I'm Sabrina, the creator of Clarence House Candles. I'm pretty lucky to be able to say that my background is actually in cooking, I started off my crazy adulthood working in some pretty cool kitchens until I made the switch to work in travel and explore some beautiful countries and cities! I am a Montreal local and live with my partner, dog - Odin, and cat - Gilbert!
What inspired you to start a business? I've always been interested in running my own thing but once Covid happened and layoffs were in the process, I found myself unemployed and lost a little bit. I started something I never thought would work but I continued to push myself and keep going and I ended up with Clarence House Candles
How did you come up with your business name? The name has a few pieces to it - Clarence is my late-grandfathers name. One of the most important men in my life, he taught me how to push myself, believe in myself and he has always been a light for me. House is what sheltered me and kept me comfortable and safe. Candles, well that ones are pretty to the point!
What is your favorite thing that you make and why? My favorite scent is Birchwood Pine. It brings me to the forest, surrounded by pine trees and just serenity.
Tell us about the progress you've made since you first started I started off with no background in business, I still don't have a background in business but I've allowed myself to grow and connect with a lot of different people, locally and globally. My first order to Paris made me cry because I could’ve never imagined that my product who go so far. Even though I sometimes feel down on myself because I don't have a massive following, I remind myself that even 30 people, that’s a lot of people and it pushes me to do more, be better, and work harder!
Describe your creative process Chaos! I am a very organized person, I love order, but when it comes to candle making, even though there is order, I allow myself to emerge in the chaos and process, test new things, explore different routes. It's my favorite part!
What is the best part of being an entrepreneur? Being able to create and learn. I've met incredible people from starting my own business and I am excited to continue to meet incredible, strong individuals.
What is the hardest part of running your own business? Running my business pages, interacting, and staying relevant. I work a regular 9-5 Monday- Friday as well so it’s a balancing act but it's not something I'll change right now, I love it!
What are your business goals for the future? The ideal would be able to take this business out full fledge, have a storefront or be in more locations. Being able to run this full-time and work my regular job part-time would be amazing and that is my future goal!
Why did you decide to make candles? I wanted to make candles because I was never able to find a candle that met my need for fragrance. Everything was always too strong or too sweet and I wasn't able to enjoy them because I couldn't handle the strength. This led me to create my product, I focus more on natural/nature-inspired scents that aren't going to overpower you. I am constantly looking for more scents to be able to offer a selection!