Today we’d like to introduce you to Zaid Gallo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my business, 7th Street Candle Co, because I wanted to make something with my hands that could go out into the world and be enjoyed by someone. One year, my girlfriend and I made some candles to give to friends as gifts for Christmas. Flash forward three years and now we’re business partners and we do this full-time! We’ve come a long way since our very first batch – pouring tens of thousands of candles and teaching dozens of workshops all around town. Audrey Jahanian is my co-founder. Both of us have found lifelong inspiration in nature’s bounty.
I’m a gardener who loves growing food and medicinal plants. She’s an artist and her work has always incorporated botanical and landscape elements. Making candles is just another outlet to express the joy that we find in nature. We think about things very differently and that just helps to create more unique fragrances. And the menu is always changing and expanding. The last thing I want to add here is that good smells are really the best! We have five senses total, and smell is perhaps the least appreciated. A bright touch of orange on the rim of a glass makes an old-fashioned more delicious. The aroma of juniper is what makes the spring breeze so refreshing. Walk a few blocks within Austin, and you will surely find fragrant rosemary bushes. I have learned to appreciate the small things in a big way. To make our candles, we forage many herbs and flowers locally in the woods. We also draw inspiration from nearby farms – using Texas-grown organic lemons, oranges, and lavender.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I can definitely think of challenges that came up along the way! I remember one of our first really busy months – we were designing custom fragrances with three different wholesale customers and the due dates for the orders ended up being within a week of each other. I think it was around 450 candles total. Now, that may not seem like a whole lot but we were using the stovetop in my kitchen! 50lb boxes of soy wax were piled high on my doorstep and all the windows were open because there were so many different smells in the air. And there are new things that come up every day: making a website, incorporating your business, filing taxes… Wish they taught us that stuff in high school! We’re always trying to plan for potential challenges but there is no such thing as a crystal ball. For example, we had product in several stores that shut down during the pandemic and so we lost money. It’s all an opportunity to learn and grow. We’ve been able to really improve our online experience and draw in new customers. No path worth taking is smooth and easy. But there will be great moments along the way and those make everything worthwhile!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Our candles speak for themselves. Each one tells its own story. Each one is intended to create a different experience. I believe that we have something that is right for everyone. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but I love our Lemon Rosemary candle. What sets us apart is thoughtfulness. Every detail is carefully crafted. We handpick and home-dry our ingredients. We visit all the farms that we source from. Right now, we are pouring a candle called Wildflower Garden that literally changes with the season. As the weather gets warmer, different flowers bloom and show their colors. Bluebonnets kick the season off, but lantanas and firewheels will bloom soon and the essence of this candle will change.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Before the pandemic, our focus was on selling candles to retail stores. We figured, people like to sniff candles in person, right? Well, all that changed after Covid-19. We lost a lot of money because several shops that were carrying our products closed their doors permanently during the pandemic. After that, we had to figure out how to really ramp up the traffic in our online store. And how to truly connect with customers without meeting them in person. We totally redesigned our website, changed up our packaging, and launched candle-making workshop kits for people to enjoy from home. The entire community has been supportive and we are grateful for everyone who has bought our candles.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@7thstreetcandle.co
- Website: https://www.7thstreetcandle.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7thstreetcandle.co/
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