Believe it or not, I found out about Maris and her candle business when I met her dad lugging a wagon full of empty wine bottles while waiting for my apartment elevator. I held the elevator door as he pulled the wagon through and asked him:

“What floor are you going to?”

“We’re on the same floor” he responded. After a few seconds, he continued, “I’m delivering these to my daughter who lives here and she runs a candle business made with these empty wine bottles!”

My eyes got real big and said something along the lines of “woah!”

As any proud dad would, he happily gave me his daughter’s Instagram handle and folks, that is how I found out about Maris and Fish & Chip Craft Co.

It was almost 4 months after I got the chance to set this up, but I finally got to meet Maris and learn more about her brand.

Tell me a little about yourself and your brand!

During graduate school, my partner Joey got me a bottle of wine – with a beautiful label – so I decided to keep it as a decoration. His suggestion was that I find something more creative to do with it than letting it sit and gather dust on a shelf. I searched around online and saw people that cut wine bottles to make them glasses, wind chimes, vases, and… candles! I had never made a candle before… but went on Amazon, got the supplies and gave it a go. Success! Come the 2017 holiday season, while I was working toward my Master of Public Health degree, and everyone’s gifts were candles poured in upcycled wine bottles!

The reactions from family and friends were overwhelmingly positive, with many suggesting I make a small business out of the idea. I dismissed the idea at first, with my focus on finishing my degree…. but then I couldn’t shake the thought. I spent much of 2018 planning – researching the best supplies, developing my own brand, looking into the process of starting a small business, and finding a way that my vision can become a reality.

By late 2018, I landed my first full-time job in public health and spent my nights and weekends wrapping up planning to begin my brand. By early 2019, I finally launched Fish & Chip Craft Company!

What is one fun fact not a lot of people know about you?

This is a hard one to answer because I’m very much so an open book. But I feel like a lot of my Sacramento friends don’t know that I played lacrosse for a decade… which is nearly half of my life at this point!

Where did you get the name Fish & Chip Craft Co?

Fish & Chip Craft Company is named after our two kitties! I adopted Fishy when I started graduate school at UC Davis, and when I graduated a year later and Joey and I moved to Sacramento in mid-2018, we adopted Chip! Our kitties are our little children, and we love them dearly!

What goes into creating a Fish & Chip candle?

The candles are very labor-intensive, because I’m not only managing the business and the brand and pouring the candles, but I’m also refining the container the candles are poured in.

The wine bottles need to have the labels removed, and the glass cleaned of all label glue before they can be measured and scored with a glasscutter appropriately. The bottles are then dunked between simmering hot water and a bucket of ice water (usually 2-3 times each) until the glass cuts along the scoreline. I’ve cut enough over the last 2 years to know that about 75-80% of the bottles successfully cut.

The cut bottles then need to be sanded. I use diamond plated hand sanding sponges and wet sanding paper to sand down and polish the tops of the glass. This is the most laborious part of the candle making. I get my upper body workout on!

Next, I make sure the insides of all the sanded bottles are nice and clean. Then, I place the wicks in the centers of the bottles. And from there, the candle pouring can begin.

I pour my candles in about 3-4 layers. After a year of making them, I learned this is the best way to ensure no sinkholes in the candles, that it actually speeds up my candle making the process, and tends to make the candles burn out to the edges and down slower in the tests I’ve performed on my own so far.

The wax I use is all-natural soy wax without any unnatural additives. I get my supplies, including the scent oils, from an awesome company called Candle Science. I pour in very small batches – I can only melt 2 lbs of wax at a time in my pouring pitchers!

After a candle has all its layers poured, I trim the wicks, clean the outside of the bottles once more, and finally place my label.

What are some big projects you’re working on now?

I just wrapped up a project to be featured in The Prickly Pear‘s December succulent subscription box! The owner, Mona, has been a huge supporter of my business I have started, for which I am so grateful!

Right now, it feels like I’m working on a lot of big projects… one that took me a while to accept as important is revamping my social media accounts and generally better marketing my products with social media.

Preparing for the holiday season has been a big project in and of itself. I had far less time than anticipated to stock up on candles for the holiday season that I had anticipated, but I’m rolling with the punches and preparing as best as I can to have a large and varied inventory for the four December events I will be selling candles at!

And lastly, I’m working on evaluating what I did this year, and making plans for how I can take what I did, learn from it and improve on it next year. I already have a long list, and I already can’t wait to initiate the changes I want to make.

Where do you see yourself in 1 year from now?

A year from now, I hope that I will be reflecting on successfully implementing at least 75% of the improvements I set out to make in 2020 based on my experiences of my first year in business in 2019. One of these improvements is generating more income so I can donate a higher dollar amount to the Orphan Kitten Project next year! It’s too early for me to say for sure…. but I think achieving a donation of around $750 might just be my goal of 2020!

What’s one thing you want everyone to know about your business and candles?

There are a few things I want people to know…

1. I ABSOLUTELY would not have been able to make this business a reality without the help of my parents (who help me gather bottles and remove the labels, and just generally support everything I try in life) and my friends and partner who are constant cheerleaders for me. They have propelled me forward.

2. I care deeply about volunteering but I feel I don’t always have the time to fit it in around my work schedule. So, it means a lot to me that I donate a portion of my proceeds to the Orphan Kitten Project! They are a student-run non-profit that coordinates foster families and neonatal veterinarian care for orphaned kittens. Fishy was an orphaned kitten, so their mission is near and dear to my heart.

3. I love a challenge, and this business constantly challenges me in the most positive way. I’m already excited to apply what I have learned from the challenges I faced this year to be more successful (and hopefully able to contribute more to our community) in 2020.

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I hope you guys enjoyed learning about another awesome woman business owner in Sacramento! Make sure to say hi to Maris @fishandchipcraftco. I started these Monthly Business Features to showcase the beautiful women behind cool businesses like Fish and Chip Craft Co. This is my way as a personal brand photographer to give back to the community and get to know all the spectacular people of Sacramento! If you want to see the previous business features click here and if you want to stay up-to-date, make sure to join my newsletter!

Happy June everyone! This month’s business feature is on Taylor Phang who runs a custom food platter business called PFamPlatter in Sacramento. I had the privilege to visit her aunt’s beautiful home where Taylor would create her platters at times and do a personal branding photoshoot there! I got to ask Taylor more about the story behind PFamPlatters, had a bunch of laughs, and good vibes all the while eating the delicious platters Taylor made for the shoot – I mean they have to go somewhere right??

Tell me a little about yourself and your brand!

“I am a Sacramento native and creative junkie who loves her community, food, puppies, DIY projects, kayaking and traveling.

I am a full-time Marketing Manager in the non-profit world developing and empowering our next generation of leaders to become more civically engaged. Through my efforts and contributions to society, I hope to inspire our youth to find their passions and do what they love!

PFAM Platters represents family, community, and togetherness. Our platters bring people together. PFAM is short for Phang Family, developed during a huge brainstorm session with mom and dad, and well, platters are what we create.

My family is a family of foodies and it just made so much sense to pay homage to the fam – they’re my fuel and biggest motivation. The hexagon in the logo represents the six members in my family: mom, dad, me, my brother Nathan, my sister Baylee and my little brother Bryce.

Though I am usually a one-woman show, my family is a huge part of my success and deserves all the credit!”

What do you love most about your job?

“Client reactions! And so far, so good. Every platter I create is different and special and my goal after delivery is to make every customer smile. I love creating pretty things and I love that people love them too.”

“Through my efforts and contributions to society, I hope to inspire our youth to find their passions and do what they love!”

How did you get started? 

“I’ve always dabbled in creative projects and it was time to commit to one. About a year ago, I started creating platters for friend and family get-togethers. One platter after another, everyone kept suggesting that turn it into a business. It wasn’t until February of this year that I made a pretty epic-looking platter for a cousin’s birthday and decided, “Yeah, I’m gonna do this.” With a few words of wisdom from mom and some harsh taunting from dad (he always encourages me to pursue my crazy creative ideas), PFAM Platters was born.”

“It wasn’t until February of this year that I made a pretty epic-looking platter for a cousin’s birthday and decided, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna do this.'”

What are some big projects you’re working on now?

“I really want to expand my business and brand footprint. I am working on a website plan that will help my customers learn more about my story and process, and at the same time, give them an easy way to place orders and provide feedback. I’ve also been reaching out to some super cool potential collaborations. Stay tuned!”

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

“In five years, I see myself as a full-time entrepreneur and bo$$ woman! I would love to take my hobby turned side hustle into a full-time gig.”

Do you have any recommendation for other women that want to turn their passion into a business or a source of income?

“Don’t be afraid to fail – just do it.”

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Make sure to check out all of Taylor’s social!

Instagram: www.instagram.com/pfamplatters

Here is what you’ll find on her beautiful IG!

Happy May everyone! This month’s business feature is on Monica Nelson who runs a custom calligraphy business called Pineapple + Paper in Midtown Sacramento. We did a personal branding shoot and Q&A at Monica’s beautiful home where she creates most of her artwork for her clients. It’s everything you can ask for in a home office; an airy ambiance furnished with wood accents and live plants and custom artwork decorating the walls.

What do you love most about your job?

“I have always been a busy body – constantly working on projects around the house and trying new artforms. Pineapple + Paper helps me channel this energy into a business where I get to bring not only my vision but my client’s vision to life! It is SO fun to pull from various inspirations and create something completely custom. Most of my lettering + projects happen at home with Gilmore Girls in the background and my pup Jet on the couch next to me – talk about the perfect way to spend a day! “

“Most of my lettering + projects happen at home with Gilmore Girls in the background and my pup Jet on the couch next to me – talk about the perfect way to spend a day!”

How did you get started? 

“For as long as I can remember, I have loved art and learning how to make things I see myself. I would be in a store and see something I liked and my mom encouraged me to try to make it myself – and that’s just what I did! Whether it be crocheting a scarf, sewing bedding or clothing, making wood furniture, jewelry, dishware, painting, drawing, or my favorite – making home decor! In middle school I started taking orders from my friends for custom paintings {that mostly consisted of Disney and movie quotes}. In High school I created an Etsy store, Drey Avri, focusing on boho + gypsy-inspired wood-burned signs and paintings {lotuses, mandalas, and fun phrases like ‘Namaste in Bed’ and much more!}. It wasn’t until my senior year of college when I interned with Events By Rebecca that I realized I wanted to focus on Custom Signage {Namely for Weddings, and home decor}. Now, here I am 2 years after launching Pineapple + Paper, and loving every second of it!”

“For as long as I can remember, I have loved art and learning how to make things I see myself.”

What are some big projects you’re working on now?

“I have a few things cooking right now. Currently, I am working on bringing more home decor to my portfolio. I have had so much fun creating custom pieces for my home and a few clients homes and I can’t wait to do more! I am also experimenting with Bridal Party Gifts + Giftboxes and personalized gifts for every occasion! These projects allow me to expand past signage and offer more items to be your one-stop calligraphy shop.”

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

“In 5 years I hope to develop my Sacramento network with more local business owners + event planners. Meeting other creatives in Sacramento is so powerful!”

Do you have any recommendation for others that want to get started in business or calligraphy?

“My main recommendation is to jump right into a project or craft you want to try, whether it be a custom sign for your home, baking, blogging, woodworking, ANYTHING! Work through it and see what areas felt the most natural, and what areas you were a challenge. From that point on, it is all about setting intentional time to practice and setting goals that can turn your passion into a business.”

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Make sure to check out all of Monica’s social and show her some love!

Website: www.pineappleandpaper.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/pineappleandpaper

Here is what you’ll find on her beautiful IG!

Happy March everyone! This month’s feature is on Sierra who’s better known as Blondemesisi on Instagram. She’s a hairstylist specializing in balayage working in Roseville’s The Beauty Bar.

What do you love most about your job?

“I would say, being able to make women feel beautiful about themselves and seeing their transformation from before to after – not just in their hair but their attitude.” People can check out Mark James Hair Studio if you know the best hair styles.

How did you get started? 

“It was honestly an accident! I enjoyed doing makeup so I figured cosmetology school was the closest thing I would enjoy. Figured out 3 weeks in that it wasn’t my passion but I had to stick through it due to the financial investment. After graduating, I was working at Sephora and assisting a stylist at a salon for 3 months. That naturally led me to gain interest in doing hair!”

What differentiates you from everyone else?

“I’m 110% committed to staying true to my values and personality. I will always put my clients first and treat them like family. I genuinely care about each and every single person who’s ever shown me love and support. I’ll continue to be a true blue throughout my journey.”

What is your specialty? 

“Platinum.”

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I also interviewed Sierra on my podcast “Weekly Cravings” so if you want to get to know Sierra’s journey as a stylist make sure to check that out!

We have our first business feature and drumroll~~~ it’s Rire Boutique!

Rire is a young contemporary boutique with locations in Midtown Sacramento and Oak Park. Josie, the owner, created a warm and welcoming space to provide affordable and fashion-forward clothing.

They have everything from stylish outfits to spice up your wardrobe to cute accessories to level up your aesthetics at home or your workplace. So many of the items work great as gifting options as well and you’re sure to find something to treat either yourself or your special someone.