Love hand-poured, soy candles that smell like heaven?
Allow us to introduce you to Maison Blanche.
She Does This spends 5 minutes with the founder and creative director, Kristy Payne.
What were you doing work wise before starting Maison Blanche?
I had just returned from a long solo trip traveling around the US, broke and living with my mum, so I got a 9-5 (or as close to that as I could) in the mail order department of a cosmetics company. I was still working that job for around 8 months in the early days of Maison Blanche, investing all my money into growing my business.
So when and how did you get your business off the ground?
Maison Blanche started small! I asked to borrow $300 from my mum for supplies (wax/fragrance etc.) made some candles and came up with the concept of the brand. I sold those candles to friends and family, then with that money I was able to make more candles and get some professional photos taken, which then led me to list my products on Etsy. It took around 8 months from opening my Etsy store until I was making enough money (barely) to quit my day job and invest all my time into growing Maison Blanche.
Stunning candles that smell amazing are on trend and so popular in the market right now. What sets Maison Blanche apart from the rest?
Our quality is the first thing that comes to mind. And on top of that, they are handmade. Good handmade products are synonymous with quality and craftsmanship unlike what you can receive in mass produced products, but it’s also about the experience of the buyer. The buyer is able to feel apart of something; that their new product has a story and a singular person is responsible for its creation. Maison Blanche is proudly handmade!
Your Instagram page tells such a beautiful story of the brand. What are your tips in creating a great feed?
Personify your brand, and then post as if you were them. What things would interest them, places they would go, colours they like, are they a cat or dog person? I also think that it helps a lot if your brand personified is someone you would admire or want to be, or is actually you… it keeps the whole process more authentic and that’s likely to resonate better with your audience.
What advice do you have for women wanting to start their own business?
Even though it sometimes feels like the cards are stacked against you being a women in business, the skills you possess from just living a life as a women, makes you perfect to own a business. Value your strengths and what other people can perceive as weaknesses, is what will make you different and fresh from the competition.
My favourite? Lychee & Peony, a mix of floral and fruity. You can shop the rest of Maison Blanche HERE & follow the Instagram story HERE
Thank you to Harper Collective for facilitating this feature.
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