June 7, 2025 • 42 mins
What happens when a million-mile corporate traveler trades global supply chains for hand-poured candles? Sherry Owens-Thompson's remarkable transformation from retail VP to founder of Wild Orchid Candle Company reveals how decades of strategic business experience can ignite an entrepreneurial flame.
After years of feeling like "just another asset" in corporate America, Sherry embraced her passion for candle-making—discovering that creating the perfect candle requires a delicate dance between science and art. She explains the crucial differences between mass-market candles that burn black, sooty smoke and her premium, sustainable creations using coconut, apricot, and soy waxes that burn cleaner and last longer.
Beyond building a thriving business with impressive customer retention, Sherry's story illuminates how entrepreneurship enables purpose-driven work. Through her WOW Academy, she brings STEAM education to young people, teaching emotional regulation and mindfulness alongside candle science. Her private labeling services help fellow small businesses create memorable branded products that outlast traditional promotional items.
The conversation delves into the intersection of business strategy and social impact, offering practical wisdom for anyone considering their entrepreneurial journey. As Sherry says, "You truly are the master of your own destiny," emphasizing the importance of surrounding yourself with people who help you level up rather than hold you back.
Ready to explore how your skills might fuel an unexpected business opportunity? Visit wildorchidcandles.com to discover how science, sustainability, and strategy come together in perfect harmony.
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest marketing trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates from us, be sure to follow us at 5starbdm.com. See you next time on Follow The Brand!
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Speaker 2 (00:11):
I am black business, from the moment I wake until the
time I sleep.
Yes, I am black business, I amblack business.
Tell me, are you black business?
I am black business.
Tell me, are you black business?
I am black business.
Do you support black businesses?
(00:31):
Listen, I support blackbusiness because I am black
business.
Black Business Expo One of thelargest business showcases in
the history of black business inthe world, the world.
Sign up today atwwwblackbusinessexpousacom or
(00:54):
call 919-308-9090.
I am Black Business.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Hello, hello, hello everyone and welcome to the
Black Business Network.
My name is Grant McGaugh, ceoof Five Star BDM and host of the
award-winning Follow Brandpodcast and TV series, and I am
your business moderator for thissession on the Black Business
Network.
The Black Business Network is a24-hour business network
(01:33):
showcasing Black businesses,business owners, entrepreneurs
and thought leaders worldwide,and we have speakers from North
Carolina, london, singapore,africa, japan and cities all
over the United States.
The Black Business Network is aglobal community sharing
business knowledge to empower,inspire and educate businesses
(01:55):
about business, and with metoday is Sherry Owens-Thompson.
She is a dynamic productdevelopment leader, global
sourcing expert and founder ofWild Orchid Candle Company LLC.
And with a proven track recordin retail strategy and supply
chain optimization.
(02:16):
She has led global sourcing andprivate label programs for top
brands, while championing costefficiency and innovation.
And, through Wild Orchid andthe Wow Academy, sherry merges
scent science and mindfulness tocreate STEAM that's S-T-E-A-M
(02:38):
STEAM-based learning experiencesfor youth.
And Sherry thrives at theintersection of strategy and
social impact, whether buildingscalable product ecosystems or
designing programs to fosteremotional intelligence.
And her leadership reflects adeep commitment to innovation,
education and purpose-drivengrowth.
(02:59):
And she is empowering our nextgeneration as she supports our
community through organizationslike Dress for Success, pace
Center for Girls and a lot ofdifferent local schools, so I'd
like to bring her to the stage.
Ms Sherry Owen Thompson, howare you today?
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Good morning Grant.
How are you?
Speaker 1 (03:19):
You know I'm doing wonderful.
It's always good to see you.
You are a good friend of mine.
I've known you for I'm not evengoing to say how many years,
but it's been maybe a couple ofdecades or so.
But I'm very proud of you andhow you've made so many
successful pivots in your ownlife.
And we're going to talk aboutsome of those pivots because
(03:41):
each pivot for you has had apurpose.
So, as we talk about pivot andpurpose, I want to know why you
walked away from your corporatesuccess to go on this
entrepreneurial journey.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Oftentimes I think about that myself, you know, but
I think the main reason that Idecided to well, the opportunity
presented itself.
Actually, I mean, I've been incorporate America from the day
that I graduated college.
I was out of school for maybeless than 30 days.
I moved to South Florida and Ihave been working ever since.
(04:18):
And so throughout that timeperiod I'm not going to throw
any dates in right Because Idon't want to date myself, but
it was quite a long time period.
I'm not going to throw anydates in right Because I don't
want to date myself, but it wasquite a long time ago and I was
able to really successfullybuild my career.
And it's interesting how thingskind of fell into place, you
know, selecting a major and thenreally not knowing whether or
(04:39):
not that major would take me towhere I ultimately ended up, and
there was definitely divineintervention from God because
everything worked itself out.
And after so many years oftravel, I think I was a million
miler on every airline.
I was always out of the country.
I have, as you know, two adultchildren and I missed a lot of
(05:04):
quality time with them because Iwas always gone.
You know, I was travelingwherever and after watching what
was happening in corporateAmerica, where, in the beginning
, companies used to havetraining programs and you really
felt like the organization wasinvested in the employee.
(05:27):
You just weren't an asset, youknow, and by the time I decided
to make this transition, I feltas if I might as well have been
a file cabinet, because I wasanother asset and you could be
easily replaced and the workjust wasn't enjoyable anymore
you know, I truly enjoyinteracting with people, being
(05:52):
strategic, making reallycompetent decisions, and near
the end, I just felt that theorganization that I was with at
that time we were just makingknee-jerk reactions to what was
happening in the marketplace,and it was time for me to
transition, and so theopportunity presented itself to
(06:15):
take a package, and I took thepackage happily, and I used that
time and money to invest in myentrepreneurial dreams.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
This is wonderful.
I want the audience tounderstand.
In the corporate world you hadascended to a VP level.
Yes, from.
You came from Wisconsin down toSouth Florida.
I mean you're traveling allover the world in the retail
space, supply chain space.
(06:47):
You had a very, very successfulcareer for a number of years
and now you can focus on yourpassion.
The kids are in school.
Out of school, you're like youknow what it's sharing time.
That's what I got, yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Oh, most again, most definitely.
That's what I get.
Yeah, oh, most again, mostdefinitely.
You know, when you're buildingyour career, you really
sometimes you don't know whatpath opportunities may take you
down, but I was able to really.
You know, I started off inretail buying, so I had an
opportunity to really understandthe supply chain from the
(07:24):
purchaser's perspective.
When I left retail buying, Isegued into product development
and global sourcing, and so Isaw it from the manufacturer's
side.
While I was doing that, I wasalso selling back to retailers,
(07:45):
being an interface between theretailers and the factories
themselves, and that really gaveme a really unique perspective
on the whole.
People talk about supply chainis a big thing now.
People didn't really thinkabout it until COVID.
You know people would naturallyjust assume that when retailers
buy byproduct it just shows upon the shelf.
(08:06):
It's a very intricate processfrom beginning to end, and so is
the product development process, and so my career really
allowed me to see all thesedifferent segments, and as I
ascended I developed strongerskill sets.
I was able to become much morestrategic and really show
(08:30):
empathy within the workplace,because, having been on both the
buying side and the supply side, I could feel for both of those
entities and oftentimes inorganizations.
If you're only on the buyingside, you don't care about the
supplier, you just want yourproduct here now.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
And you're not going to pay any more for it, right,
and I was able to reallyexperience that and I think it.
I felt that it really allowedme to better understand both
sides and to serve both of thosecustomers better, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Well, you did that and then now you said I'm going
to take that knowledge and thatexperience and that skill set
and put it into wild orgy.
And you've been doing this fora little bit.
I want you to explain to theclients, potential clients,
potential customers, ouraudience, about what is wild
(09:25):
orgy.
What is that all about?
Why did you?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
decide to do that what is that all about?
Why did you decide to do that?
Okay, so, while working candlecompany started initially, like
most people, as a hobbyist,right?
Um, my son one year, like overfive years ago, uh, gifted me a
candle making set.
Because I'm the ultimate diy,there's not a project I won't
(09:47):
take on, right, and I lovecandles.
My husband loves candles, hejust perfumes all of that.
And I said to myself, well, howhard can this be to make a
candle, right?
You know all these candles inthe stores and I think for a
good year I made the mosthorrific candles because they
would not burn.
They smell good but theywouldn't burn.
(10:08):
And I came to realize thatthere's a fine science that goes
behind the actual making of acandle, you know.
And so I really kind of leanedinto that because, even though I
was working in business, mybackground academically also was
science.
I was designing science, youdesigning science and marketing.
(10:30):
I decided you know what?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
I can monetize this as opposed to just making
candles and giving them all theway.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Let's see if I can do something with this.
Everybody in the late 2000s hada side hustle.
I was still working mycorporate job when I would come
home extremely stressed, thingslike that.
I would come home extremelystressed, you know things like
that.
I would just say, okay, I'mgoing to make a candle, it
smells good, it's relaxing andit really allowed me to focus.
(10:57):
It's almost like cooking.
You know all the rightingredients to make the perfect
candle.
And once I set up the businessstructure and I got serious
about it you know, because withmy background in business, I
understand everything that'sinvolved the marketing, the
supply chain, just really beingstrategic about who my customers
(11:19):
are going to be and sobasically I made a roadmap for
myself, but I still have that aspart of my business plan and
it's a graphic where I kind ofdrew on a scrap piece of paper
all my various stages of what Iwas going to get into, and over
the past five years I'veexperimented with that as well.
I started off online.
I still have an online presence.
(11:40):
My background was in productdevelopment and private label,
so I definitely wanted to beable to offer small businesses
who wanted to extend their brandinto home accessories such as
candles, and so I have a lot ofclients that are real estate
(12:00):
brokers, other small businesses,online clothing stores that I
make their candles for themunder their brand, and so it
allowed me to really draw on allof my experience and it's just
been extremely rewarding.
You know, being able tobasically bet on myself.
(12:24):
You know, because, as you know,being an entrepreneur, it's not
, it's not easy.
You wear all of the hats.
You know because, as you know,being an entrepreneur, it's not,
it's not easy.
You wear all of the hats youknow, and the biggest struggle
is being able to prioritize.
What am I going to work ontoday?
What one thing will make mefeel successful today?
That one day it may be gettingmy state taxes filed, you know,
(12:48):
the next day it may be writingup a proposal for a customer,
and so I've been extremelydisciplined in how I approach
this.
But the thing that I love themost is that if I want to try
out an idea and I decide topivot, I can do that with little
objection.
You know so, but I reallyreally enjoy that.
(13:10):
So, while Oregon has reallyallowed me to become a good
corporate citizen, in that, Itruly believe in giving back to
the community in which you serve, and so for many years you
probably remember this when mychildren were young I was a Girl
Scout leader for over 10 years,and being able to work with
(13:33):
young women and young girls hasalways been a true passion of
mine, being able to be a rolemodel and to share with them,
because in this world,particularly the social media,
age is not easy.
It's not easy for kids ingeneral to really make their way
, and so through my candleprogram, I'm really able to
(13:55):
share with them.
I do this particular exercisethat's called.
For adults it's called WiccanSip and for children it's
breathe and it's a moment toshare with them the art of
candle making.
But I teach them about families, how it plays an important role
(14:16):
in your emotion being able toemotionally regulate yourself.
And it works really well becauseby the time the girls work
their way through the session,really well, because by the time
the girls work their waythrough the session, they've
already identified, you know,what scents bring back happy
(14:37):
memories, what scents triggerthem, and they're able to really
experience mindfulness Onceyou've made that candle.
I encourage them to journal.
You know, create a ritual.
When you're feeling a littlestressed and you want to detach,
get your journal out.
You write about your feelings,you write about a moment of
(14:58):
gratitude, you use your candleto kind of set, you know.
So I teach them these varioustechniques, you know, and and
I've been able to do thatbecause I decided I wanted to
have a program that specificallygeared itself toward young
people so that they can get offthe electronic devices and make
(15:19):
something with their hands, andit's been very rewarding.
I'm very happy with thatprogram.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Well, is that part of your WOW Academy, because I
know you go out to school and Ireally love this about you that
you get involved, you makeyourself visible to especially
young people so they can see you, they can touch you and they're
like, hey, okay, she wasoperating in this business
environment.
Now she's, you know, obviouslyshe can help me as well on my
(15:50):
journey, as you said, I think itis as a look back.
I think it's harder for thisnext generation to get their
footing and find out where theycan because it's so expensive,
you know it's just so expensive.
I remember I couldn't wait to goout and get me a car, get you
an apartment and just let and Ithink the a basic job.
You know you didn't have tohave some you know ridiculous
(16:11):
job in order to just have basiclife, um, uh, um, things that
that that you, we take forgranted.
I have a place to live and aplace to work and a place to
drive.
All these things are just superexpensive.
And then how do you, how do you, attain these types of things?
And then you're showing them.
(16:31):
Hey, if you can be creative andyou can be creative in your zone
of genius and what you'repassionate about you can start
making your own way and not beso dependent on what someone
else is willing to pay you.
That's one thing I learned inlife.
Company is only going to payyou as much as they can afford
to pay you.
Where's one thing I learned inlife A company is only going to
pay you as much as they canafford to pay you, where you can
(16:52):
then develop your owncreativity and afford to pay
yourself as much as possible inthe market that you're
penetrating.
Talk to us about some of thosecommunity services that you do,
that you get out there and dothis and get these kids involved
and really get their creativityworking.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Yeah Well, thank God that I was blessed with a lot of
energy.
So I'm very energetic and youknow, even when I was working,
when I was a VP and I wasworking, you know, basically out
of the country all the time.
I still had my growth out troop,you know I was.
I would be in Hong Kong and geta call right and I would still
(17:34):
manage it.
And so being able to managemultiple activities is just
something that I do right Familyactivities, et cetera.
And so with the WOW Academy andWOW, the WOW Academy and WOW
Orchid, I've been able to.
I have a seat on the board ofPace Center for Girls, West Palm
(17:58):
Beach, and Pace is analternative school for girls
that are at risk and I hateusing the word at risk because
there's opportunity for them ifthey are given the resources to
get them back on track.
Oftentimes the young ladiesthat attend that school, they've
(18:19):
been subjected to various typesof abuses, et cetera, and
they're funded by the Departmentof Juvenile Justice to keep the
kids out of the system.
And so I got involved with them.
When I was working my corporatejob, I was the lead on my ARG
as a community investment person, and once I left I was asked to
(18:39):
join the board and I jumped atthe opportunity because I really
got to get behind the scenesand see what was going on and
how I could really assist thisorganization, and so one of the
big responsibilities of being onthe board is fiduciary, you
know, being able to help raisefunds.
And so if you see me out therepromoting Pace Center for Girls,
(19:02):
all of our various activitiesthat we have, we have two big
fundraisers during the year.
I'm out there and I'm sellingtickets for tables and things
like that.
But I love being able to seethe success stories of the young
ladies that are in the program.
Some of these girls come in,they're like almost nonverbal
(19:22):
sometimes, and by the time theyleave Pace's program they're at
the top of their class, they'regraduating, they're going to
college, you know.
So it's worth that, because younever really know what type of
interaction you'll have withparticularly a young person and
you plan a seat, you know.
(19:43):
So I love doing that.
Um, then I am a vendor partnerwith Park Lakes Elementary
School, which is located inLauderhill, and I participate in
fundraisers for them as well asvarious activities they have at
(20:04):
school.
I go, I read books during thenational book reading.
I'll go and I'll read to someof the you know, the younger
students.
It's just great.
I just love being involved,because even when my kids were
in school.
I was involved and I think it'sjust important that you know,
(20:24):
with all the blessings that I'vehad in my life, that I'd be
able to share whatever that is.
You know, and I remember whenmy kids were in school,
particularly my daughter, herlittle friends in school
couldn't wait for me to show up.
They always knew I had littletreats, little goodies for them,
you know.
But I just think it's importantto be able to show kids that
(20:46):
you know, yes, you can work, youcan have a successful career
and you can have a family andyou can be involved in your
community.
You know, there's so many ways.
Some people decide to go thepolitical route.
I'm not so much political inthat regard, but I do believe in
support you know, and beingable to give of my time.
(21:07):
I'm involved in my church aswell, so I try to stay present,
relevant and just show peoplethat I genuinely care, you know,
and it just it fills me, keepsme calm.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
No, and I appreciate that.
It's the giving back and Iencourage a lot of people.
Sometimes you know, you realizethe skill sets that you and
through experience that you'veacquired, that are valuable to
somebody else.
Right, you know, becausethey're going along that journey
so you can share.
You said something earlier.
See, there's STEM, science,technology.
(21:41):
What does the E stand for?
Again, Engineering.
Engineering and math right,that's your S and you have a
science background.
I didn't even know that.
Now you share that with me,like, oh wow, she's a science
program, but then there's steam,which is science, technology,
engineering, art, arts right,yeah, and you do both of those
(22:04):
right, yeah, yeah, because withthe, with the candle, I'll just
give a quick lesson.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
So candles may seem like a very benign item.
It's wax in a jar, right?
Well, there's various types ofwaxes I tend to use.
I'm a tree hugger.
I tend to use sustainable typewaxes, not paraffin, which is a
petroleum distillate.
I use coconut, apricot, soy,and then you have the vessels.
(22:37):
You have the vessel, you havethe wax, you have the fragrance
and you have the wick.
It could be wooden or it couldbe a.
The wooden is the burningwooden wicks that crack a little
piece of slender wood, or thecotton wicks.
And so in order for a candle toburn perfectly, there's a dance
(22:59):
between all four of those, andfor every candle that you make
it has to be tested thefragrance ratio, the size of the
vessel.
And so, with the kids, I breakthat down to them.
And so in the program that Ideveloped, I based the
curriculum, the field trip, onthe national and the state
(23:20):
standards for the math andscience of that particular grade
level.
So the kids are actuallylearning, even though they're
having fun.
So the kids are actuallylearning, even though they're
having fun, right, and so youjust kind of introduce fun
little antidotes into it and thenext thing, you know, they're
(23:59):
like, they know everything thereis about.
You present kids in a creativeway of learning important
learning the math, the ratios ofhow much wax, how much oil,
based on the volume of thecandle.
Yeah, it can be very powerful.
So I always kind of joke, youknow, you know I am, you know,
trying to encourage the nextgeneration of potential
engineers.
But that's not so much a joke.
It could be true, because kids,if you make the connection
between the most basic things,you know they will ultimately
(24:27):
absorb that information and turnit into something that's really
tangible and use it, you know,and then building their career.
Like, my daughter had decidedto go to school for biomedical
engineering and a lot of thatcame from our tinkering that we
had done together when she was akid, you know so you never know
where it's going to come from.
Was a kid, you know.
So you never know where it'sgoing to come from.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
That is so wonderful, that is so great that you share
in that capacity.
Now there's a difference I wantthe audience to understand.
Like you know, you go into agrocery store or Walmart or
something like that.
You buy a candy, take it homeyou think that's what you know
Wild Orchid is all about but youhave a premium brand, something
(25:11):
that you just can't go intoyour everyday retail and then
walk out with this type ofcandle.
What makes your candlesdifferent?
Speaker 3 (25:21):
So when I think about okay, people will make that
comparison you can go toHomeGoods, tj Maxx, marshalls
and you can buy a candle for$12.99, $14.99.
There was a point in time thatI bought those and I was
spending hundreds and hundredsof dollars on candles, that I
(25:42):
would burn them and theywouldn't fully burn.
They would what they call atunnel.
The wick just goes straightdown.
They don't burn the wholecandle and they were made out of
cheap candles products and sothe difference is that I look at
it.
If you're willing to, you knowyou can go.
If you're a whiskey drinker, ascotch drinker, you can buy the
(26:04):
bottom shelf or you can buy thetop shelf.
You smoke cigars.
You can buy one of those blackand red mild, whatever they're
called, or you can buy a reallynice cigar, right, I think it's
all.
For me, it's all about theingredients and what the
customer's expectations are, andso when I make my candles,
(26:26):
they're all hand poured by me,they're done in small batches,
that I use the finestingredients, they're sustainable
, and so it's just to me.
It's as if you, if I'm making acandle for you, I am your
personal candler.
You want a candle that's goingto last, and I have yet to have
(26:50):
a dissatisfied customer.
You know, because I tell peopleto be brutally honest.
You know I can take it, andwhen I look at the metrics on my
business, my account, I havelike a 54 percent customer
retention rate.
My customers come back, and mycustomers tend to be more mature
(27:11):
as well.
You know, my daughter is young,so you know, of course she and
her friends are customers.
But my customers tend to havetheir own home.
They drive nice cars and theywant nice things, and so I tend
to make home decor pieces.
So you'll have a piece on yourend table.
That's kind of a conversationhey, where did you get that from
(27:34):
?
You didn't buy it.
From Anthropologie.
You didn't buy it fromHomeGoods.
You know it's unique, you know,and so that's one of the
strategies that I use is tocreate unique products that
customers can be proud of.
You know, and it burns clean.
It burns as clean as it can inyour home, and so over the years
(27:57):
, I've extended my line.
So, outside of candles, I doroom sprays now, and the room
sprays can be for home car linen, as well as body sprays and
massage bars, because it's allabout fragrances so now you?
Speaker 1 (28:16):
you didn't.
This is what sold me on whatyou're doing.
You said all right, grant,because I didn't say be honest
with me, right?
I said okay.
She said all right, whatcandles do you got?
I said well, I got a candlehere.
He said all right, go ahead andlight it up.
I said okay, and she said no,is it burning black?
I'm like what do you meanburning black?
She is it burning black?
I'm like what do you meanburning black?
(28:37):
He said look up on my ceiling.
He said do you see black smokeup there?
It's now getting in your house.
He said this is what you'reingesting.
You're breathing this in.
You don't even realize that thisis a petroleum and this is a
big deal.
(28:57):
So now, because I have one ofyour uh canvases that go in and
light mine, so I like that and Isaid now, look at it, it's
bright, it's, it's clear.
Obviously, the fragrance isawesome.
It burns slower, so you're notsitting there, you know, and
it's burning up, you know.
With it, you know, whatever itstill lasts for a long time.
(29:21):
And I was like you know, theseare things you don't think about
.
It's like, wow, yeah, it's likebeing near a fire, you're
ingesting all that smoke.
So I said this is actuallyenvironmentally, you know, safe.
Did I describe that correctlyor am I wrong?
Speaker 3 (29:37):
safe.
Did I describe that correctlyor am I wrong?
No, you're right.
All candles are going to whatthey call VOC volatile
components but you have minimalsmoke.
If you burn a candle and theperimeter of the glass is all
black and sooty, that means it'sthe wrong wick inside of there.
(29:59):
It should be a low-controlflame, but then some things go
back to user error.
Most people honestly don't knowhow to burn a candle.
They put it under the AC ventwhich pulls up a draft, they put
it over a fan which whipsaround the flame, and so I try
(30:21):
to educate people on how to usecandles properly as well.
So that's part of the wholeprocess of when I do the Wiccan
Sips for adults, which is moreof a social occasion where, if
someone I think last year I dida Mother's Day event where I
went to a client's home inBoynton Beach and I set up a
(30:45):
very nice visual for 10 of herfamily members and I took them
through the whole candle makingprocess.
So it was a bonding, and sothat same process is done on a
corporate level for teambuilding as well.
So I just managed to look atall of the different avenues
that I could use this candle asa vehicle to educate and to
(31:10):
entertain people, and it's justworked out, you know.
And so I find myself becauseI'm very much a thinker and
strategic about things otheravenues that I can go down, and
so that's how the WOW Academycame about, and so I'm always
looking to transition and dosomething else with the skill
(31:34):
set that I have.
So I still have so much more inme to share, and so I'm looking
to do other things still.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Yeah, no, I'm glad.
First, like I said, you're veryeducated in what you're doing,
you're knowledgeable and youunderstand it and you're looking
to scale've.
You know who your ideal clientis right, you know so, someone
that really appreciates a goodcandle but it also fits in their
decor one of the things I knowthat you do as well.
(32:07):
But you do some customizedbranding.
You know, further, like one ofour mutual friends, you know,
runs a cigar, uh, business r r.
And he said, hey, sherry, canyou, you know, come out with a,
a line of candles like whitelabeling.
You know, just for me, whichwas a fantastic way of promoting
(32:28):
that type of business so youcan do that through while.
Or like, hey, look, you got abusiness like we're in the black
business network.
A lot of people out here havesmall businesses and they're
looking to scale and grow anddifferentiate themselves.
Just talk to us a little bitmore about your white labeling
service.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
Right.
So what's really great aboutthat is that it is an
opportunity for me to you know,share and work with other small
businesses, and work with othersmall businesses because in that
particular situation, he reallywanted to do his own brand of
candle, but what they call theMOQ the minimum order quantities
(33:06):
to work with a nationalmanufacturer.
You'll never meet it, becausethe quantities are in the
literally thousands and themajority of the candles that you
get from national retailers aremade out of the country and
they're mass produced, vietnambeing one of the big places that
candles come from, and so I'mable to sit with the small
(33:29):
business owner and talk about,you know, what their vision is
for their particular lineextension and sometimes, if I
don't think it makes sense, I'llshare with that.
But part of the service that Ido is that, because of my
business background, is thatonce we've had our session, I do
a marketing plan for them.
(33:49):
You know I do a marketing plan.
I basically lay out.
You know the items that I thinkthat would work in the line.
You know the items that I thinkthat would work in the line,
ways to go about properlypromoting it and in that
(34:11):
particular case, because it wascigars, ideally you wanted a
scent that cigar smokers wouldappreciate, and using a slight
smoky tobacco vanilla scenthappened to be what we came up
with, and we did that for a fewyears, you know, and it worked
out really well.
And so even with my real estatecustomers they sell
multi-million dollar homes, theydo, of course, you know the
(34:32):
champagne and the gift baskets,but then they decided to do.
They wanted custom gift setswhere there was room sprays and
candles and the gift set thatthey gave to their customers,
and sometimes we wouldpersonalize it with the agent's
name on it, other times we woulddo it with the client's name on
(34:54):
it, and they just love thatpersonal touch.
And so there's various ways tobe able to do this, but the part
I love the most is just beingable to work with other small
businesses, and so recently Imet with a woman I met at the
Broward and Beyond Conferenceand she has a med spa in
(35:16):
Pembroke Pines and beyondconference and she has a med spa
in Pembroke Pines and so as anatural line extension because
she already has her own creamsand um um lotions, you know, for
body and skin she wants candlesand room sprays and so I'm
putting together a proposal forher, you know, for her
particular business.
And so any business business canutilize just as easily as you
(35:40):
can make a pin with your brandon it.
You know, and I think everyonehas kind of grown tired of the
swag where it's just a pin, it'sa little inexpensive pins,
because at my corporate job weused to make those by the
millions for differentorganizations who would want to
buy, you know like 5 millionpins and they would pass them.
Buy you know like 5 millionpens and they would pass them
out, you know, globally orwhatever.
(36:01):
And so being able to give acustomer a nice little
personalized, you know two ouncecandle with your company's name
on it, that's kind of lastingbecause that candle will hang
around until it's gone.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
You know type of deal .
Speaker 3 (36:15):
And so, yeah, there's many ways to be able to support
small businesses, and I justlove being able to network and
meet these businesses and sharewith them how we can possibly
you know collaborate.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
I tell you I learned something in what you just said
is that you know, some peoplewant to think of white labeling.
All they're going to do is, youknow what, I'll just take my
wild orchid label label off andI'll slap your label on and
there you go, this white label.
But you just said to me thatyou actually customize and
create a formula, a particularscent you know, just for that
(36:52):
business.
So that is completely branded,from soup to nuts.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
Yeah, exactly so.
Oftentimes people will confusewhite label with private label.
In my background, the 30 plusyears is private label.
All of the national retailersand drug chains and dollar
stores as well, the companiesthat I have worked for.
I have been instrumental in thevarious programs that they've
(37:22):
had for their private label.
There's not a drugstore orretailer I walk into where I
don't see remnants of what I'vedone or programs that we started
years ago in their stores.
And so White Label is basicallytaking the candles that I
already have made.
Instead of putting my name onthem, I put your name on them.
Private Label is thecustomization.
(37:44):
No one else can get thatparticular special blend, that
particular look, unless they getit from you, and that is what
makes it unique.
And in that particularinstances isn't it worth what it
may cost to get thatspecialization?
Because if you're willing tospend I don't know $75 on a
(38:11):
cigar, $2,000 on a purse is a$50 candle too much.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
No, and what you just said.
You can make them for certainoccasions it could be Mother's
Day, it could be Memorial Day,it could be Labor Day.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
The holidays are coming up day, corporate order
from a company and they're goingto a trade show in two weeks,
so it's a rush order for over250 promotional candles with
their name on it.
You know so now.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
You love what you're doing and we've only got a
couple minutes left.
We've got to definitely knowhow to contact you, but before
give me two minutes, if you had.
You know, as you look back nowand what you've done is not true
.
Lessons learned.
What did you learn through thisjourney so far?
Speaker 3 (39:12):
Well, I I reflect on that often.
I reflect on that often.
What I've really learned, youknow, is that you truly are the
master of your own destiny.
You know, if you look back andthink about all the things that
you've done in your career,you've done a lot and oftentimes
(39:33):
we don't think about all thethings that we've done.
You know, and you draw on thatexperience and you have the
confidence to kind of moveforward and act on it.
You're bound to be successful.
Sometimes it can be kind ofconfusing which way do I go, my
(40:00):
friends, my family, my husbandbelieving in my mission and
encouraging me.
You need that village to be ableto support you in all that you
do and I would say that anytimeyou decide to step out on your
own, you have the right peoplebacking you, not the naysayers,
because sometimes people areafraid of you having success,
being successful because you mayleave them behind.
You know those aren't reallyyour friends.
(40:20):
You want people that are goingto help you level up and to move
up.
You know, and that is what I'vealways sought, you know
throughout my life and career.
You know, so believe inyourself and build that network,
build that support system.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Oh man, say that again, say it loud, say it proud
, because it's so, so important.
If they're looking to purchasesome of your products and get
involved and just have aconversation with you, what's
the best way to get in contactwith?
Speaker 3 (40:50):
them www.
Wildorchidcandlescom.
Believe it or not, there's beena company who's actually, um,
chose my name.
They're on the part, they're onthe other part of the country,
you know, but it's not worthpursuing at this point, you know
(41:11):
cause I'm doing my thing and,um, people who know me, they
know me.
But, yeah, you know, and youcan always reach out.
My phone number is on there aswell.
I'm on Instagram and Facebookas well and I would love to be
able to collaborate with smallbusinesses, not just within
Florida, the States, you knowbut I'm open to shipping
(41:33):
internationally as well.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
No, I'm glad you said that we are on the Black
Business Network.
It is a global community andthe fact that they say, hey, wow
, you know what.
That's an idea I can.
This is a differential.
You got to look at ways.
How do you differentiateyourself?
You just gave us a greatexample of doing that and, as
you stated, you want to bepresent in the mind of your
ideal client and you've got areally good candle.
(41:59):
It's a talking piece, right.
Somebody's like, wow, would youget that?
I mean it just goes into somany different areas.
A lot of people don't thinkabout that when they're looking
at different things that theycan use for marketing.
That is an excellent tool.
I know you brought yourexpertise to bear, so I want to
thank you again for being on theBlack Business Network.
The Black Business Olympicsthis has been wonderful.
(42:22):
Genius is coming and I will seeyou on the other side.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
Thank you so much, grant, you're welcome.
I am black business, from the moment I wake until the
time I sleep.
Yes, I am black business, I amblack business.
Tell me, are you black business?
I am black business.
Tell me, are you black business?
I am black business.
Do you support black businesses?
(00:31):
Listen, I support blackbusiness because I am black
business.
Black Business Expo One of thelargest business showcases in
the history of black business inthe world, the world.
Sign up today atwwwblackbusinessexpousacom or
(00:54):
call 919-308-9090.
I am Black Business.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Hello, hello, hello everyone and welcome to the
Black Business Network.
My name is Grant McGaugh, ceoof Five Star BDM and host of the
award-winning Follow Brandpodcast and TV series, and I am
your business moderator for thissession on the Black Business
Network.
The Black Business Network is a24-hour business network
(01:33):
showcasing Black businesses,business owners, entrepreneurs
and thought leaders worldwide,and we have speakers from North
Carolina, london, singapore,africa, japan and cities all
over the United States.
The Black Business Network is aglobal community sharing
business knowledge to empower,inspire and educate businesses
(01:55):
about business, and with metoday is Sherry Owens-Thompson.
She is a dynamic productdevelopment leader, global
sourcing expert and founder ofWild Orchid Candle Company LLC.
And with a proven track recordin retail strategy and supply
chain optimization.
(02:16):
She has led global sourcing andprivate label programs for top
brands, while championing costefficiency and innovation.
And, through Wild Orchid andthe Wow Academy, sherry merges
scent science and mindfulness tocreate STEAM that's S-T-E-A-M
(02:38):
STEAM-based learning experiencesfor youth.
And Sherry thrives at theintersection of strategy and
social impact, whether buildingscalable product ecosystems or
designing programs to fosteremotional intelligence.
And her leadership reflects adeep commitment to innovation,
education and purpose-drivengrowth.
(02:59):
And she is empowering our nextgeneration as she supports our
community through organizationslike Dress for Success, pace
Center for Girls and a lot ofdifferent local schools, so I'd
like to bring her to the stage.
Ms Sherry Owen Thompson, howare you today?
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Good morning Grant.
How are you?
Speaker 1 (03:19):
You know I'm doing wonderful.
It's always good to see you.
You are a good friend of mine.
I've known you for I'm not evengoing to say how many years,
but it's been maybe a couple ofdecades or so.
But I'm very proud of you andhow you've made so many
successful pivots in your ownlife.
And we're going to talk aboutsome of those pivots because
(03:41):
each pivot for you has had apurpose.
So, as we talk about pivot andpurpose, I want to know why you
walked away from your corporatesuccess to go on this
entrepreneurial journey.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Oftentimes I think about that myself, you know, but
I think the main reason that Idecided to well, the opportunity
presented itself.
Actually, I mean, I've been incorporate America from the day
that I graduated college.
I was out of school for maybeless than 30 days.
I moved to South Florida and Ihave been working ever since.
(04:18):
And so throughout that timeperiod I'm not going to throw
any dates in right Because Idon't want to date myself, but
it was quite a long time period.
I'm not going to throw anydates in right Because I don't
want to date myself, but it wasquite a long time ago and I was
able to really successfullybuild my career.
And it's interesting how thingskind of fell into place, you
know, selecting a major and thenreally not knowing whether or
(04:39):
not that major would take me towhere I ultimately ended up, and
there was definitely divineintervention from God because
everything worked itself out.
And after so many years oftravel, I think I was a million
miler on every airline.
I was always out of the country.
I have, as you know, two adultchildren and I missed a lot of
(05:04):
quality time with them because Iwas always gone.
You know, I was travelingwherever and after watching what
was happening in corporateAmerica, where, in the beginning
, companies used to havetraining programs and you really
felt like the organization wasinvested in the employee.
(05:27):
You just weren't an asset, youknow, and by the time I decided
to make this transition, I feltas if I might as well have been
a file cabinet, because I wasanother asset and you could be
easily replaced and the workjust wasn't enjoyable anymore
you know, I truly enjoyinteracting with people, being
(05:52):
strategic, making reallycompetent decisions, and near
the end, I just felt that theorganization that I was with at
that time we were just makingknee-jerk reactions to what was
happening in the marketplace,and it was time for me to
transition, and so theopportunity presented itself to
(06:15):
take a package, and I took thepackage happily, and I used that
time and money to invest in myentrepreneurial dreams.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
This is wonderful.
I want the audience tounderstand.
In the corporate world you hadascended to a VP level.
Yes, from.
You came from Wisconsin down toSouth Florida.
I mean you're traveling allover the world in the retail
space, supply chain space.
(06:47):
You had a very, very successfulcareer for a number of years
and now you can focus on yourpassion.
The kids are in school.
Out of school, you're like youknow what it's sharing time.
That's what I got, yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Oh, most again, most definitely.
That's what I get.
Yeah, oh, most again, mostdefinitely.
You know, when you're buildingyour career, you really
sometimes you don't know whatpath opportunities may take you
down, but I was able to really.
You know, I started off inretail buying, so I had an
opportunity to really understandthe supply chain from the
(07:24):
purchaser's perspective.
When I left retail buying, Isegued into product development
and global sourcing, and so Isaw it from the manufacturer's
side.
While I was doing that, I wasalso selling back to retailers,
(07:45):
being an interface between theretailers and the factories
themselves, and that really gaveme a really unique perspective
on the whole.
People talk about supply chainis a big thing now.
People didn't really thinkabout it until COVID.
You know people would naturallyjust assume that when retailers
buy byproduct it just shows upon the shelf.
(08:06):
It's a very intricate processfrom beginning to end, and so is
the product development process, and so my career really
allowed me to see all thesedifferent segments, and as I
ascended I developed strongerskill sets.
I was able to become much morestrategic and really show
(08:30):
empathy within the workplace,because, having been on both the
buying side and the supply side, I could feel for both of those
entities and oftentimes inorganizations.
If you're only on the buyingside, you don't care about the
supplier, you just want yourproduct here now.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
And you're not going to pay any more for it, right,
and I was able to reallyexperience that and I think it.
I felt that it really allowedme to better understand both
sides and to serve both of thosecustomers better, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Well, you did that and then now you said I'm going
to take that knowledge and thatexperience and that skill set
and put it into wild orgy.
And you've been doing this fora little bit.
I want you to explain to theclients, potential clients,
potential customers, ouraudience, about what is wild
(09:25):
orgy.
What is that all about?
Why did you?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
decide to do that what is that all about?
Why did you decide to do that?
Okay, so, while working candlecompany started initially, like
most people, as a hobbyist,right?
Um, my son one year, like overfive years ago, uh, gifted me a
candle making set.
Because I'm the ultimate diy,there's not a project I won't
(09:47):
take on, right, and I lovecandles.
My husband loves candles, hejust perfumes all of that.
And I said to myself, well, howhard can this be to make a
candle, right?
You know all these candles inthe stores and I think for a
good year I made the mosthorrific candles because they
would not burn.
They smell good but theywouldn't burn.
(10:08):
And I came to realize thatthere's a fine science that goes
behind the actual making of acandle, you know.
And so I really kind of leanedinto that because, even though I
was working in business, mybackground academically also was
science.
I was designing science, youdesigning science and marketing.
(10:30):
I decided you know what?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
I can monetize this as opposed to just making
candles and giving them all theway.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Let's see if I can do something with this.
Everybody in the late 2000s hada side hustle.
I was still working mycorporate job when I would come
home extremely stressed, thingslike that.
I would come home extremelystressed, you know things like
that.
I would just say, okay, I'mgoing to make a candle, it
smells good, it's relaxing andit really allowed me to focus.
(10:57):
It's almost like cooking.
You know all the rightingredients to make the perfect
candle.
And once I set up the businessstructure and I got serious
about it you know, because withmy background in business, I
understand everything that'sinvolved the marketing, the
supply chain, just really beingstrategic about who my customers
(11:19):
are going to be and sobasically I made a roadmap for
myself, but I still have that aspart of my business plan and
it's a graphic where I kind ofdrew on a scrap piece of paper
all my various stages of what Iwas going to get into, and over
the past five years I'veexperimented with that as well.
I started off online.
I still have an online presence.
(11:40):
My background was in productdevelopment and private label,
so I definitely wanted to beable to offer small businesses
who wanted to extend their brandinto home accessories such as
candles, and so I have a lot ofclients that are real estate
(12:00):
brokers, other small businesses,online clothing stores that I
make their candles for themunder their brand, and so it
allowed me to really draw on allof my experience and it's just
been extremely rewarding.
You know, being able tobasically bet on myself.
(12:24):
You know, because, as you know,being an entrepreneur, it's not
, it's not easy.
You wear all of the hats.
You know because, as you know,being an entrepreneur, it's not,
it's not easy.
You wear all of the hats youknow, and the biggest struggle
is being able to prioritize.
What am I going to work ontoday?
What one thing will make mefeel successful today?
That one day it may be gettingmy state taxes filed, you know,
(12:48):
the next day it may be writingup a proposal for a customer,
and so I've been extremelydisciplined in how I approach
this.
But the thing that I love themost is that if I want to try
out an idea and I decide topivot, I can do that with little
objection.
You know so, but I reallyreally enjoy that.
(13:10):
So, while Oregon has reallyallowed me to become a good
corporate citizen, in that, Itruly believe in giving back to
the community in which you serve, and so for many years you
probably remember this when mychildren were young I was a Girl
Scout leader for over 10 years,and being able to work with
(13:33):
young women and young girls hasalways been a true passion of
mine, being able to be a rolemodel and to share with them,
because in this world,particularly the social media,
age is not easy.
It's not easy for kids ingeneral to really make their way
, and so through my candleprogram, I'm really able to
(13:55):
share with them.
I do this particular exercisethat's called.
For adults it's called WiccanSip and for children it's
breathe and it's a moment toshare with them the art of
candle making.
But I teach them about families, how it plays an important role
(14:16):
in your emotion being able toemotionally regulate yourself.
And it works really well becauseby the time the girls work
their way through the session,really well, because by the time
the girls work their waythrough the session, they've
already identified, you know,what scents bring back happy
(14:37):
memories, what scents triggerthem, and they're able to really
experience mindfulness Onceyou've made that candle.
I encourage them to journal.
You know, create a ritual.
When you're feeling a littlestressed and you want to detach,
get your journal out.
You write about your feelings,you write about a moment of
(14:58):
gratitude, you use your candleto kind of set, you know.
So I teach them these varioustechniques, you know, and and
I've been able to do thatbecause I decided I wanted to
have a program that specificallygeared itself toward young
people so that they can get offthe electronic devices and make
(15:19):
something with their hands, andit's been very rewarding.
I'm very happy with thatprogram.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Well, is that part of your WOW Academy, because I
know you go out to school and Ireally love this about you that
you get involved, you makeyourself visible to especially
young people so they can see you, they can touch you and they're
like, hey, okay, she wasoperating in this business
environment.
Now she's, you know, obviouslyshe can help me as well on my
(15:50):
journey, as you said, I think itis as a look back.
I think it's harder for thisnext generation to get their
footing and find out where theycan because it's so expensive,
you know it's just so expensive.
I remember I couldn't wait to goout and get me a car, get you
an apartment and just let and Ithink the a basic job.
You know you didn't have tohave some you know ridiculous
(16:11):
job in order to just have basiclife, um, uh, um, things that
that that you, we take forgranted.
I have a place to live and aplace to work and a place to
drive.
All these things are just superexpensive.
And then how do you, how do you, attain these types of things?
And then you're showing them.
(16:31):
Hey, if you can be creative andyou can be creative in your zone
of genius and what you'repassionate about you can start
making your own way and not beso dependent on what someone
else is willing to pay you.
That's one thing I learned inlife.
Company is only going to payyou as much as they can afford
to pay you.
Where's one thing I learned inlife A company is only going to
pay you as much as they canafford to pay you, where you can
(16:52):
then develop your owncreativity and afford to pay
yourself as much as possible inthe market that you're
penetrating.
Talk to us about some of thosecommunity services that you do,
that you get out there and dothis and get these kids involved
and really get their creativityworking.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Yeah Well, thank God that I was blessed with a lot of
energy.
So I'm very energetic and youknow, even when I was working,
when I was a VP and I wasworking, you know, basically out
of the country all the time.
I still had my growth out troop,you know I was.
I would be in Hong Kong and geta call right and I would still
(17:34):
manage it.
And so being able to managemultiple activities is just
something that I do right Familyactivities, et cetera.
And so with the WOW Academy andWOW, the WOW Academy and WOW
Orchid, I've been able to.
I have a seat on the board ofPace Center for Girls, West Palm
(17:58):
Beach, and Pace is analternative school for girls
that are at risk and I hateusing the word at risk because
there's opportunity for them ifthey are given the resources to
get them back on track.
Oftentimes the young ladiesthat attend that school, they've
(18:19):
been subjected to various typesof abuses, et cetera, and
they're funded by the Departmentof Juvenile Justice to keep the
kids out of the system.
And so I got involved with them.
When I was working my corporatejob, I was the lead on my ARG
as a community investment person, and once I left I was asked to
(18:39):
join the board and I jumped atthe opportunity because I really
got to get behind the scenesand see what was going on and
how I could really assist thisorganization, and so one of the
big responsibilities of being onthe board is fiduciary, you
know, being able to help raisefunds.
And so if you see me out therepromoting Pace Center for Girls,
(19:02):
all of our various activitiesthat we have, we have two big
fundraisers during the year.
I'm out there and I'm sellingtickets for tables and things
like that.
But I love being able to seethe success stories of the young
ladies that are in the program.
Some of these girls come in,they're like almost nonverbal
(19:22):
sometimes, and by the time theyleave Pace's program they're at
the top of their class, they'regraduating, they're going to
college, you know.
So it's worth that, because younever really know what type of
interaction you'll have withparticularly a young person and
you plan a seat, you know.
(19:43):
So I love doing that.
Um, then I am a vendor partnerwith Park Lakes Elementary
School, which is located inLauderhill, and I participate in
fundraisers for them as well asvarious activities they have at
(20:04):
school.
I go, I read books during thenational book reading.
I'll go and I'll read to someof the you know, the younger
students.
It's just great.
I just love being involved,because even when my kids were
in school.
I was involved and I think it'sjust important that you know,
(20:24):
with all the blessings that I'vehad in my life, that I'd be
able to share whatever that is.
You know, and I remember whenmy kids were in school,
particularly my daughter, herlittle friends in school
couldn't wait for me to show up.
They always knew I had littletreats, little goodies for them,
you know.
But I just think it's importantto be able to show kids that
(20:46):
you know, yes, you can work, youcan have a successful career
and you can have a family andyou can be involved in your
community.
You know, there's so many ways.
Some people decide to go thepolitical route.
I'm not so much political inthat regard, but I do believe in
support you know, and beingable to give of my time.
(21:07):
I'm involved in my church aswell, so I try to stay present,
relevant and just show peoplethat I genuinely care, you know,
and it just it fills me, keepsme calm.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
No, and I appreciate that.
It's the giving back and Iencourage a lot of people.
Sometimes you know, you realizethe skill sets that you and
through experience that you'veacquired, that are valuable to
somebody else.
Right, you know, becausethey're going along that journey
so you can share.
You said something earlier.
See, there's STEM, science,technology.
(21:41):
What does the E stand for?
Again, Engineering.
Engineering and math right,that's your S and you have a
science background.
I didn't even know that.
Now you share that with me,like, oh wow, she's a science
program, but then there's steam,which is science, technology,
engineering, art, arts right,yeah, and you do both of those
(22:04):
right, yeah, yeah, because withthe, with the candle, I'll just
give a quick lesson.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
So candles may seem like a very benign item.
It's wax in a jar, right?
Well, there's various types ofwaxes I tend to use.
I'm a tree hugger.
I tend to use sustainable typewaxes, not paraffin, which is a
petroleum distillate.
I use coconut, apricot, soy,and then you have the vessels.
(22:37):
You have the vessel, you havethe wax, you have the fragrance
and you have the wick.
It could be wooden or it couldbe a.
The wooden is the burningwooden wicks that crack a little
piece of slender wood, or thecotton wicks.
And so in order for a candle toburn perfectly, there's a dance
(22:59):
between all four of those, andfor every candle that you make
it has to be tested thefragrance ratio, the size of the
vessel.
And so, with the kids, I breakthat down to them.
And so in the program that Ideveloped, I based the
curriculum, the field trip, onthe national and the state
(23:20):
standards for the math andscience of that particular grade
level.
So the kids are actuallylearning, even though they're
having fun.
So the kids are actuallylearning, even though they're
having fun, right, and so youjust kind of introduce fun
little antidotes into it and thenext thing, you know, they're
(23:59):
like, they know everything thereis about.
You present kids in a creativeway of learning important
learning the math, the ratios ofhow much wax, how much oil,
based on the volume of thecandle.
Yeah, it can be very powerful.
So I always kind of joke, youknow, you know I am, you know,
trying to encourage the nextgeneration of potential
engineers.
But that's not so much a joke.
It could be true, because kids,if you make the connection
between the most basic things,you know they will ultimately
(24:27):
absorb that information and turnit into something that's really
tangible and use it, you know,and then building their career.
Like, my daughter had decidedto go to school for biomedical
engineering and a lot of thatcame from our tinkering that we
had done together when she was akid, you know so you never know
where it's going to come from.
Was a kid, you know.
So you never know where it'sgoing to come from.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
That is so wonderful, that is so great that you share
in that capacity.
Now there's a difference I wantthe audience to understand.
Like you know, you go into agrocery store or Walmart or
something like that.
You buy a candy, take it homeyou think that's what you know
Wild Orchid is all about but youhave a premium brand, something
(25:11):
that you just can't go intoyour everyday retail and then
walk out with this type ofcandle.
What makes your candlesdifferent?
Speaker 3 (25:21):
So when I think about okay, people will make that
comparison you can go toHomeGoods, tj Maxx, marshalls
and you can buy a candle for$12.99, $14.99.
There was a point in time thatI bought those and I was
spending hundreds and hundredsof dollars on candles, that I
(25:42):
would burn them and theywouldn't fully burn.
They would what they call atunnel.
The wick just goes straightdown.
They don't burn the wholecandle and they were made out of
cheap candles products and sothe difference is that I look at
it.
If you're willing to, you knowyou can go.
If you're a whiskey drinker, ascotch drinker, you can buy the
(26:04):
bottom shelf or you can buy thetop shelf.
You smoke cigars.
You can buy one of those blackand red mild, whatever they're
called, or you can buy a reallynice cigar, right, I think it's
all.
For me, it's all about theingredients and what the
customer's expectations are, andso when I make my candles,
(26:26):
they're all hand poured by me,they're done in small batches,
that I use the finestingredients, they're sustainable
, and so it's just to me.
It's as if you, if I'm making acandle for you, I am your
personal candler.
You want a candle that's goingto last, and I have yet to have
(26:50):
a dissatisfied customer.
You know, because I tell peopleto be brutally honest.
You know I can take it, andwhen I look at the metrics on my
business, my account, I havelike a 54 percent customer
retention rate.
My customers come back, and mycustomers tend to be more mature
(27:11):
as well.
You know, my daughter is young,so you know, of course she and
her friends are customers.
But my customers tend to havetheir own home.
They drive nice cars and theywant nice things, and so I tend
to make home decor pieces.
So you'll have a piece on yourend table.
That's kind of a conversationhey, where did you get that from
(27:34):
?
You didn't buy it.
From Anthropologie.
You didn't buy it fromHomeGoods.
You know it's unique, you know,and so that's one of the
strategies that I use is tocreate unique products that
customers can be proud of.
You know, and it burns clean.
It burns as clean as it can inyour home, and so over the years
(27:57):
, I've extended my line.
So, outside of candles, I doroom sprays now, and the room
sprays can be for home car linen, as well as body sprays and
massage bars, because it's allabout fragrances so now you?
Speaker 1 (28:16):
you didn't.
This is what sold me on whatyou're doing.
You said all right, grant,because I didn't say be honest
with me, right?
I said okay.
She said all right, whatcandles do you got?
I said well, I got a candlehere.
He said all right, go ahead andlight it up.
I said okay, and she said no,is it burning black?
I'm like what do you meanburning black?
She is it burning black?
I'm like what do you meanburning black?
(28:37):
He said look up on my ceiling.
He said do you see black smokeup there?
It's now getting in your house.
He said this is what you'reingesting.
You're breathing this in.
You don't even realize that thisis a petroleum and this is a
big deal.
(28:57):
So now, because I have one ofyour uh canvases that go in and
light mine, so I like that and Isaid now, look at it, it's
bright, it's, it's clear.
Obviously, the fragrance isawesome.
It burns slower, so you're notsitting there, you know, and
it's burning up, you know.
With it, you know, whatever itstill lasts for a long time.
(29:21):
And I was like you know, theseare things you don't think about
.
It's like, wow, yeah, it's likebeing near a fire, you're
ingesting all that smoke.
So I said this is actuallyenvironmentally, you know, safe.
Did I describe that correctlyor am I wrong?
Speaker 3 (29:37):
safe.
Did I describe that correctlyor am I wrong?
No, you're right.
All candles are going to whatthey call VOC volatile
components but you have minimalsmoke.
If you burn a candle and theperimeter of the glass is all
black and sooty, that means it'sthe wrong wick inside of there.
(29:59):
It should be a low-controlflame, but then some things go
back to user error.
Most people honestly don't knowhow to burn a candle.
They put it under the AC ventwhich pulls up a draft, they put
it over a fan which whipsaround the flame, and so I try
(30:21):
to educate people on how to usecandles properly as well.
So that's part of the wholeprocess of when I do the Wiccan
Sips for adults, which is moreof a social occasion where, if
someone I think last year I dida Mother's Day event where I
went to a client's home inBoynton Beach and I set up a
(30:45):
very nice visual for 10 of herfamily members and I took them
through the whole candle makingprocess.
So it was a bonding, and sothat same process is done on a
corporate level for teambuilding as well.
So I just managed to look atall of the different avenues
that I could use this candle asa vehicle to educate and to
(31:10):
entertain people, and it's justworked out, you know.
And so I find myself becauseI'm very much a thinker and
strategic about things otheravenues that I can go down, and
so that's how the WOW Academycame about, and so I'm always
looking to transition and dosomething else with the skill
(31:34):
set that I have.
So I still have so much more inme to share, and so I'm looking
to do other things still.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Yeah, no, I'm glad.
First, like I said, you're veryeducated in what you're doing,
you're knowledgeable and youunderstand it and you're looking
to scale've.
You know who your ideal clientis right, you know so, someone
that really appreciates a goodcandle but it also fits in their
decor one of the things I knowthat you do as well.
(32:07):
But you do some customizedbranding.
You know, further, like one ofour mutual friends, you know,
runs a cigar, uh, business r r.
And he said, hey, sherry, canyou, you know, come out with a,
a line of candles like whitelabeling.
You know, just for me, whichwas a fantastic way of promoting
(32:28):
that type of business so youcan do that through while.
Or like, hey, look, you got abusiness like we're in the black
business network.
A lot of people out here havesmall businesses and they're
looking to scale and grow anddifferentiate themselves.
Just talk to us a little bitmore about your white labeling
service.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
Right.
So what's really great aboutthat is that it is an
opportunity for me to you know,share and work with other small
businesses, and work with othersmall businesses because in that
particular situation, he reallywanted to do his own brand of
candle, but what they call theMOQ the minimum order quantities
(33:06):
to work with a nationalmanufacturer.
You'll never meet it, becausethe quantities are in the
literally thousands and themajority of the candles that you
get from national retailers aremade out of the country and
they're mass produced, vietnambeing one of the big places that
candles come from, and so I'mable to sit with the small
(33:29):
business owner and talk about,you know, what their vision is
for their particular lineextension and sometimes, if I
don't think it makes sense, I'llshare with that.
But part of the service that Ido is that, because of my
business background, is thatonce we've had our session, I do
a marketing plan for them.
(33:49):
You know I do a marketing plan.
I basically lay out.
You know the items that I thinkthat would work in the line.
You know the items that I thinkthat would work in the line,
ways to go about properlypromoting it and in that
(34:11):
particular case, because it wascigars, ideally you wanted a
scent that cigar smokers wouldappreciate, and using a slight
smoky tobacco vanilla scenthappened to be what we came up
with, and we did that for a fewyears, you know, and it worked
out really well.
And so even with my real estatecustomers they sell
multi-million dollar homes, theydo, of course, you know the
(34:32):
champagne and the gift baskets,but then they decided to do.
They wanted custom gift setswhere there was room sprays and
candles and the gift set thatthey gave to their customers,
and sometimes we wouldpersonalize it with the agent's
name on it, other times we woulddo it with the client's name on
(34:54):
it, and they just love thatpersonal touch.
And so there's various ways tobe able to do this, but the part
I love the most is just beingable to work with other small
businesses, and so recently Imet with a woman I met at the
Broward and Beyond Conferenceand she has a med spa in
(35:16):
Pembroke Pines and beyondconference and she has a med spa
in Pembroke Pines and so as anatural line extension because
she already has her own creamsand um um lotions, you know, for
body and skin she wants candlesand room sprays and so I'm
putting together a proposal forher, you know, for her
particular business.
And so any business business canutilize just as easily as you
(35:40):
can make a pin with your brandon it.
You know, and I think everyonehas kind of grown tired of the
swag where it's just a pin, it'sa little inexpensive pins,
because at my corporate job weused to make those by the
millions for differentorganizations who would want to
buy, you know like 5 millionpins and they would pass them.
Buy you know like 5 millionpens and they would pass them
out, you know, globally orwhatever.
(36:01):
And so being able to give acustomer a nice little
personalized, you know two ouncecandle with your company's name
on it, that's kind of lastingbecause that candle will hang
around until it's gone.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
You know type of deal .
Speaker 3 (36:15):
And so, yeah, there's many ways to be able to support
small businesses, and I justlove being able to network and
meet these businesses and sharewith them how we can possibly
you know collaborate.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
I tell you I learned something in what you just said
is that you know, some peoplewant to think of white labeling.
All they're going to do is, youknow what, I'll just take my
wild orchid label label off andI'll slap your label on and
there you go, this white label.
But you just said to me thatyou actually customize and
create a formula, a particularscent you know, just for that
(36:52):
business.
So that is completely branded,from soup to nuts.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
Yeah, exactly so.
Oftentimes people will confusewhite label with private label.
In my background, the 30 plusyears is private label.
All of the national retailersand drug chains and dollar
stores as well, the companiesthat I have worked for.
I have been instrumental in thevarious programs that they've
(37:22):
had for their private label.
There's not a drugstore orretailer I walk into where I
don't see remnants of what I'vedone or programs that we started
years ago in their stores.
And so White Label is basicallytaking the candles that I
already have made.
Instead of putting my name onthem, I put your name on them.
Private Label is thecustomization.
(37:44):
No one else can get thatparticular special blend, that
particular look, unless they getit from you, and that is what
makes it unique.
And in that particularinstances isn't it worth what it
may cost to get thatspecialization?
Because if you're willing tospend I don't know $75 on a
(38:11):
cigar, $2,000 on a purse is a$50 candle too much.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
No, and what you just said.
You can make them for certainoccasions it could be Mother's
Day, it could be Memorial Day,it could be Labor Day.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
The holidays are coming up day, corporate order
from a company and they're goingto a trade show in two weeks,
so it's a rush order for over250 promotional candles with
their name on it.
You know so now.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
You love what you're doing and we've only got a
couple minutes left.
We've got to definitely knowhow to contact you, but before
give me two minutes, if you had.
You know, as you look back nowand what you've done is not true
.
Lessons learned.
What did you learn through thisjourney so far?
Speaker 3 (39:12):
Well, I I reflect on that often.
I reflect on that often.
What I've really learned, youknow, is that you truly are the
master of your own destiny.
You know, if you look back andthink about all the things that
you've done in your career,you've done a lot and oftentimes
(39:33):
we don't think about all thethings that we've done.
You know, and you draw on thatexperience and you have the
confidence to kind of moveforward and act on it.
You're bound to be successful.
Sometimes it can be kind ofconfusing which way do I go, my
(40:00):
friends, my family, my husbandbelieving in my mission and
encouraging me.
You need that village to be ableto support you in all that you
do and I would say that anytimeyou decide to step out on your
own, you have the right peoplebacking you, not the naysayers,
because sometimes people areafraid of you having success,
being successful because you mayleave them behind.
You know those aren't reallyyour friends.
(40:20):
You want people that are goingto help you level up and to move
up.
You know, and that is what I'vealways sought, you know
throughout my life and career.
You know, so believe inyourself and build that network,
build that support system.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Oh man, say that again, say it loud, say it proud
, because it's so, so important.
If they're looking to purchasesome of your products and get
involved and just have aconversation with you, what's
the best way to get in contactwith?
Speaker 3 (40:50):
them www.
Wildorchidcandlescom.
Believe it or not, there's beena company who's actually, um,
chose my name.
They're on the part, they're onthe other part of the country,
you know, but it's not worthpursuing at this point, you know
(41:11):
cause I'm doing my thing and,um, people who know me, they
know me.
But, yeah, you know, and youcan always reach out.
My phone number is on there aswell.
I'm on Instagram and Facebookas well and I would love to be
able to collaborate with smallbusinesses, not just within
Florida, the States, you knowbut I'm open to shipping
(41:33):
internationally as well.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
No, I'm glad you said that we are on the Black
Business Network.
It is a global community andthe fact that they say, hey, wow
, you know what.
That's an idea I can.
This is a differential.
You got to look at ways.
How do you differentiateyourself?
You just gave us a greatexample of doing that and, as
you stated, you want to bepresent in the mind of your
ideal client and you've got areally good candle.
(41:59):
It's a talking piece, right.
Somebody's like, wow, would youget that?
I mean it just goes into somany different areas.
A lot of people don't thinkabout that when they're looking
at different things that theycan use for marketing.
That is an excellent tool.
I know you brought yourexpertise to bear, so I want to
thank you again for being on theBlack Business Network.
The Black Business Olympicsthis has been wonderful.
(42:22):
Genius is coming and I will seeyou on the other side.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
Thank you so much, grant, you're welcome.
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