237: When the BLOCK is the BLESSING

Denise: 0:00

And just after everything that had happened, I realized we all need grace, and we need to extend grace to ourselves most importantly, but we also have to extend grace to each other, and so that was the sort of the beginning of the founding of Grace, the Collection.

Camille: 0:24

So you want to make an impact. You're thinking about starting a business, sharing your voice. How do women do it that handle motherhood, family and still chase after those dreams? We'll listen each week as we dive into the stories of women who know this is Call Me CEO. Welcome back everyone to Call Me CEO.

Camille: 0:46

This is your host, Camille Walker, and thank you so much for pressing play. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to get your DMs messages and inspiration that you receive from hearing the stories of women like you creating and building incredible businesses. And today we are going to be talking about how boring is great, that being consistent is actually something that builds profitability. It's not always about the next shiny thing that distracts you, which can be hard to avoid Believe me, I know. But we're going to talk with Denise Reese, who is the founder and CEO of Grace the Collection, and she has a luxe line of fragrance and candles that is absolutely incredible, and I cannot wait for you to meet Denise she's just a delight and to share her story about building this incredible business. So, Denise, thank you so much for being on the show today.

Denise: 1:44

Thank you for having me, camille, it's a pleasure.

Camille: 1:47

Yeah, so tell our audience a little bit more about you, where you're from, your family and what your business is all about.

Denise: 1:54

Absolutely so. I am originally from New Orleans, so New Orleans, louisiana, is home. But I was a military kid. Dad was in the Air Force over 30 years, so I've literally lived all over the world, all over the US, both as a kid and as an adult, and I'm now in Atlanta, georgia, where I've been since 2008. It's the longest that I've lived anywhere and actually moved here from London. I spent some time working and living abroad for several years. I spent some time working and living abroad for several years and I'm in technology sales have been for the last almost 30 years, so over 25 years.

Denise: 2:34

Goodness gracious, I can't believe it. No-transcript forever. And I thought, yeah, this is a growing market, I can do this, and so I launched the company in 2020. Grace was my word for the year, so our words have power and it worthed. Grace, the collection and we are a beautiful. In the next week or so, we'll have wax melts that we'll be adding to the collection, looking at adding a reed diffuser later this year, and we sell online as well as in multiple retailers around the metro Atlanta area and earlier last year March of last year actually launched on Macy'scom, so you can find the product on Macy'scom as well. So it's been a journey. It continues to be a journey, but it's a labor of love. I enjoy it. I love sharing the story and the products with other people and can't wait for your, your listeners to, to learn more about it.

Camille: 3:58

Yeah, for everyone listening, you actually get 10% off if you use the code call me CEO. Just as a little plug there. But let's hear a little bit more. It's so interesting to me that you started this in 2020 because, having done hundreds of interviews, 2020 was such a pivoting year for a lot of people. So was 2008 because we had the recession, so it's interesting that you have that session. So it's interesting that you have that. I'm wondering if that got your move here back to the U? S as well, as what was it in 2020 and how did you get the wheels moving when production and fulfillment was pretty rough in that year and the next year?

Denise: 4:38

Yes, it was. So it's interesting. When I moved here in 2008, I was actually moving with a company that I was working for in the UK and they moved me to, moved me to the US, and there was also some family things that were happening. I was way too far away from my family. I needed to be closer. My parents ended up retiring in Tampa, and so Atlanta was a great place to be. I was taking on the global relationship for Coca-Cola, who was based here, so I had to actually be in Atlanta and it was. It was great for me, which is really weird to say, because I was coming back to the US with a job. But here, you know, you realize, oh my gosh, like I've literally come back to a recession. So I was extremely grateful and felt so blessed that I was in that position at that time.

Denise: 5:26

But 2020 was really more about. There was just so much, so much going on in the world. We had, you know, the pandemic. We were locked down the. You know we call it a racial reckoning that I personally believe that we're still in the midst of. I remember sitting at my breakfast bar and this was probably around the. It was around the summer, like July, june, july of 2020.

Denise: 5:56

And I never thought of grace as being an extremely strong word, like some of the words that I had chosen previous years, because I don't do resolutions.

Denise: 6:06

I do a word that guides me for the year, and just after everything that had happened, I realized we all need grace, and we need to extend grace to ourselves most importantly, but we also have to extend grace to each other, and so that was the sort of the beginning of the founding of Grace, the Collection, and I also think it's so important for us to surround ourselves with little luxuries every day. It doesn't have to be anything that breaks the bank, but it can be a warm bath with a great body, something that you got, or some flowers that you can put in your bath, you can light a candle, you can spray something, you can eat something that's nourishing and good for your body. So I think there's just things that we can, small things that we can do. That gives us those reprieves and it reminds us of the divine that's already within us, but it also gives us a little touch of lux as well, and I believe that can be accomplished through the power of scent.

Camille: 7:08

Well, you talked about a lot of senses there where you talked about a bath being.

Camille: 7:11

It's interesting. You say that because the last couple of days I've had my little boys that have been sick and the number one thing that has brought them reprieve is an immersive bath, and you kind of forget sometimes that something like that can feel so luxurious. And we lit a candle and we added some special it was like a Dr Teal's eucalyptus to the bath water and so it was the sensation of the feel, the scent, the smell, like all of it immersed together and that had been there all along. But my son was like, wow, this that was really made me feel so much better, and even my hot shower and just being grateful for that. And we talked about how indoor plumbing and having a hot bath or shower is something that hasn't been around really for that long. And anyway, that literally was our conversation going to the school today. So I think that it's really special to think about adding those things to your life, to make those luxuries a part of your everyday that we consume and take in.

Denise: 8:21

It can even be, you know, binge watching whatever series the housewives of every city is my guilty pleasure. You see the fabulousness, and we all, we often think that you have to have those big things to create luxury and ease in your life, or happiness, yeah, and so I would say happiness is something it can be relative, right. I prefer to have joy in my life because joy is something that is a mainstay, regardless of what's happening around you. Happiness can ebb and flow depending on what's going on your life. If you have an anchor of joy and grace, then that can be something that just carries over into every aspect of your life, and so it doesn't need to be, you know, these big sweeping things that we have to do.

Denise: 9:14

It really is about the little things and those small things that we can do to just create routine, to create an intention. Like, I'm a big believer in making the bed in the morning because that helps you to kind of set an intention. Like I'm a big believer in making the bed in the morning because that helps you to kind of set your intention and it's a great way to kind of start your day. I usually will light a candle, even in the mornings. I work from home quite a bit and I'll, you know, light a candle in the morning while I'm doing my prayer time, my meditation. So all of those little things can kind of add up to just set you up for what I think is success for the day, even if the day gets a little bit crazy.

Camille: 9:53

Yeah, it's right. Before you said that I was thinking the routines, the bookends of the day. It's the beginning of the day and the end of the day and it's those joy plugged in moments where it's what are those connected moments where you feel in tune with yourself, your intuition and setting that intention for the day.

Camille: 10:11

So I love that you said that, because I think you're right. One thing that I actually had I was speaking with a group of women about setting intention for your day and making it romance, romancing or making a romantic view of your ritual, and the thing that I said was light the candle when maybe it's when you're waking up in the morning or you put the kids to bed and you light that candle and that signals to your mind of it's my time and you get to have the 10 minutes, the 30 minutes or whatever it is. That kind of initiates that go time with your brain taking that deep breath. So I love that you created a product around that because it's so empowering and also really it's captures the senses, which is really cool too.

Denise: 10:57

Absolutely, and you know, when you're marketing a fragrance product, people can't smell it. So I try to tap into all of those other sensory aspects that can give folks, I think, a great idea of what it's like to use the product, what it looks like in their homes, in their hands, and it's also why I've really invested into amazing branding and design. Shout out to Emily Wells of Emily Wells Design. She is amazing and helped to really bring the brand to life in such a beautiful way. And all of those things really are what create the experience of Grace, the Collection, from when you interact with the product, either on social media or online, right the way through to the unboxing experience. It's all a part of the experience of the products and of the brand and the company.

Camille: 11:52

Yeah, all right. Well, we're going to peel back the curtain a little bit about developing this business, because maybe there are people who are listening who have thought about having a product or thought about doing something outside of their norm, which I really like. How, in yours, your story and development is that you had a corporate situation going on. You had a pause because of 2020, but talk to me a little bit about how you built up that consistency, or how it unrolled so that you were able to develop the products but also still stay attached to what you had going on before. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

Denise: 12:27

Absolutely, absolutely so in. You know, as I tell my, my corporate customers, you know we outsource non-core competencies. Get someone in to help you to assess and make those decisions. So I took my own advice and I hired a consultant. I hired someone. Well, I, first off, I did my own research. So I took my own advice and I hired a consultant. I hired someone. Well, I, first off, I did my own research. So I started to look at you know what are what? What is the market for home fragrance? And it's a 29, $30 billion global market that's growing over 4% annually.

Denise: 13:02

I'm like I want a piece of that and also happens to be something that I really love. Ever since I was back in my twenties, when I got my first place, had some disposable income you could find the candle lit, incense, a plugin, a diffuser, some oils there's going to be something in the space to make it smell good and also my boyfriend at the time when we would go out, people were always stopping me about something. Oh my God, I love your glasses, I love what you're wearing. You've got a really cool style. This, this, this. He's like Denise, that's a customer, so you need to figure out what you're going to sell them, because whatever you're selling they're going to buy. And I was like, yeah, that does happen quite a bit. But I also wanted it to be something that was, that was natural and organic for me and it wasn't just a money grab. Right After doing my research, hired a consultant who was, who was in the business but also did kind of one-on-one coaching for folks that wanted to enter the space, and very early on I realized that I was not going to be in the kitchen with a double boiler making candles and even though I think it's great for folks who are able to do that, that just wasn't for me.

Denise: 14:22

Number one, because I had a day job. And number two, there is an art and a science to candle making and if you don't have all of the tools to be able to make sure that that wax is at the right level, that you've got the appropriate levels of a fragrance to wax ratio to create an amazing cold throw and hot throw and the different types of waxes like, there's a lot that goes into this. So I knew, through hiring that consultant, that I was going to work with a supplier to actually hand pour everything, and so from there I was able to work backwards from okay, like, what are those things I need to have in place? Who's going to be the supplier? Who's going to do my? You know I need a logo. I need marketing and branding or design amazing design work to get done. What do I want the fragrances to be? Where do I want to sell? How do I want to sell? What's the customer journey? What does the customer experience look like? How are customers going to find me? So these are things that I have become adept at helping other customers to recognize, or my corporate clients in technology to recognize.

Denise: 15:28

And I just took all of that for myself and thought you know what, if I can build multi-million dollar business units for other companies, surely I can do that for myself. And that's what I did. And you know it means that it took a little bit longer for me to launch doing it that way, because I started the company in 2020. But I didn't launch until 2022 because supply chain like who does a product company of a global pandemic, but also the consultant I was working with we ended up having a little things went awry and they actually blocked the supplier relationship. That's a story for another day. Oh no, they blocked that relationship, and so I had to start from scratch with looking for a supplier.

Denise: 16:14

But eventually I found Harper Mill Candles, who has brought the brand to life for me and we've now created an amazing collaboration. And so long-winded answer, camille. But I think the red thread there is doing your research for yourself, right? Don't just depend on social media or what somebody told you or what they thought or what they found out. Find out for yourself what's viable. Understand what the gap is in the market.

Denise: 16:44

So, part of the consultant coming on, I was able to recognize that there's all of these high-end luxury brands that I was purchasing your Jo Malone's and your Diptyque's and your Byrito's but then, when you kind of go below that, there's not a lot in that sort of luxury fragrance, home fragrance space that gives you the same experience as those higher-end brands but at a more accessible price point. And I thought, okay, that's where I want to be. I want to really forge a path in that part of the market that I felt like there was a gap. And then from there I just started to do the work and it took a lot of longer, like I said. But now here we are, three years later after launch, and we're still here and thriving and have some amazing things that have happened and more amazing things on the horizon as well.

Denise: 17:34

amazing things that have happened and more amazing things on the horizon as well. So, and you're in Macy's, like that's huge. Yes, yes, well, macy's dot com. So we're not on shelf in Macy's yet, but I feel like that's coming. But we are on the shelves of some other amazing small businesses. Woodhouse Spa in Buckhead here in Atlanta has taken us on and helped to craft a path to get into the other Woodhouse Spas around the country, and so just really some amazing things that I still sometimes pinch myself and can't believe that it's. You know, I've been able to achieve and accomplish that in a relatively short space of time, but you know, because of my corporate background, that has it served me well.

Camille: 18:19

I have a couple of questions. One is for the partnership that went awry. What is a lesson that you learned from that experience or a way that perhaps you could have protected yourself from that block happening? Is there any like takeaway with that that you could share? Have you ever felt like you're going through the motions and not really sure what's driving you forward? It's time to rediscover your purpose. With my free five day, discover your why. This is a video workshop that, in just five days, you'll gain clarity on what motivates you and how to align your life and your business with your bigger vision, because when you know your why, you make better decisions, you build momentum and you create a life you actually love. Join the free challenge now at camillewalkerco. That's camillewalkerco, and let's uncover your why together.

Denise: 19:13

So the the, the block was the blessing to be perfectly honest with you.

Camille: 19:18

Which isn't that how it goes. You know where you're like, oh, this is the worst, and then you find out yeah, exactly.

Denise: 19:24

Long story short, we collaborate. I did a home, a bespoke fragrance experience with them, created a scent. When we're getting to the end of our consultancy, hey, denise, what do you think about using the scent that you created for your candle? Because I named it Grace, because that was my word, and I did the scent experience in 2020 as well, just after we were starting to go back outside from being locked down, and initially they wanted in exchange for the fragrance that I paid for.

Denise: 19:57

By the way, they wanted a equity play for my company and I'm like, no, that's not how equity works, because I shouldn't have paid you for consulting services and all of the other expenses. You would have fronted that in exchange for equity. Thankfully, I have an amazing business attorney who said absolutely not, but here's what we can do. We're going to give them 20% of the gross profit of every product that you all collaborate on and work on a fragrance. So if they create a scent for you, they will get 20% gross profit in perpetuity as long as that product is being manufactured. I thought it was a pretty generous deal and it's residual income if you work it right.

Denise: 20:43

They were not happy with that and, as a result, they blocked the supplier that I was going to work with and this happened right at I was getting ready to launch the first cent. This happen right at I was getting ready to launch the first cent. So I then had to take a year to recalibrate and figure out like I'm like, okay, god, I feel like you put this in me, but I'm not sure if this is the direction, because this is happening, and I realized that that block what seemed like a block at the time was a blessing, because that person actually went out of business shortly after all of this happened and I would have been in their store, would have been tied to them. That could have been detrimental for Grace the Collection before we even fully launched. So it seemed like a really devastating thing at the time, but it absolutely turned out to be a blessing and we're still here.

Camille: 21:38

I'm like that's the title when the block is the blessing. I think that's so. That's a great analogy of that, because it really I feel like it, had you been tied to them, they would have had opinions about the sense that you were creating. They would want to have creative direction of how it was, how it looked and how you presented it. So, yeah, that's a that was a good, actually a really great thing. So a question, another question I thought of for you is with your corporate experience, you acknowledge that it gives you an advantage for others who have no idea they're coming into it and have no background with that. What is it from your corporate background that made it so that you were able to skip over some of other lessons learned that you you already knew from having so many relationships and building, I mean, huge companies?

Denise: 22:27

Yeah. So I think that's a great question, camille. I think the main thing is, having been in sales and that's what I do is I sell stuff for a living. It might be big technology deals, but it's just selling stuff. So, leaning into that, recognizing the importance of relationships I'm fortunate to have an amazing network of folks that have shown up for me, that continue to show up for me, and so really leveraging that, but then also reminding myself that people buy things from people, that from people, and so making sure that I was and continue to be the face of the brand and I put myself out there.

Denise: 23:11

It was really difficult at first because I'm like I don't know if I want to be completely tied to it, but even when I post things with if it's just my picture or if it's a video, even if it's just a quick like I went, I recorded something in the car the other day and it did great numbers. So I'm like, ok, you have to be front and center, and just like I have to show up for my corporate customers, I have to show up for myself in the same way. And then also just kind of the business acumen of it all, making sure that the foundation was there starting my LLC, getting a business bank account, getting a great business attorney, having a bookkeeper on standby, being able to not be afraid of technology and using all of the different tools that are out there to be able to automate processes and to use that to your advantage, even in terms of competitive analysis, and also doing the research as well, because when I'm selling a multimillion dollar, people aren't going to give my company $25, $30, $50 million over multiple years and have us to take over something if I haven't done my research and I don't know what I'm talking about. So I incorporate that into the business as well, and again, it means that it's taking me a little bit longer. But I'm a big.

Denise: 24:34

All of these viral things and we want to be overnight successes and you know, social media has us thinking that we've got to. You know, suddenly get to like a million dollars in revenue and you know five million followers or whatever within you know 60 days or something crazy. But the reality is is nothing happens overnight. Success doesn't just happen, it's, it's the culmination of all of the small things that we do day in and day out. We continue to do the work and boring. Profitable businesses are sustainable and they, they, they create longevity, and so that has having that approach has served me well. And am I where I think I? Am I where I thought I would have been now? No, but I'm also a lot further than what I give myself credit for, and so just making sure that I lean into that a little bit more and give myself grace in this whole journey, yeah, ooh, I love that and I love the message of your brand, like it's so, so good.

Camille: 25:57

I'm curious about your, because you have put in such great detail for the packaging, the branding, the experience of taking the candle or the fragrance out of the box. The experience of taking the candle or the fragrance out of the box. Have you been utilizing short form video or working with influencers or using TikTok, like where you've had such a good sales and marketing background? What is it for you that made your marketing piece a success?

Denise: 26:25

So I would say it's. You know, some days are better than others in terms of whether or not it's a success, camille, oh for sure. But I, you know, what I've I've been conscious of is not just following the next thing, so you know the, or the new shiny thing. So I've had a number of people to tell me you should be on TikTok shop. No, I shouldn't be Like, because most luxury brands are not on TikTok shop and I don't wanna do things that are going to diminish my brand in any way. So just because it could maybe give access to a bunch of followers and maybe an uptick in revenue doesn't necessarily mean that it's the right thing for the business from a longevity perspective.

Denise: 27:10

I have not been maximizing short-form video, but I plan to do that because, as we are seeing and I actually did a live with a friend and business partner, malika Planes of On12 Management we did a live yesterday talking about the importance of optimizing your digital assets and optimizing those things that we own, because, as we've seen with TikTok, as we see with the algorithm on social, we're constantly chasing something that's elusive.

Denise: 27:46

So we've got to make sure that we're focusing on the things that we own, and what we own is our website. We own our products, obviously, we own our email marketing lists, and so how do we make sure that those things are truly optimized so that we can leverage them to create real connection with our customers? Because I feel like consumer buying behavior is changing. We are out of COVID, we're back outside, as the kids say, and so we've got to create ways that really build community, that build connection, and people are looking for that, and I almost feel like we're taking even a step back with social. Folks want more connection, want more authenticity from the brands that they purchase. They want to know who's behind it, they want to know you know what is the story of the founder, and so making sure that I'm putting more of that front and center is definitely part of my plan and strategy for 2025 into 2026.

Camille: 28:46

Yeah, I agree with that and I agree with the connection and the email and with the email piece, since you just shared it and it's fresh on your mind. I'm actually presenting to a group of women next week on the power of email and advice for email. So what is your top advice for email right now?

Denise: 29:03

So, number one automate, automate, automate. So for me that looks like Klaviyo. Work with a Klaviyo or email marketing partner like Malika, who I worked with. She came in and she did an audit of my Shopify and an audit of my Klaviyo gave me immediate, tangible things that I could do to really maximize my reach on both of those platforms. And also, again, automate. You know, get those flows set up. You know, get those campaigns set up. Make sure that you're segmenting your audience and not just, you know sending out everything to everybody but you're able to craft a message to those customers that's very specific and intentional and thoughtful for them.

Denise: 29:52

The way that I talk to my VIP customers is very different from the way that I talk to folks that are. Maybe they did an abandoned cart right, they came to the site, they put something in their cart and they left it. So that conversation looks very different. But hiring someone to help to set that up for you, at least when you're first starting out, it's the best money that I could have spent. If you're not able to do that, start small.

Denise: 30:17

Start with a blog. You know, substack is getting a lot of shine right now because it allows people to create a newsletter format, a way of being able to connect very easily with potential or prospective customers. You know, medium is another way that folks who love to write and want to put their thoughts and things out there. I just think there's so much available to us now that we didn't have, you know, even 10 years ago. Like you could not set up an online business 10 years ago and have your products being sold or or even your service being made available to literally the entire world and the and tools like Shopify, like Klaviyo, mailchimp they just made it so much easier for us to be able to be able to do that.

Camille: 31:10

A hundred percent. A new one that I just learned about this week is sendernet, and it is free for up to 15,000 subscribers.

Denise: 31:20

I would say just told me about that. Yes.

Camille: 31:23

It's so good. It's so good you can segment. I do like Klaviyo in the way that you can use it for looking at product, specific clicking and shopping. I don't know that sendernet would be as robust in that regard, where I feel like Klaviyo is more for product and that sort of thing. But if you're doing digital and I'm still getting to know sendernet but it is amazing so I'm starting to look at that more and considering switching over from what I've been using. And my friend that builds websites and does a bunch of business development and website development for people switched hers from MailChimp is what she had been on to sendernet, so that's another option. I'll link these below so that you can check those out. But yeah, like you said, there are so many more resources for shortcuts and for automation, and to bring in a professional that can help figure out those segments and those flows is huge.

Denise: 32:23

Yes, yes, and as you start, whatever it is, if it's a product, if it's a service, just do it, just start it, Because the minute that you start, then you suddenly start to get access to probably invest more in and give people more of, because that's what's selling. And so all of these tools just make it so much easier for us to be able to forecast, to create sales strategies, marketing strategies, and again, it's not easy, but it's definitely doable and it makes the process just that much more tolerable.

Denise: 33:14

I think, because you live in Excel, right, you can actually use these tools to help you to really optimize your environment.

Camille: 33:25

Yeah, I think it is important to bring someone in who is really great and loves those charts and statistics. A lot of times, entrepreneurs I talk with are the big idea people and they are the visionaries, the creatives. They, their heads are in the clouds, which is amazing because that's how ideas get started. So it is very possible that you need to bring someone else in whose brain works differently than yours and when I say possible, it is almost always necessary because they can look at it in a statistical way, with no emotion involved, because they don't care what the logo looks like, they're looking at the backend, you know where it's like, okay, but this isn't working or this is actually your best product. Let's focus on that, and I think that that outside perspective can, if you, if you allow yourself, think of it as gameplay, as curiosity, as a way to really get into it, without making it an emotional piece which I think can be easy to slip into.

Camille: 34:22

Especially for women because we want it to look a certain way.

Denise: 34:24

We want it to be perfect, right. And there's all of this research out there that talks about how we don't even go for opportunities because we want it to look a certain way. We want it to be perfect, right. And there's all of this research out there that talks about how we don't even go for opportunities because we don't check all of the boxes. But men, by the way, the audacity that they have, and it feels like the more mediocre they are, the more audacity there is. But that, again, is another conversation.

Denise: 34:46

But the thought that you have to have it all together, like if that was the case, I wouldn't, probably would not have started Grace the Collection, because at some point it was just like OK, if we're going to do this, we just need to step out and get it done. And you'd be surprised at how God, the universe, I choose God because I feel like he created all of this, but again, that's another conversation. I choose God because I feel like he created all of this, but again, that's another conversation. We'll catch you, we'll guide you.

Denise: 35:13

The minute that you take that step and you decide okay, this has been in me, it's been in my heart. I can feel like this is the direction that I'm supposed to be in, the very moment that you actually start the execution of that thing. That you actually start the execution of that thing, it's like it all. What's the saying? I think it was in the the alchemist the universe conspires with you, but you have to make the step. You'll never know what, what could be if you don't actually step out and start doing the thing.

Camille: 35:46

A hundred percent. Oh, I love that. Well, show off your product before we finish here, so those who are watching the video can see, and then also let us know where everyone can find you. And again, a reminder call me CEO. Gives you 10% off, which is so generous, so, thank you.

Denise: 36:02

It was my pleasure, my pleasure. So we have our room and linen spritz. This is the newest product that was launched last year and I just love the branding, the box. People are like Denise, I don't want to throw your stuff away.

Camille: 36:17

It is so pretty.

Denise: 36:19

Customers that have the boxes even though there's nothing in it. They have them just kind of sitting out and I love that because I wanted it to be something beautiful. But this is this is actually the Peace Spritz. It's lavender and citrus. This is even the Fragrance House when they were creating this scent for the, the, the Spritz, because it's the same essential oil blend but it has to be formulated to be able to be a spray or Spritz rather, and they were like this one's going to make you a lot of money. So this is actually the number one seller of all of the, all of the scents.

Denise: 36:57

But this is the rumen linen spritz and I love the, the, the vessel for this. It's actually a glass bottle but it's painted black and glass is great for longevity of the product, keeps the oil doing what it needs to do. So that is the rumen linen spritz. This is the six ounce candle. It comes in a double-sided box and the handle is in this lovely black tin with the branding on the cover and it's two wicks, six ounces. This will give you about 25, 30 hours of burn time. I tell folks, if you trim the wick, light it, let it burn for a few hours, extinguish it. Trim the wick to get the soot off of the wick so that that oil can really permeate the wick and it'll preserve your candle and it gives you a better scent throw and this is so good I've never heard of that for trimming the wick.

Camille: 38:00

That's a good tip.

Denise: 38:01

Yes, and you get a candle care card with every order so that you know how to preserve your investment. And then this is the eight ounce candle, again double-sided, and I love the vessel for this Hand-blown glass with the logo mark etched into the glass. This is the eight ounce candle and it gives you about 60 65 hours of burn time. Again, it depends on how you take care of your candle and, yeah, we also have our candle care card that comes with every order as well, to remind you of how to take care of your investment and to prolong the life of your candle oh, I love that, and you did mention that that candle can be repurposed to be a votive or a holder for your makeup brushes or pens.

Denise: 38:54

Yes, in my on my desk, I do have makeup brushes. In the bathroom, I have a couple of these in the drawer with different things in them, and even the the tens for the six ounce candles. You can actually repurpose them and they can become a really cute little catch. All for jewelry, for what nots? And they can be in different spots around the house um as well.

Camille: 39:19

So very cool. Well, you should be very proud. I feel like this has been so wonderful hearing your story, and I am sure there are people here listening who would love to connect with you online and check out your products. Please tell us where they can find you.

Denise: 39:33

Yes, you can find me at Grace the Collection on social, on Instagram Facebook threads. You can also find me at Nisi. Reese is my personal Instagram page and we're on LinkedIn as well. My personal LinkedIn is Denise-Reese or Grace the Collection on LinkedIn as well. Perfect.

Camille: 39:57

Well, everyone, thank you so much for listening today, and my big takeaway today is that the block is the blessing. Go for that thing that you're thinking about, that it's not leaving you alone, and trust that God or the universe will carry you and that you can make it through one day at a time. Thank you so much for tuning in and we'll see you next time. Hey CEOs, thank you so much for spending your time with me. If you found this episode inspiring or helpful, please let me know in a comment. In a five-star review, you could have the chance of being a featured review on an upcoming episode. Continue the conversation on Instagram at callmeCEOPodcast, and remember you are the boss.