episode 0046- turning an iced coffee candle-making side hustle into a booming etsy business with le pétale founder palina marachkina

Palina Marachkina was looking for a side hustle. When ChatGPT told her that Bath & Body Works and a few other large retail stores owned 95% of the candle market, but that remaining 5% still represented a multi-million dollar industry, she bought a course on candle making. Then she took note that there were plenty of low-quality candles that were actually making sales on Etsy. She seized the opportunity and, with no prior experience, began experimenting with creating candles that looked and smelled like iced coffee beverages.

Through much trial and error, she perfected her craft within just a few short months, went viral on social media, and sold out her Etsy shop, LE PÉTALE. She quickly had to learn how to scale from making one candle at a time to making 100 candles at a time to keep up with demand. And she managed to do all of this on the side, while working her day job. How did she do it? Have a listen as she shares how she turned a simple side hustle into a successful brand, the challenges she faced along the way, and what it takes to stand out in the crowded handmade market.

Show Highlights:
1- How did you get started with candle making, and how did you get the idea for iced coffee candles? (9:00)
2- What was the process like, going into “figure it out” mode with the iced coffee candles? (13:10)
3- Palina shares what generally goes into making a candle. (18:30)
4- We discuss inspiration for new candles and scents. (23:40)
5- What was your mindset entering a very saturated industry? (25:30)
6- How did you name your company? (28:10)
7- We discuss how going viral on social media changed the trajectory of the business. (30:00)
8- Being forced by popular demand to expand and learn how to make greater quantities rather than one at a time. (38:00)
9- We discuss hiring help and working a job at the same time as growing the company. (41:45)
10- How did sales go over the holidays, and how have revenues been throughout the short life of the company? (48:50)
11- How Palina “getting off the couch” has changed her life. (53:45)
12- Listener question: what is your advice for someone wanting to start a side hustle this year? (59:30)
13- Where to buy from Palina, and where to learn more about her and her company. (1:02:45)

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Follow LE PÉTALE on Instagram: @le.petale.candles

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