet but it is amazing soI'm starting to look at that
more and considering switchingover from what I've been using.
And my friend that buildswebsites and does a bunch of
business development and websitedevelopment for people switched
hers from MailChimp is what shehad been on to sendernet, so
(32:06):
that's another option.
I'll link these below so thatyou can check those out.
But yeah, like you said, thereare so many more resources for
shortcuts and for automation,and to bring in a professional
that can help figure out thosesegments and those flows is huge
.
Denise (32:23):
Yes, yes, and as you start, whatever it is, if it's a
(32:44):
product, if it's a service,just do it, just start it,
Because the minute that youstart, then you suddenly start
to get access to probably investmore in and give people more of
, because that's what's selling.
And so all of these tools justmake it so much easier for us to
be able to forecast, to createsales strategies, marketing
(33:06):
strategies, and again, it's noteasy, but it's definitely doable
and it makes the process justthat much more tolerable.
I think, because you live inExcel, right, you can actually
use these tools to help you toreally optimize your environment
.
Camille (33:25):
Yeah, I think it is important to bring someone in
who is really great and lovesthose charts and statistics.
A lot of times, entrepreneurs Italk with are the big idea
people and they are thevisionaries, the creatives.
They, their heads are in theclouds, which is amazing because
that's how ideas get started.
So it is very possible that youneed to bring someone else in
(33:47):
whose brain works differentlythan yours and when I say
possible, it is almost alwaysnecessary because they can look
at it in a statistical way, withno emotion involved, because
they don't care what the logolooks like, they're looking at
the backend, you know where it'slike, okay, but this isn't
working or this is actually yourbest product.
Let's focus on that, and Ithink that that outside
(34:08):
perspective can, if you, if youallow yourself, think of it as
gameplay, as curiosity, as a wayto really get into it, without
making it an emotional piecewhich I think can be easy to
slip into.
Especially for women because wewant it to look a certain way.
Denise (34:24):
We want it to be perfect , right.
And there's all of thisresearch out there that talks
about how we don't even go foropportunities because we want it
to look a certain way.
We want it to be perfect, right.
And there's all of thisresearch out there that talks
about how we don't even go foropportunities because we don't
check all of the boxes.
But men, by the way, theaudacity that they have, and it
feels like the more mediocrethey are, the more audacity
there is.
But that, again, is anotherconversation.
(34:46):
But the thought that you have tohave it all together, like if
that was the case, I wouldn't,probably would not have started
Grace the Collection, because atsome point it was just like OK,
if we're going to do this, wejust need to step out and get it
done.
And you'd be surprised at howGod, the universe, I choose God
because I feel like he createdall of this, but again, that's
(35:07):
another conversation.
I choose God because I feellike he created all of this, but
again, that's anotherconversation.
We'll catch you, we'll guideyou.
The minute that you take thatstep and you decide okay, this
has been in me, it's been in myheart.
I can feel like this is thedirection that I'm supposed to
be in, the very moment that youactually start the execution of
that thing.
That you actually start theexecution of that thing, it's
(35:32):
like it all.
What's the saying?
I think it was in the thealchemist the universe conspires
with you, but you have to makethe step.
You'll never know what, whatcould be if you don't actually
step out and start doing thething.
Camille (35:46):
A hundred percent.
Oh, I love that.
Well, show off your productbefore we finish here, so those
who are watching the video cansee, and then also let us know
where everyone can find you.
And again, a reminder call meCEO.
Gives you 10% off, which is sogenerous, so, thank you.
Denise (36:02):
It was my pleasure, my pleasure.
So we have our room and linenspritz.
This is the newest product thatwas launched last year and I
just love the branding, the box.
People are like Denise, I don'twant to throw your stuff away.
Camille (36:17):
It is so pretty.
Denise (36:19):
Customers that have the boxes even though there's
nothing in it.
They have them just kind ofsitting out and I love that
because I wanted it to besomething beautiful.
But this is this is actuallythe Peace Spritz.
It's lavender and citrus.
This is even the FragranceHouse when they were creating
this scent for the, the, theSpritz, because it's the same
(36:42):
essential oil blend but it hasto be formulated to be able to
be a spray or Spritz rather, andthey were like this one's going
to make you a lot of money.
So this is actually the numberone seller of all of the, all of
the scents.
But this is the rumen linenspritz and I love the, the, the
vessel for this.
(37:02):
It's actually a glass bottlebut it's painted black and glass
is great for longevity of theproduct, keeps the oil doing
what it needs to do.
So that is the rumen linenspritz.
This is the six ounce candle.
It comes in a double-sided boxand the handle is in this lovely
(37:27):
black tin with the branding onthe cover and it's two wicks,
six ounces.
This will give you about 25, 30hours of burn time.
I tell folks, if you trim thewick, light it, let it burn for
a few hours, extinguish it.
Trim the wick to get the sootoff of the wick so that that oil
(37:53):
can really permeate the wickand it'll preserve your candle
and it gives you a better scentthrow and this is so good I've
never heard of that for trimmingthe wick.
Camille (38:00):
That's a good tip.
Denise (38:01):
Yes, and you get a candle care card with every
order so that you know how topreserve your investment.
And then this is the eightounce candle, again double-sided
, and I love the vessel for thisHand-blown glass with the logo
(38:22):
mark etched into the glass.
This is the eight ounce candleand it gives you about 60 65
hours of burn time.
Again, it depends on how youtake care of your candle and,
yeah, we also have our candlecare card that comes with every
order as well, to remind you ofhow to take care of your
(38:43):
investment and to prolong thelife of your candle oh, I love
that, and you did mention thatthat candle can be repurposed to
be a votive or a holder foryour makeup brushes or pens.
Yes, in my on my desk, I do havemakeup brushes.
In the bathroom, I have acouple of these in the drawer
with different things in them,and even the the tens for the
(39:05):
six ounce candles.
You can actually repurpose themand they can become a really
cute little catch.
All for jewelry, for what nots?
And they can be in differentspots around the house um as
well.
Camille (39:19):
So very cool.
Well, you should be very proud.
I feel like this has been sowonderful hearing your story,
and I am sure there are peoplehere listening who would love to
connect with you online andcheck out your products.
Please tell us where they canfind you.
Denise (39:33):
Yes, you can find me at Grace the Collection on social,
on Instagram Facebook threads.
You can also find me at Nisi.
Reese is my personal Instagrampage and we're on LinkedIn as
well.
My personal LinkedIn isDenise-Reese or Grace the
(39:54):
Collection on LinkedIn as well.
Perfect.
Camille (39:57):
Well, everyone, thank you so much for listening today,
and my big takeaway today isthat the block is the blessing.
Go for that thing that you'rethinking about, that it's not
leaving you alone, and trustthat God or the universe will
carry you and that you can makeit through one day at a time.
Thank you so much for tuning inand we'll see you next time.
Hey CEOs, thank you so much forspending your time with me.
(40:21):
If you found this episodeinspiring or helpful, please let
me know in a comment.
In a five-star review, youcould have the chance of being a
featured review on an upcomingepisode.
Continue the conversation onInstagram at callmeCEOPodcast,
and remember you are the boss.
And just after everything that had happened, I
realized we all need grace, andwe need to extend grace to
ourselves most importantly, butwe also have to extend grace to
each other, and so that was thesort of the beginning of the
founding of Grace, theCollection.
Camille (00:24):
So you want to make an impact.
You're thinking about startinga business, sharing your voice.
How do women do it that handlemotherhood, family and still
chase after those dreams?
We'll listen each week as wedive into the stories of women
who know this is Call Me CEO.
Welcome back everyone to CallMe CEO.
(00:46):
This is your host, CamilleWalker, and thank you so much
for pressing play.
I cannot tell you how much itmeans to me to get your DMs
messages and inspiration thatyou receive from hearing the
stories of women like youcreating and building incredible
businesses.
And today we are going to betalking about how boring is
(01:08):
great, that being consistent isactually something that builds
profitability.
It's not always about the nextshiny thing that distracts you,
which can be hard to avoidBelieve me, I know.
But we're going to talk withDenise Reese, who is the founder
and CEO of Grace the Collection, and she has a luxe line of
(01:29):
fragrance and candles that isabsolutely incredible, and I
cannot wait for you to meetDenise she's just a delight and
to share her story aboutbuilding this incredible
business.
So, Denise, thank you so muchfor being on the show today.
Denise (01:44):
Thank you for having me, camille, it's a pleasure.
Camille (01:47):
Yeah, so tell our audience a little bit more about
you, where you're from, yourfamily and what your business is
all about.
Denise (01:54):
Absolutely so.
I am originally from NewOrleans, so New Orleans,
louisiana, is home.
But I was a military kid.
Dad was in the Air Force over30 years, so I've literally
lived all over the world, allover the US, both as a kid and
as an adult, and I'm now inAtlanta, georgia, where I've
(02:15):
been since 2008.
It's the longest that I'velived anywhere and actually
moved here from London.
I spent some time working andliving abroad for several years.
I spent some time working andliving abroad for several years
and I'm in technology sales havebeen for the last almost 30
years, so over 25 years.
Goodness gracious, I can'tbelieve it.
(02:35):
No-transcript forever.
(02:56):
And I thought, yeah, this is agrowing market, I can do this,
and so I launched the company in2020.
Grace was my word for the year,so our words have power and it
worthed.
Grace, the collection and weare a beautiful.
In the next week or so, we'llhave wax melts that we'll be
(03:26):
adding to the collection,looking at adding a reed
diffuser later this year, and wesell online as well as in
multiple retailers around themetro Atlanta area and earlier
last year March of last yearactually launched on Macy'scom,
so you can find the product onMacy'scom as well.
So it's been a journey.
(03:46):
It continues to be a journey,but it's a labor of love.
I enjoy it.
I love sharing the story andthe products with other people
and can't wait for your, yourlisteners to, to learn more
about it.
Camille (03:58):
Yeah, for everyone listening, you actually get 10%
off if you use the code call meCEO.
Just as a little plug there.
But let's hear a little bitmore.
It's so interesting to me thatyou started this in 2020 because
, having done hundreds ofinterviews, 2020 was such a
pivoting year for a lot ofpeople.
So was 2008 because we had therecession, so it's interesting
(04:21):
that you have that session.
So it's interesting that youhave that.
I'm wondering if that got yourmove here back to the U?
S as well, as what was it in2020 and how did you get the
wheels moving when productionand fulfillment was pretty rough
in that year and the next year?
Denise (04:38):
Yes, it was.
So it's interesting.
When I moved here in 2008, Iwas actually moving with a
company that I was working forin the UK and they moved me to,
moved me to the US, and therewas also some family things that
were happening.
I was way too far away from myfamily.
I needed to be closer.
My parents ended up retiring inTampa, and so Atlanta was a
(04:59):
great place to be.
I was taking on the globalrelationship for Coca-Cola, who
was based here, so I had toactually be in Atlanta and it
was.
It was great for me, which isreally weird to say, because I
was coming back to the US with ajob.
But here, you know, you realize, oh my gosh, like I've
(05:19):
literally come back to arecession.
So I was extremely grateful andfelt so blessed that I was in
that position at that time.
But 2020 was really more about.
There was just so much, so muchgoing on in the world.
We had, you know, the pandemic.
We were locked down the.
You know we call it a racialreckoning that I personally
(05:42):
believe that we're still in themidst of.
I remember sitting at mybreakfast bar and this was
probably around the.
It was around the summer, likeJuly, june, july of 2020.
And I never thought of grace asbeing an extremely strong word,
(06:02):
like some of the words that Ihad chosen previous years,
because I don't do resolutions.
I do a word that guides me forthe year, and just after
everything that had happened, Irealized we all need grace, and
we need to extend grace toourselves most importantly, but
we also have to extend grace toeach other, and so that was the
sort of the beginning of thefounding of Grace, the
(06:24):
Collection, and I also thinkit's so important for us to
surround ourselves with littleluxuries every day.
It doesn't have to be anythingthat breaks the bank, but it can
be a warm bath with a greatbody, something that you got, or
some flowers that you can putin your bath, you can light a
candle, you can spray something,you can eat something that's
(06:47):
nourishing and good for yourbody.
So I think there's just thingsthat we can, small things that
we can do.
That gives us those reprievesand it reminds us of the divine
that's already within us, but italso gives us a little touch of
lux as well, and I believe thatcan be accomplished through the
power of scent.
Camille (07:08):
Well, you talked about a lot of senses there where you
talked about a bath being.
It's interesting.
You say that because the lastcouple of days I've had my
little boys that have been sickand the number one thing that
has brought them reprieve is animmersive bath, and you kind of
forget sometimes that somethinglike that can feel so luxurious.
And we lit a candle and weadded some special it was like a
(07:32):
Dr Teal's eucalyptus to thebath water and so it was the
sensation of the feel, the scent, the smell, like all of it
immersed together and that hadbeen there all along.
But my son was like, wow, thisthat was really made me feel so
much better, and even my hotshower and just being grateful
(07:52):
for that.
And we talked about how indoorplumbing and having a hot bath
or shower is something thathasn't been around really for
that long.
And anyway, that literally wasour conversation going to the
school today.
So I think that it's reallyspecial to think about adding
those things to your life, tomake those luxuries a part of
your everyday that we consumeand take in.
Denise (08:21):
It can even be, you know , binge watching whatever series
the housewives of every city ismy guilty pleasure.
You see the fabulousness, andwe all, we often think that you
have to have those big things tocreate luxury and ease in your
life, or happiness, yeah, and soI would say happiness is
(08:43):
something it can be relative,right.
I prefer to have joy in my lifebecause joy is something that
is a mainstay, regardless ofwhat's happening around you.
Happiness can ebb and flowdepending on what's going on
your life.
If you have an anchor of joyand grace, then that can be
(09:06):
something that just carries overinto every aspect of your life,
and so it doesn't need to be,you know, these big sweeping
things that we have to do.
It really is about the littlethings and those small things
that we can do to just createroutine, to create an intention.
Like, I'm a big believer inmaking the bed in the morning
because that helps you to kindof set an intention.
Like I'm a big believer inmaking the bed in the morning
(09:27):
because that helps you to kindof set your intention and it's a
great way to kind of start yourday.
I usually will light a candle,even in the mornings.
I work from home quite a bitand I'll, you know, light a
candle in the morning while I'mdoing my prayer time, my
meditation.
So all of those little thingscan kind of add up to just set
(09:47):
you up for what I think issuccess for the day, even if the
day gets a little bit crazy.
Camille (09:53):
Yeah, it's right.
Before you said that I wasthinking the routines, the
bookends of the day.
It's the beginning of the dayand the end of the day and it's
those joy plugged in momentswhere it's what are those
connected moments where you feelin tune with yourself, your
intuition and setting thatintention for the day.
So I love that you said that,because I think you're right.
One thing that I actually had Iwas speaking with a group of
(10:17):
women about setting intentionfor your day and making it
romance, romancing or making aromantic view of your ritual,
and the thing that I said waslight the candle when maybe it's
when you're waking up in themorning or you put the kids to
bed and you light that candleand that signals to your mind of
it's my time and you get tohave the 10 minutes, the 30
(10:39):
minutes or whatever it is.
That kind of initiates that gotime with your brain taking that
deep breath.
So I love that you created aproduct around that because it's
so empowering and also reallyit's captures the senses, which
is really cool too.
Denise (10:57):
Absolutely, and you know , when you're marketing a
fragrance product, people can'tsmell it.
So I try to tap into all ofthose other sensory aspects that
can give folks, I think, agreat idea of what it's like to
use the product, what it lookslike in their homes, in their
(11:17):
hands, and it's also why I'vereally invested into amazing
branding and design.
Shout out to Emily Wells ofEmily Wells Design.
She is amazing and helped toreally bring the brand to life
in such a beautiful way.
And all of those things reallyare what create the experience
of Grace, the Collection, fromwhen you interact with the
(11:39):
product, either on social mediaor online, right the way through
to the unboxing experience.
It's all a part of theexperience of the products and
of the brand and the company.
Camille (11:52):
Yeah, all right.
Well, we're going to peel backthe curtain a little bit about
developing this business,because maybe there are people
who are listening who havethought about having a product
or thought about doing somethingoutside of their norm, which I
really like.
How, in yours, your story anddevelopment is that you had a
corporate situation going on.
You had a pause because of 2020, but talk to me a little bit
(12:14):
about how you built up thatconsistency, or how it unrolled
so that you were able to developthe products but also still
stay attached to what you hadgoing on before.
Can you tell us a little bitmore about that?
Denise (12:27):
Absolutely, absolutely so in.
You know, as I tell my, mycorporate customers, you know we
outsource non-core competencies.
Get someone in to help you toassess and make those decisions.
So I took my own advice and Ihired a consultant.
I hired someone.
Well, I, first off, I did myown research.
So I took my own advice and Ihired a consultant.
I hired someone.
Well, I, first off, I did myown research.
(12:49):
So I started to look at youknow what are what?
What is the market for homefragrance?
And it's a 29, $30 billionglobal market that's growing
over 4% annually.
I'm like I want a piece of thatand also happens to be something
that I really love.
Ever since I was back in mytwenties, when I got my first
(13:12):
place, had some disposableincome you could find the candle
lit, incense, a plugin, adiffuser, some oils there's
going to be something in thespace to make it smell good and
also my boyfriend at the timewhen we would go out, people
were always stopping me aboutsomething.
Oh my God, I love your glasses,I love what you're wearing.
(13:33):
You've got a really cool style.
This, this, this.
He's like Denise, that's acustomer, so you need to figure
out what you're going to sellthem, because whatever you're
selling they're going to buy.
And I was like, yeah, that doeshappen quite a bit.
But I also wanted it to besomething that was, that was
natural and organic for me andit wasn't just a money grab.
(13:54):
Right After doing my research,hired a consultant who was, who
was in the business but also didkind of one-on-one coaching for
folks that wanted to enter thespace, and very early on I
realized that I was not going tobe in the kitchen with a double
boiler making candles and eventhough I think it's great for
(14:18):
folks who are able to do that,that just wasn't for me.
Number one, because I had a dayjob.
And number two, there is an artand a science to candle making
and if you don't have all of thetools to be able to make sure
that that wax is at the rightlevel, that you've got the
appropriate levels of afragrance to wax ratio to create
(14:39):
an amazing cold throw and hotthrow and the different types of
waxes like, there's a lot thatgoes into this.
So I knew, through hiring thatconsultant, that I was going to
work with a supplier to actuallyhand pour everything, and so
from there I was able to workbackwards from okay, like, what
are those things I need to havein place?
Who's going to be the supplier?
(15:00):
Who's going to do my?
You know I need a logo.
I need marketing and brandingor design amazing design work to
get done.
What do I want the fragrancesto be?
Where do I want to sell?
How do I want to sell?
What's the customer journey?
What does the customerexperience look like?
How are customers going to findme?
So these are things that I havebecome adept at helping other
(15:22):
customers to recognize, or mycorporate clients in technology
to recognize.
And I just took all of that formyself and thought you know what
, if I can build multi-milliondollar business units for other
companies, surely I can do thatfor myself.
And that's what I did.
And you know it means that ittook a little bit longer for me
(15:43):
to launch doing it that way,because I started the company in
2020.
But I didn't launch until 2022because supply chain like who
does a product company of aglobal pandemic, but also the
consultant I was working with weended up having a little things
went awry and they actuallyblocked the supplier
(16:06):
relationship.
That's a story for another day.
Oh no, they blocked thatrelationship, and so I had to
start from scratch with lookingfor a supplier.
But eventually I found HarperMill Candles, who has brought
the brand to life for me andwe've now created an amazing
collaboration.
And so long-winded answer,camille.
(16:27):
But I think the red threadthere is doing your research for
yourself, right?
Don't just depend on socialmedia or what somebody told you
or what they thought or whatthey found out.
Find out for yourself what'sviable.
Understand what the gap is inthe market.
So, part of the consultantcoming on, I was able to
(16:48):
recognize that there's all ofthese high-end luxury brands
that I was purchasing your JoMalone's and your Diptyque's and
your Byrito's but then, whenyou kind of go below that,
there's not a lot in that sortof luxury fragrance, home
fragrance space that gives youthe same experience as those
higher-end brands but at a moreaccessible price point.
And I thought, okay, that'swhere I want to be.
(17:10):
I want to really forge a pathin that part of the market that
I felt like there was a gap.
And then from there I juststarted to do the work and it
took a lot of longer, like Isaid.
But now here we are, threeyears later after launch, and
we're still here and thrivingand have some amazing things
(17:30):
that have happened and moreamazing things on the horizon as
well.
amazing things that havehappened and more amazing things
on the horizon as well.
So, and you're in Macy's, likethat's huge.
Yes, yes, well, macy's dot com.
So we're not on shelf in Macy'syet, but I feel like that's
coming.
But we are on the shelves ofsome other amazing small
businesses.
Woodhouse Spa in Buckhead herein Atlanta has taken us on and
(17:54):
helped to craft a path to getinto the other Woodhouse Spas
around the country, and so justreally some amazing things that
I still sometimes pinch myselfand can't believe that it's.
You know, I've been able toachieve and accomplish that in a
relatively short space of time,but you know, because of my
(18:15):
corporate background, that hasit served me well.
Camille (18:19):
I have a couple of questions.
One is for the partnership thatwent awry.
What is a lesson that youlearned from that experience or
a way that perhaps you couldhave protected yourself from
that block happening?
Is there any like takeaway withthat that you could share?
Have you ever felt like you'regoing through the motions and
not really sure what's drivingyou forward?
(18:40):
It's time to rediscover yourpurpose.
With my free five day, discoveryour why.
This is a video workshop that,in just five days, you'll gain
clarity on what motivates youand how to align your life and
your business with your biggervision, because when you know
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and you create a life youactually love.
(19:02):
Join the free challenge now atcamillewalkerco.
That's camillewalkerco, andlet's uncover your why together.
Denise (19:13):
So the the, the block was the blessing to be perfectly
honest with you.
Camille (19:18):
Which isn't that how it goes.
You know where you're like, oh,this is the worst, and then you
find out yeah, exactly.
Denise (19:24):
Long story short, we collaborate.
I did a home, a bespokefragrance experience with them,
created a scent.
When we're getting to the endof our consultancy, hey, denise,
what do you think about usingthe scent that you created for
your candle?
Because I named it Grace,because that was my word, and I
did the scent experience in 2020as well, just after we were
(19:48):
starting to go back outside frombeing locked down, and
initially they wanted inexchange for the fragrance that
I paid for.
By the way, they wanted a equityplay for my company and I'm
like, no, that's not how equityworks, because I shouldn't have
paid you for consulting servicesand all of the other expenses.
(20:11):
You would have fronted that inexchange for equity.
Thankfully, I have an amazingbusiness attorney who said
absolutely not, but here's whatwe can do.
We're going to give them 20% ofthe gross profit of every
product that you all collaborateon and work on a fragrance.
So if they create a scent foryou, they will get 20% gross
profit in perpetuity as long asthat product is being
(20:36):
manufactured.
I thought it was a prettygenerous deal and it's residual
income if you work it right.
They were not happy with thatand, as a result, they blocked
the supplier that I was going towork with and this happened
right at I was getting ready tolaunch the first cent.
This happen right at I wasgetting ready to launch the
(20:58):
first cent.
So I then had to take a year torecalibrate and figure out like
I'm like, okay, god, I feellike you put this in me, but I'm
not sure if this is thedirection, because this is
happening, and I realized thatthat block what seemed like a
block at the time was a blessing, because that person actually
went out of business shortlyafter all of this happened and I
(21:20):
would have been in their store,would have been tied to them.
That could have beendetrimental for Grace the
Collection before we even fullylaunched.
So it seemed like a reallydevastating thing at the time,
but it absolutely turned out tobe a blessing and we're still
here.
Camille (21:38):
I'm like that's the title when the block is the
blessing.
I think that's so.
That's a great analogy of that,because it really I feel like
it, had you been tied to them,they would have had opinions
about the sense that you werecreating.
They would want to havecreative direction of how it was
, how it looked and how youpresented it.
So, yeah, that's a that was agood, actually a really great
(21:59):
thing.
So a question, another questionI thought of for you is with
your corporate experience, youacknowledge that it gives you an
advantage for others who haveno idea they're coming into it
and have no background with that.
What is it from your corporatebackground that made it so that
you were able to skip over someof other lessons learned that
(22:21):
you you already knew from havingso many relationships and
building, I mean, huge companies?
Denise (22:27):
Yeah.
So I think that's a greatquestion, camille.
I think the main thing is,having been in sales and that's
what I do is I sell stuff for aliving.
It might be big technologydeals, but it's just selling
stuff.
So, leaning into that,recognizing the importance of
relationships I'm fortunate tohave an amazing network of folks
(22:50):
that have shown up for me, thatcontinue to show up for me, and
so really leveraging that, butthen also reminding myself that
people buy things from people,that from people, and so making
sure that I was and continue tobe the face of the brand and I
put myself out there.
(23:11):
It was really difficult at firstbecause I'm like I don't know
if I want to be completely tiedto it, but even when I post
things with if it's just mypicture or if it's a video, even
if it's just a quick like Iwent, I recorded something in
the car the other day and it didgreat numbers.
So I'm like, ok, you have to befront and center, and just like
(23:31):
I have to show up for mycorporate customers, I have to
show up for myself in the sameway.
And then also just kind of thebusiness acumen of it all,
making sure that the foundationwas there starting my LLC,
getting a business bank account,getting a great business
attorney, having a bookkeeper onstandby, being able to not be
(23:54):
afraid of technology and usingall of the different tools that
are out there to be able toautomate processes and to use
that to your advantage, even interms of competitive analysis,
and also doing the research aswell, because when I'm selling a
multimillion dollar, peoplearen't going to give my company
(24:16):
$25, $30, $50 million overmultiple years and have us to
take over something if I haven'tdone my research and I don't
know what I'm talking about.
So I incorporate that into thebusiness as well, and again, it
means that it's taking me alittle bit longer.
But I'm a big.
All of these viral things and wewant to be overnight successes
(24:51):
and you know, social media hasus thinking that we've got to.
You know, suddenly get to likea million dollars in revenue and
you know five million followersor whatever within you know 60
days or something crazy.
But the reality is is nothinghappens overnight.
Success doesn't just happen,it's, it's the culmination of
(25:14):
all of the small things that wedo day in and day out.
We continue to do the work andboring.
Profitable businesses aresustainable and they, they, they
create longevity, and so thathas having that approach has
served me well.
And am I where I think I?
(25:35):
Am I where I thought I wouldhave been now?
No, but I'm also a lot furtherthan what I give myself credit
for, and so just making surethat I lean into that a little
bit more and give myself gracein this whole journey, yeah, ooh
, I love that and I love themessage of your brand, like it's
so, so good.
Camille (25:57):
I'm curious about your, because you have put in such
great detail for the packaging,the branding, the experience of
taking the candle or thefragrance out of the box.
The experience of taking thecandle or the fragrance out of
the box.
Have you been utilizing shortform video or working with
influencers or using TikTok,like where you've had such a
good sales and marketingbackground?
(26:19):
What is it for you that madeyour marketing piece a success?
Denise (26:25):
So I would say it's.
You know, some days are betterthan others in terms of whether
or not it's a success, camille,oh for sure.
But I, you know, what I've I'vebeen conscious of is not just
following the next thing, so youknow the, or the new shiny
thing.
So I've had a number of peopleto tell me you should be on
TikTok shop.
(26:45):
No, I shouldn't be Like,because most luxury brands are
not on TikTok shop and I don'twanna do things that are going
to diminish my brand in any way.
So just because it could maybegive access to a bunch of
followers and maybe an uptick inrevenue doesn't necessarily
mean that it's the right thingfor the business from a
(27:08):
longevity perspective.
I have not been maximizingshort-form video, but I plan to
do that because, as we areseeing and I actually did a live
with a friend and businesspartner, malika Planes of On12
(27:28):
Management we did a liveyesterday talking about the
importance of optimizing yourdigital assets and optimizing
those things that we own,because, as we've seen with
TikTok, as we see with thealgorithm on social, we're
constantly chasing somethingthat's elusive.
So we've got to make sure thatwe're focusing on the things
(27:50):
that we own, and what we own isour website.
We own our products, obviously,we own our email marketing
lists, and so how do we makesure that those things are truly
optimized so that we canleverage them to create real
connection with our customers?
Because I feel like consumerbuying behavior is changing.
We are out of COVID, we're backoutside, as the kids say, and
(28:13):
so we've got to create ways thatreally build community, that
build connection, and people arelooking for that, and I almost
feel like we're taking even astep back with social.
Folks want more connection,want more authenticity from the
brands that they purchase.
They want to know who's behindit, they want to know you know
(28:34):
what is the story of the founder, and so making sure that I'm
putting more of that front andcenter is definitely part of my
plan and strategy for 2025 into2026.
Camille (28:46):
Yeah, I agree with that and I agree with the connection
and the email and with theemail piece, since you just
shared it and it's fresh on yourmind.
I'm actually presenting to agroup of women next week on the
power of email and advice foremail.
So what is your top advice foremail right now?
Denise (29:03):
So, number one automate, automate, automate.
So for me that looks likeKlaviyo.
Work with a Klaviyo or emailmarketing partner like Malika,
who I worked with.
She came in and she did anaudit of my Shopify and an audit
of my Klaviyo gave me immediate, tangible things that I could
(29:26):
do to really maximize my reachon both of those platforms.
And also, again, automate.
You know, get those flows setup.
You know, get those campaignsset up.
Make sure that you'resegmenting your audience and not
just, you know sending outeverything to everybody but
you're able to craft a messageto those customers that's very
(29:49):
specific and intentional andthoughtful for them.
The way that I talk to my VIPcustomers is very different from
the way that I talk to folksthat are.
Maybe they did an abandonedcart right, they came to the
site, they put something intheir cart and they left it.
So that conversation looks verydifferent.
But hiring someone to help toset that up for you, at least
(30:10):
when you're first starting out,it's the best money that I could
have spent.
If you're not able to do that,start small.
Start with a blog.
You know, substack is getting alot of shine right now because
it allows people to create anewsletter format, a way of
being able to connect veryeasily with potential or
(30:32):
prospective customers.
You know, medium is another waythat folks who love to write
and want to put their thoughtsand things out there.
I just think there's so muchavailable to us now that we
didn't have, you know, even 10years ago.
Like you could not set up anonline business 10 years ago and
(30:52):
have your products being soldor or even your service being
made available to literally theentire world and the and tools
like Shopify, like Klaviyo,mailchimp they just made it so
much easier for us to be able tobe able to do that.
Camille (31:10):
A hundred percent.
A new one that I just learnedabout this week is sendernet,
and it is free for up to 15,000subscribers.
Denise (31:20):
I would say just told me about that.
Yes.
Camille (31:23):
It's so good.
It's so good you can segment.
I do like Klaviyo in the waythat you can use it for looking
at product, specific clickingand shopping.
I don't know that sendernetwould be as robust in that
regard, where I feel likeKlaviyo is more for product and
(31:44):
that sort of thing.
But if you're doing digital andI'm still getting to know
sendernet but it is amazing soI'm starting to look at that
more and considering switchingover from what I've been using.
And my friend that buildswebsites and does a bunch of
business development and websitedevelopment for people switched
hers from MailChimp is what shehad been on to sendernet, so
(32:06):
that's another option.
I'll link these below so thatyou can check those out.
But yeah, like you said, thereare so many more resources for
shortcuts and for automation,and to bring in a professional
that can help figure out thosesegments and those flows is huge
.
Denise (32:23):
Yes, yes, and as you start, whatever it is, if it's a
(32:44):
product, if it's a service,just do it, just start it,
Because the minute that youstart, then you suddenly start
to get access to probably investmore in and give people more of
, because that's what's selling.
And so all of these tools justmake it so much easier for us to
be able to forecast, to createsales strategies, marketing
(33:06):
strategies, and again, it's noteasy, but it's definitely doable
and it makes the process justthat much more tolerable.
I think, because you live inExcel, right, you can actually
use these tools to help you toreally optimize your environment
.
Camille (33:25):
Yeah, I think it is important to bring someone in
who is really great and lovesthose charts and statistics.
A lot of times, entrepreneurs Italk with are the big idea
people and they are thevisionaries, the creatives.
They, their heads are in theclouds, which is amazing because
that's how ideas get started.
So it is very possible that youneed to bring someone else in
(33:47):
whose brain works differentlythan yours and when I say
possible, it is almost alwaysnecessary because they can look
at it in a statistical way, withno emotion involved, because
they don't care what the logolooks like, they're looking at
the backend, you know where it'slike, okay, but this isn't
working or this is actually yourbest product.
Let's focus on that, and Ithink that that outside
(34:08):
perspective can, if you, if youallow yourself, think of it as
gameplay, as curiosity, as a wayto really get into it, without
making it an emotional piecewhich I think can be easy to
slip into.
Especially for women because wewant it to look a certain way.
Denise (34:24):
We want it to be perfect , right.
And there's all of thisresearch out there that talks
about how we don't even go foropportunities because we want it
to look a certain way.
We want it to be perfect, right.
And there's all of thisresearch out there that talks
about how we don't even go foropportunities because we don't
check all of the boxes.
But men, by the way, theaudacity that they have, and it
feels like the more mediocrethey are, the more audacity
there is.
But that, again, is anotherconversation.
(34:46):
But the thought that you have tohave it all together, like if
that was the case, I wouldn't,probably would not have started
Grace the Collection, because atsome point it was just like OK,
if we're going to do this, wejust need to step out and get it
done.
And you'd be surprised at howGod, the universe, I choose God
because I feel like he createdall of this, but again, that's
(35:07):
another conversation.
I choose God because I feellike he created all of this, but
again, that's anotherconversation.
We'll catch you, we'll guideyou.
The minute that you take thatstep and you decide okay, this
has been in me, it's been in myheart.
I can feel like this is thedirection that I'm supposed to
be in, the very moment that youactually start the execution of
that thing.
That you actually start theexecution of that thing, it's
(35:32):
like it all.
What's the saying?
I think it was in the thealchemist the universe conspires
with you, but you have to makethe step.
You'll never know what, whatcould be if you don't actually
step out and start doing thething.
Camille (35:46):
A hundred percent.
Oh, I love that.
Well, show off your productbefore we finish here, so those
who are watching the video cansee, and then also let us know
where everyone can find you.
And again, a reminder call meCEO.
Gives you 10% off, which is sogenerous, so, thank you.
Denise (36:02):
It was my pleasure, my pleasure.
So we have our room and linenspritz.
This is the newest product thatwas launched last year and I
just love the branding, the box.
People are like Denise, I don'twant to throw your stuff away.
Camille (36:17):
It is so pretty.
Denise (36:19):
Customers that have the boxes even though there's
nothing in it.
They have them just kind ofsitting out and I love that
because I wanted it to besomething beautiful.
But this is this is actuallythe Peace Spritz.
It's lavender and citrus.
This is even the FragranceHouse when they were creating
this scent for the, the, theSpritz, because it's the same
(36:42):
essential oil blend but it hasto be formulated to be able to
be a spray or Spritz rather, andthey were like this one's going
to make you a lot of money.
So this is actually the numberone seller of all of the, all of
the scents.
But this is the rumen linenspritz and I love the, the, the
vessel for this.
(37:02):
It's actually a glass bottlebut it's painted black and glass
is great for longevity of theproduct, keeps the oil doing
what it needs to do.
So that is the rumen linenspritz.
This is the six ounce candle.
It comes in a double-sided boxand the handle is in this lovely
(37:27):
black tin with the branding onthe cover and it's two wicks,
six ounces.
This will give you about 25, 30hours of burn time.
I tell folks, if you trim thewick, light it, let it burn for
a few hours, extinguish it.
Trim the wick to get the sootoff of the wick so that that oil
(37:53):
can really permeate the wickand it'll preserve your candle
and it gives you a better scentthrow and this is so good I've
never heard of that for trimmingthe wick.
Camille (38:00):
That's a good tip.
Denise (38:01):
Yes, and you get a candle care card with every
order so that you know how topreserve your investment.
And then this is the eightounce candle, again double-sided
, and I love the vessel for thisHand-blown glass with the logo
(38:22):
mark etched into the glass.
This is the eight ounce candleand it gives you about 60 65
hours of burn time.
Again, it depends on how youtake care of your candle and,
yeah, we also have our candlecare card that comes with every
order as well, to remind you ofhow to take care of your
(38:43):
investment and to prolong thelife of your candle oh, I love
that, and you did mention thatthat candle can be repurposed to
be a votive or a holder foryour makeup brushes or pens.
Yes, in my on my desk, I do havemakeup brushes.
In the bathroom, I have acouple of these in the drawer
with different things in them,and even the the tens for the
(39:05):
six ounce candles.
You can actually repurpose themand they can become a really
cute little catch.
All for jewelry, for what nots?
And they can be in differentspots around the house um as
well.
Camille (39:19):
So very cool.
Well, you should be very proud.
I feel like this has been sowonderful hearing your story,
and I am sure there are peoplehere listening who would love to
connect with you online andcheck out your products.
Please tell us where they canfind you.
Denise (39:33):
Yes, you can find me at Grace the Collection on social,
on Instagram Facebook threads.
You can also find me at Nisi.
Reese is my personal Instagrampage and we're on LinkedIn as
well.
My personal LinkedIn isDenise-Reese or Grace the
(39:54):
Collection on LinkedIn as well.
Perfect.
Camille (39:57):
Well, everyone, thank you so much for listening today,
and my big takeaway today isthat the block is the blessing.
Go for that thing that you'rethinking about, that it's not
leaving you alone, and trustthat God or the universe will
carry you and that you can makeit through one day at a time.
Thank you so much for tuning inand we'll see you next time.
Hey CEOs, thank you so much forspending your time with me.
(40:21):
If you found this episodeinspiring or helpful, please let
me know in a comment.
In a five-star review, youcould have the chance of being a
featured review on an upcomingepisode.
Continue the conversation onInstagram at callmeCEOPodcast,
and remember you are the boss.
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