Turning Passion into Business: A Dive into Natural Annie Essentials Journey

Annya Brown dynamic entrepreneur combined her daughter's skincare needs and her Jamaican heritage into a successful business - Natural Annie Essentials. What began as a bath and body product venture, has now morphed into a household name in the scented candle industry.  Annya shares her journey, highlighting the importance of staying true to your roots and the resilience needed to navigate the rough waters of entrepreneurship.

From grappling with growth, limited space and manpower to executing a balancing act between her full-time job and a budding business. Discover how her family became her backbone during the COVID-19 pandemic, turning Natural Annie Essentials into a full-fledged family business. Anya also sheds light on how she leverages social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Google to fuel her business growth. Hear her unique approach towards expanding her brand and her mantra of saying yes first, and learning on the job. Delve into the life of this inspiring businesswoman, who's story is sure to light a spark in every budding entrepreneur out there.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:41

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of the Style Invives podcast with yours truly Makayla. If you are new here, welcome to the family. If you are returning here, welcome back family. Today we have a very special guest. She is from my home state of Connecticut so I totally forgot to ask you is it Anya or Annie? Because Pond is Korean. It's a Anya.

Speaker 2: 1:05

Let's go with Anya.

Speaker 1: 1:06

Okay, so Anya is the owner of Natural Annie Essentials. She is a Black-owned, family-owned operated candle business based in Bridgeport, connecticut. She also has a studio and she heavily incorporates her Caribbean culture, her Jamaican culture, as part of her heritage brand in the space. So we're going to talk all of the things then, but I gave a short intro. So, anya, please tell the people about Natural Annie Essentials and how you got started.

Speaker 2: 1:40

Thank you so much for having me. So yes, my name is Anya and I am originally from St Anne, jamaica, in a little a tiny community called Bethel Town. I don't know if you're familiar with that, but I moved here in 2006 to live with my family here. But Natural Annie Essentials actually started back in 2014 after the birth of my first daughter, tiffany, and I got into product formulation, trying to make products for her skin. She has a condition called spina bifida and hydrocephalus, so I started making products for her skin and joined back to my roots.

Speaker 2: 2:26

I grew up in Jamaica with my grandparents, so very familiar with the herbs, the oils and all the all-natural products. So I kind of went back to my roots and started mixing my own products here at home and when I finally got some results for her skin, I literally got hooked into just making all the things. So I was making skincare, I was making bath and body products and at that point I was making so much where I had to start sharing it with now, with friends and family, and I used to throw these little make and take parties at home where my family and friends would come over and we'll just make same body scrubs for the night and, you know, had a little evening out of it. I was trying to show them how to make their own products, but they were not interested in that part of it. But they encouraged me to, you know, start a business, put this on the market, because they wanted it on a regular basis now, but they didn't want to make it. So that's where I came in.

Speaker 2: 3:23

I started formulating, you know, my own products and then in 2015, I opened my first little Etsy shop and when strangers started to buy the products, I was like, all right, I think we have something here, maybe. So I just kind of went with it and fast forward to earlier parts of 2019. We were doing a showdown in Brooklyn. For the entire show, customers were asking for candles in the scent of the bath and body products that we were selling at the time. So that's how we kind of, you know, got into candle making, started testing it out and when we finally launched candles as a part of the brand and I think about in six months, candles were literally all that we were selling. So at that time I was still doing my full time job, I was still making all the stuff out of my house and it just got to a point where I had to let one go, so we moved forward with the candles as of 2019. And it has been candles ever since, so now we are mostly known for our hand-purchased candles.

Speaker 1: 4:31

So was that a hard decision for you to step away from the bath and skin care line, and what really drove that decision?

Speaker 2: 4:43

Space. I didn't have any more space in my house for all this stuff and we had a line of about 10 products for skin care and, you know, full bath and body. We had a whole line. So just really space and from a business standpoint we just have to go with what people are buying. So we had to put that on pause, but it's something that is always in the back of my mind and we're gonna bring it back one of these fine days. So keep your eyes out. To this day, we still have people asking for those products. So I still make bath and body, but on a much smaller scale, for my household.

Speaker 1: 5:20

I'll be looking for those. As you can see, I have my candles, you know, here. Yes, yes, it's so funny because I have a little one and I can't really burn candles around her. So I'm done. I have this coffee warmer, so I put them on the warmer and it gives me a nice little island vibe.

Speaker 1: 5:42

It smells so good, it burns really well, which I truly appreciate, and even like my husband or my daughter is always commenting on how how good it smells when I do use it and I like anytime. You know, you know Caribbean people when you clean the room and they smell good and it just end the thing on nice top. A lot of the different scents really do remind me of Jamaica and the Caribbean. So why was that important for you to bring scent-wise into your business?

Speaker 2: 6:17

You know Jamaica full of vibes. Everybody loves Jamaica. The culture is rich, the culture is vibrant, and I wanted that to be a part of what we were creating. Not everybody can hop on a plane and go to the island right away, so that was our way of bringing the island to you via scent, by the way of our candles.

Speaker 1: 6:40

So, going back, I really love that you do incorporate that. That has always essentially no pun intended Been a part of your business. But what are some of the parts of your business that were the most challenging for you as you started to grow over the last few years?

Speaker 2: 7:03

Space and finding manpower.

Speaker 2: 7:07

Those are some of the earliest struggles I really had, and also, just you know, working a full-time job and trying to run a business, a full blown business, was tough.

Speaker 2: 7:19

So, prior to us moving into the studio that we are in now, we were working out of my house. I was all over my garage, my basement, wherever could fit stuff. That's, you know, what we would do to make it work, and over time, it was during COVID. I believe November 2020 was when we, you know, finally were able to move out of my home into the space that we're in now, which allowed, for you know, more people to come in, more people to work with me and find, you know, just ease of access, because this is one thing when you're working out of your home, you can't just be bringing in random people to, you know, into your home to work and that's kind of when my family actually stepped in and started working with me as a part of the business, during COVID and from there on until now, so when you incorporated the family, when did you enlist the family in terms of your manpower?

Speaker 1: 8:19

And I know it's during COVID, so I'm assuming I mean we're past COVID and your family's still there.

Speaker 2: 8:25

So what has?

Speaker 1: 8:26

that I mean technically they're not going anywhere, but they're not going anywhere, right. But having a family business where you go to work and you see your family as well as its home life, how do you manage that divide of work and family and what are some of the exciting moments and challenges there?

Speaker 2: 8:51

Sometimes it does, but I've always been very close with my family and we get along very well, so that makes it a little easier. Sometimes the lines get crossed. My mom actually heads up for a production and she's in a lot of art behind the scenes, like our social. She's always on our social, but sometimes the lines do get crossed. I think sometimes they don't take me seriously and I tell them all the time. Work Anya is different from play time, anya, but as with everything, you will have some challenges there. But for the most part, it's really good being able to grow this with them and build this with them, because they understand the vision and they're behind me 100% and I can always call on them for anything. And they have been there even when I just started.

Speaker 2: 9:47

I remember my very first pop-up shop in 2015 here in Bridgeport. It was me and my dad who went and he came and supported me during that event. We did not sell one thing that day. We didn't sell one thing. My very first pop-up shop. I was like, wow, this is not encouraging at all, but he was there with me for the entire day encouraging me. He involved stuff. I'm like why are you buying stuff from me? You know, but that's the problem. God bless you, hon. But that's the kind of support, that's the kind of support system that they have built and provided for me. So I'm really happy to be able to build this with them and grow this with them. When it's good, it's good, when it's bad, it's bad, and they're still in it with me to the very end. So that's I'm forever grateful for.

Speaker 1: 10:42

That's really interesting and inspiring, right? Because you talk about being at a pop-up shop or event and not selling anything Like. In those discouraging moments like that, what kind of pulls you through to the next phase of no, I gotta keep going.

Speaker 2: 11:03

For me it was just a love of making the products, and that's the thing. If you don't love it, it's easy for you to quit, and I've always said if I'm gonna sell something I have to be able to love it, because if it doesn't sell, I want to use it, you know. So being able to just bounce back from that, it's really it has to be a love of creating the thing that kind of keeps you going back for more Over the years. And I mean you're in business too. You'll know it, every day is not gonna be a great day, but if you love it enough, you will go back tomorrow and try to make that a better day.

Speaker 1: 11:42

What are some of the most exciting moments that you can share with me on this journey?

Speaker 2: 11:47

for you, I would say one of the biggest things that came out of the business was and when was this? In 2021, I believe we got featured in Michaels. So we were in all the Michaels stores across the US and Canada and that was a big milestone for us. And then, when I first saw that email coming through that Michaels wanted to feature us to teach people how to make candles like yeah, sure, right, another spam. Here we go, and instead of that email for a couple of days, until the lady she followed up with me, she was like, are you interested in this or not? So I'm like, okay, let me respond. Maybe this is real. And it turned out to be real. So we did that feature.

Speaker 2: 12:37

We also did another big thing that kind of happened for us was working with TikTok. So we jumped on TikTok. When was this? In 2020, having no idea what we're doing on there, and in 2020, I believe it was last year, two years in a row they reached out to us as a small black-owned business trying to do big things on TikTok and they had featured our brand. They sent out their crew that a whole promotion, a promo ad with us just using TikTok, and after that I've worked with them in the sense that whenever they have conferences or summits they would pull me in to speak with other small businesses and how to grow their business on TikTok. So those have been some really big highlights that I'm super proud of that we were able to do.

Speaker 1: 13:36

You mentioned the social aspect of your business. In terms of social media, how important is it for your branding, your growth? As part of your journey, you document a lot. It's always fun. I always look at dance breaks yes, mommy, yes, and they look a picnic there by going out on the streets. Everybody, everybody, yes. So tell me about the incorporation of social and how it's impacted your business.

Speaker 2: 14:08

So social media has been very big for us, and I mean with every small business. I think it's a big chunk of our marketing efforts. Not having huge, you know, marketing budgets. We rely heavily on social, especially the organic side. I think that I started, you know, fairly early, especially with Instagram. That was one of the first platforms that we started with and just has grown that community over the years. But diversifying the socials to is also very important. So we do a lot of Instagram, tiktok, some Facebook, also some Google to help drive the business. I feel like with every, every small business, it's a very, it's a very important piece of the marketing mix to have, especially with again with very small marketing budgets.

Speaker 1: 15:01

That is some really great insight. I think it's important to kind of highlight social as a growth platform. I think it's interesting how much you've used TikTok and Instagram and have been invited, you know, to really talk to other businesses about that, because it has expanded not only your brand but your opportunities as an entrepreneur. But you've also entered in a space where you've been able to really expand. In some cases you've added the candle bar service. You know, you know events in your own space. Talk to me about some of those, and even private label like those are things that you know are growth potential for your organization. So talk to me about some of those expansions.

Speaker 2: 16:04

So all these expansions really came out of, you know, just customers reaching out and say, hey, can you do this? And we said yes, and then it turned into a thing, because when we got our first private label deal, I was like I don't even know how this works, but hey, we're going to try it. It worked out, so we kept it and build on it and, you know, grew that arm of the business over time. So now we're able to make candles, for we make candles for corporations bigger corporations they do it a lot especially for, like, staff gifting for their HR departments and stuff like that and we also make candles for small businesses who want to get into the candle space but don't necessarily want to have a hand in making the candles themselves. So we do have a good amount of private label. And also the candle bar came about in and it was this. January 2022 was when we started the candle bar.

Speaker 2: 17:07

Candles are very seasonal, so you'll find that most people like starting like now. Through like the colder months up until about spring, people use candles heavily, so we wanted to find something that was unique enough to fill in for those slower candle months. So that's when we figured out, hey, let's. We have the space, the production area that we use during the week is what we convert on the weekends to turn it into our candle bar. So now people can come in and make their so we call it our sip and pour candle making experience. So you can come in, bring your wine, this BYOB, you bring your beverage and we make candles for an hour and a half. And I tell people all the time it's not your usual candle, your little candle classes. It's super lit, it's fun, it's exciting and people are drawn to it. We have people coming from New York, new Jersey, massachusetts, and it blows my mind to this day like you drove all the way from New Jersey to come to Bridgeport to make candles with us and they said, yes, and half the time people who find us for the candle bar they usually find us on TikTok.

Speaker 2: 18:18

So until small business owners again, all the time, use your social media platforms, because you never know who is looking and you never know what it is that they're looking for. You may just have what they are looking for. So the candle bar and we do those on the weekends currently on Fridays and Saturdays and we do also do private events. So if you have like a birthday party coming up, you can book the space. We could make candles and then you get into the rest of your festivities. The other portion of what we do is renting out the studio to other creatives. I wanted to do that because I remember when I used to pour products in my basement and I always wish I could do like a little session where people could do stuff, but I wasn't able at that point to invest in a property for myself to start my own lease. So for persons who do not have a physical space and would like to create or host events, they have the opportunity now to rent or studio and have their events there.

Speaker 1: 19:27

I love it. That is so excited for you. So, of all the things that are happening in the business, what is the most exciting for you? What drives you and gives you excitement every day to keep going?

Speaker 2: 19:44

Finding new people and finding my people. I mean, I could do without making the candles. That's not what I love anymore. But the marketing side of things is where I am really drawn to, and marketing is tough, but I feel like it's that challenge that keeps me on my toes. It's like there's always something new, like what platform can I try this week? What else can I do to have people get their eyes on natural and essential? So that piece of the puzzle is really what that excites me on a daily basis.

Speaker 1: 20:22

If you could do this entire journey starting from the beginning, what would you tell yourself?

Speaker 2: 20:28

Girl, it's going to be tough, but keep going. You're going to cry a lot too, but keep going.

Speaker 1: 20:34

You better tell yourself that now. Oh god it never stopped.

Speaker 2: 20:41

It never stopped. It never stopped. But always be open to new ideas. I never knew I would be in this space that I'm in now, because this is not how I started or why I started. I didn't know candles would be the highlight of the brand in 2023. I always thought it was going to be the skincare stuff. So be open to new ideas. Say yes and figure it out. That's my motto. Just say yes and figure it out as you go.

Speaker 1: 21:12

I love that. All right, so let's have a little fun. You have a large order to fulfill what's on your playlist.

Speaker 2: 21:20

So right now we have on Herbie rotation, valiant, valiant aglomotings. You'll always hear him in the shop TJ. We keep it drifting. We drift in over there too and we have to put some berries, come on, we love berries. So, yes, we have some berries going on. And there is this DJ on on YouTube that I follow and listen to his mixes heavily DJ puppy, not too crazy reggae mix, some crazy dance on mix over there. So, yeah, we keep the vibe going while we work.

Speaker 1: 21:53

YouTube. I like it. I like it. Yeah, you can get your candle into the hands of one celebrity. Who would it be?

Speaker 2: 22:02

Tyler Perry so he could put all my candles and all his movies.

Speaker 1: 22:17

It needs to be all over sisters and all the Men to get here for you.

Speaker 2: 22:24

Okay, I'm gonna get her hands on these candles.

Speaker 1: 22:29

If you can do a dancehall theme collection, name three candles inspired by dancehall.

Speaker 2: 22:35

All right, I'm gonna tell you what's on my list, Okay. So the first one we're gonna call it mellow moods, and this is got a feature of a good old Bob Good, bob Marley, and this would be an earthy scent, something that you would burn to unwind, keep you grounded, relaxed. So I'm thinking a sandalwood, some ginger. You know that kind of my mellow moods. The next one would be I Was cracking up when I was writing this one too. So the next one would be Bedroom bully feature index the daps. This is gonna be your bedroom, this is gonna be, this is gonna be your bedroom candle Super sexy, a nice floral blend, not overpowering.

Speaker 2: 23:23

And the next one, the last one, would we will be calling this one a ravers, alright, and this one features ding dong, an elephant man. This is the one that you want to burn when you're cleaning. It's very vibrant, it's citrusy, it's energizing, so so, yeah, so that would be like a blend of citrus and additional fruits. Keep it nice and sweet, keep you in the move, see you be cleaning, dancing and and burning your candles.

Speaker 1: 23:54

Do you have a favorite?

Speaker 2: 23:58

Yeah, I don't vibe. I don't, vibe is the first one I make you have it. I, you see you have it long time because we have chain to label for when no say I go listen.

Speaker 1: 24:23

Well, because the warmer it burns them so much slower, yeah, and then, like liquid, just stays in there for a long time. So I recommend, if you don't want to burn it, to just like use the warmer. Who's the warmer, and that's Not gonna be my go-to.

Speaker 2: 24:42

Yeah, yeah yeah. Candles? They do. They do set a tone. They do they the aromas? They do really set a tone, yeah, and there's a scent for every mood. There's a scent for every mood.

Speaker 1: 24:53

So Absolutely any last words, anything you want to share with that you have coming up, or?

Speaker 2: 25:01

yes, so we we actually will be moving into a bigger location this September, so we'll be hosting even more candle making experiences, because we've been getting a lot of requests for, like, weekday sessions, but given that we do our production in the same space, at this point we weren't able to. But as of September, when we move, we'll be able to host more weekday sessions and not just on the weekends. So so, yeah, so that's something to keep an eye out for. We have a new candle collection launch into this fall. So, and where you would find us is on our website, natural any essentials calm. We're also on Tiktok, instagram, facebook, at natural any essentials and or candle bar is located here in Bridgeport. We're on 1313 Connecticut Avenue and when we move, will still be in the same location, just a bigger space. So that's where you can find us and we got to get you into the candle bar one of these days.

Speaker 1: 26:07

Yes, what was that? Later, my peeps.

Speaker 2: 26:15

Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 3: 26:19

Thanks for listening to the latest episode of the styling vibes podcast. If you like what you hear and I know you do Share it with your friends and family. If you want more, make sure you visit styling vibes comm and follow us on our social channels, twitter and Instagram. At styling vibes until next time, near tummy peeps.