Journal

The Daily Mail: Turning a hobby into a thriving business

Turning a Hobby into a Thriving Business Originally featured in the Daily Mail, February 2018 First there were the 'mumpreneurs', now there are the 'moonpreneurs'. But this doesn't have anything to do with space. Moonlighting is the act of launching a business on the side, hoping to pursue a different passion (and some extra cash). Now more than 80 per cent of Australians have a side hustle, and many revealed to the NBN that it was because they feel unfulfilled with what they're doing full-time. For some, including Kristy Payne, her side business has become so successful that she was able to leave her full-time job. Kristy, 27, turned a passion for making candles for family and friends into a million-dollar business that sold over 20,000 products this year. The Sydney entrepreneur was working at Lush Cosmetics when she decided to create a natural and soy candle that would stop leaving soot on her walls. It was her mum who pushed Kristy to put the candles online and see how they would fare with people who weren't among her relatives or friends. 'That push got me to opening an Etsy store, and Maison Blanche grew from there,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Kristy had no formal training in business, and thus had to teach herself everything from marketing to accounting with the help of Google. There were plenty of obstacles, including when shelving collapsed the day before Christmas sales and lost the brand $1,000 worth of stock. 'When you're a small-scale business, any loss is a massive setback,' Kristy said. 'But I just decided it was the cost of doing business.' Any money that was made from the Etsy store went right back into the product, as Kristy continuously worked to keep improving her candles. But even as she juggled the business with her full-time customer service job at Lush, Kristy's side hustle never truly felt like work. 'I would rush home to work on the website or the images or the candles,' she said. 'It never felt like a chore because I absolutely loved what I was doing.' Kristy left her job at Lush when she realised she was neglecting certain aspects of Maison Blanche to focus on her full-time job. 'I felt dissatisfied with what I was doing full-time and I really enjoyed what I was doing with Maison Blanche,' she said. 'I decided I was willing to struggle financially with the hopes that in a year or two I'd be able to get some money out of it.' That decision has paid off as Maison recently launched diffusers, hand creams, and soaps and plans to expand internationally in 2019. For aspiring moonpreneurs, Kristy advice to start slow with your idea. 'You can start small and test the market to see if your idea is going to be something that's going to grow organically enough to be a viable product,' Kristy said. ’And if you have a good support system and people who are honest with you, they'll tell you if it's something achievable.' Kristy feels there will also come a time in all businesses when it's best to outsource some of the responsibilities. 'Outsourcing is the best thing I've learned,' Kristy said. 'Hire people who are better than you at their jobs.' 'All my staff, I believe, are better than I could be. Otherwise, I should be doing it.' Read the full story at The Daily Mail

Apr 20

SBS Small Business Stories: Turning empty pockets into a booming business

SBS Small Business Secrets, 20th April 2018 A small loan from her mother in 2011 and a fascination with vanilla bean candles was all Kristy Payne needed to start Maison Blanche — a candle and home fragrance business which now sells products in over 150 stores nationally. A unique sense of smell and empty pockets before Christmas was what drove Kristy to come up with the idea of hand-making candles to give to her family as gifts. "Christmas was coming up and I didn’t have any money, so I decided to actually make some for my family," Kristy says. "My mum was able to give me around $400 to buy some supplies." Clients spread the word about Kristy’s unique craft and before she knew it, she was making candles in her kitchen and selling them to family and friends for $20 each. "From making candles at home in my kitchen to a launch date on Etsy about two, two and a half months later, I was able to get it out into the market as soon as possible," she said. "Last year we sold over 20,000 candles." "We hand make everything in Sydney and we try to keep everything as natural as we can," she said. In her first three years of business, she didn’t pay herself a wage and put all of her profits back into growing the brand. Now, with the success of Maison Blanche so far, Kristy plans to expand internationally in 2019 but says she had to go through quite a few hurdles to get where she is today. "Being a young person in business, I feel that occasionally I’m not taken seriously and I get taken advantage of by suppliers. Being a woman ties into that as well because a lot of the time, you’re dealing with men in business when you’re buying large supplies of anything — even in a female dominated industry like candles," she said. "When you feel that you’re not taken seriously or discriminated against, it makes me feel horrible, but from that horribleness arises a sort of spite to do better." It's this drive that's helped her get her candles into 150 boutique stores across Australia, with no plans on slowing down soon. "Candles are quite a fantastic product to be manufacturing and selling because there is a huge demand for candles and home fragrance," she says. "It’s an affordable luxury. It’s a sensory delight." Read this article in full on SBS.com.au , or watch the episode on SBS On Demand .

Feb 19

A New Chapter for Maison Blanche

A New Chapter for Maison Blanche The day is here! After over a year in the making, we're proud to launch our new collection — showcasing 10 new fragrances and an expanded product line including Hand Wash & Lotion, Diffusers, and our luxurious Deluxe Candle. The new range came from a desire to refine and mature the brand — to become more sophisticated, more luxurious. Its minimal, monochrome aesthetic is timeless and versatile, designed to make each Maison Blanche product a centrepiece in your space. Every fragrance in the collection was carefully considered with different rooms of the home in mind. The expanded range now offers a signature scent for everyone — and every space. Timeline All good things take time. The new look Maison Blanche took over a year to perfect, with many thoughtful steps along the way. See the full timeline below — from initial concept to final packaging. Interview with the Founder What made you decide to create a new collection? The CIVC (Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne) reached out regarding our use of "Champagne" in 009 Strawberries & Champagne. That, along with noticing gaps in our offering, inspired a full redesign — a fresh collection with new products and a whole-home fragrance philosophy. How did you decide on the new style of the brand? It reflects my personal taste — simple, timeless, minimal, and monochrome. I wanted our products to look at home in anyone's space, and on any store shelf. Did you have any inspiration for the new look? Instagram was hugely helpful. I love seeing how people use minimal styling in real homes. A favourite account of mine is @designwash — her style helped inspire this collection’s tone. What is your favourite new scent? I pushed hard for 002 Paperwhite & Clementine to be included — but right now I’m especially loving 001 Cotton & Chamomile for its unique, calming profile. Is there an old scent you'll miss? 007 Fresh Coffee. I used to burn it in my living room all the time — I’ll definitely miss that one. Were you worried about customers losing their old favourites? At first, yes. Our customers are incredibly loyal. But the more we developed the new fragrances — each carefully layered and thoughtfully chosen — the more confident we became. There’s something for everyone in this new lineup. Is there a product you're most excited for customers to use? The new pen lighter. As a candle user, it was something I really wanted to improve. Ours is stylish, reusable, and refillable — with minimal plastic. I think our customers will love it. Do you have any concerns about the new collection? Just the nostalgia some may feel for discontinued fragrances. But overall, I truly believe we’ve nailed both the aesthetic and the functionality of this new era. Check out the full range of new fragrances and products — now live. Shop now

Feb 1

Marie Claire Magazine: Turning A Love Of Candles Into A Business

Marie Claire Magazine, January 2018 "I always thought business was about common sense, but it’s not. It’s about Googling,” says Kristy Payne, who Googled how to make a candle in 2011 before launching Maison Blanche while working full time in the mail order department at Lush. Payne, who has a background in theatre, borrowed $300 from her mum for supplies and sold her first batch to family and friends. She invested those profits into getting professional photos taken for an Etsy store. After seven months of juggling her nine-to-five job and Maison Blanche, she decided she needed to invest all of her time in her own business. “I couldn’t support myself right away so I had to dig into my savings, but it was an investment that paid off,” says Payne. Maison Blanche is now a million-dollar enterprise that sold more than 20,000 candles in Australia last year and has plans for an international expansion in 2019. Payne has swapped her kitchen table for a warehouse with four full-time employees, who are working on a diffuser, room spray and soap collection. She credits her success to self-belief. “I have a really false sense of confidence,” she jokes. Time was also on her side. “When I launched six years ago, the market wasn’t saturated. Now every person and brand sells candles, but getting in early put my brand slightly above everyone else.” Payne’s best advice for other wannabe entrepreneurs is to start slow. “That way, your mistakes will be smaller,” she says. Read more about Kristy and other entrepreneurs at Marie Claire , or pick up the latest copy to read the full story.

May 18

Meet Maison Blanche's Chief Chandler

Meet Mikey He lovingly hand makes each Maison Blanche candle. What is your favourite scent? Cedarwood and wild patchouli – because it’s different from the rest. I like the muskiness. How did you start? Kristy taught me everything I know. I’m a slow learner but she’s been patient with me. I started packing boxes, then cleaning the candles after pouring, and eventually I learnt to pour. Why candles? I like it. Compared to my other jobs, it’s a lot more exciting. I feel like I’m actually achieving something — I get to make something from start to finish. What’s your favourite part of your job? Pouring. It’s the most satisfying. I like seeing things come together — starting to look and smell how they should. It’s also where things can go the most wrong and I need to troubleshoot the process. What’s the hardest part of making candles? Temperatures. Colder temps make candles set faster — but the cold makes the wax contract. On a hot day, candles can end up setting mushy and gross. They’re also prone to explosion! Jokes. I don’t know all the science behind it. Hot is bad, super cold is bad. If you could capture any scent in a candle, what would it be? Campfire, leather, or gunpowder. Taking something with a strong, powerful, and recognisable scent and turning it into a candle. Why are hand-made candles better? It’s all about attention to detail. Being handmade is a source of pride. It’s a craft instead of just a production line. What’s your favourite part of working at Maison Blanche? The people — even though I work alone most of the time these days. What's your current favourite Maison Blanche product? My current favourite product is the Sea Salt & Thyme candle. Describe a day in your life. I get up at 8:10am. I have a strong black coffee for breakfast and gauge what needs to be done. Every day at Maison Blanche is different. Sometimes there’s a full day of orders to be sent out, but mostly my workday involves candles being hand poured. What would you do if you weren’t pouring candles? There is literally nothing else I would rather be doing. I love making candles. BUT, if I had to pick something else, it would involve making or creating something with my hands. Experience the products Mikey lovingly creates every day for yourself. Shop now

Feb 11

How to Burn Your Candle Properly

How to Burn Your Candle Properly Maison Blanche candles are designed with precision. From the wax formulation to the fragrance load and vessel, every detail is considered. To ensure your candle performs as intended, proper care is essential. Follow these guidelines to extend its life, maximise scent throw, and ensure safe use. 1. Let the Wax Pool Fully On the first burn, allow the wax to melt all the way to the edges of the glass. This sets the candle's memory and helps prevent tunnelling. An even surface will give you a cleaner, longer-lasting burn. Already have a tunnel forming? Here’s how to fix it. 2. Trim the Wick Before Each Use Always trim the wick to around 5mm before lighting. This keeps the flame controlled and prevents black smoke, flickering or mushrooming. A trimmed wick also helps extend the life of your candle. 3. Keep the Vessel Clean If you notice soot on the glass, wait until the candle is cool and gently wipe it with a paper towel. Keeping the vessel clean ensures a clear flame and better appearance. 4. Burn for No More Than 3 Hours We recommend burning your candle for no longer than 3 hours at a time. Extended burn times can cause the vessel to overheat and lead to a flickering or unstable flame. 5. Discontinue Use When 1cm of Wax Remains Stop burning your candle when there is about 1cm of wax left. Continuing beyond this point can cause the vessel to get too hot, which may lead to cracking or heat damage. 6. Burn Safely Always place your candle on a heat-resistant surface. Keep away from windows, fans, air vents and anything flammable. Never leave a burning candle unattended. Keep out of reach of children and pets. Looking After Your Candle Matters Taking care of your candle ensures the best fragrance experience, a cleaner burn and a longer product life. Maison Blanche products are built to perform. With the right care, they’ll do exactly that. For more advice on how to care for your candle, head over to Product Tips .

Nov 14

Ten Questions with Maison Blanche's Creator, Part 2

10 Questions with Kristy – Part 2 Our interview with founder Kristy Payne continues — we talk about a scent for the President of the United States and her dream project. If you missed Part 1, you can read it here . How do you think scent, fragrance and smell play an integral part in people’s lives? Because the part of your brain that transmits smells from your nose is part of the brain’s limbic system — an area so closely associated with memory and feeling that it’s sometimes called the “emotional brain” — the brain automatically links scent and emotions. This means that smell can call up memories and powerful responses almost instantaneously. The power of smell can bring on a flood of memories, influence people’s moods, and even affect their work performance. I love that I get to create scent for people’s homes that can do all those things. And because I don’t know the stories of my customers, it’s one of the best compliments to hear that one of my candle scents reminds someone of a wonderful time or person in their past. Candles are often perceived as a female-oriented item. How could candles be integrated into an average male’s lifestyle? Are there particular appealing scents? I think the idea that candles are a “lady product” is becoming less and less true. The men in my life buy and use candles just as much as the women. I get photos all the time of them with a candle burning while watching the footy, when they go camping, and even once when one of them took a bubble bath! Men go crazy about good smells — it’s just about finding the right ones. Floral isn’t a big hit with men (unless it’s gardenia or jasmine — I think it’s a mum’s garden thing). Earthy and fresh scents are the most popular, like Lime & Sandalwood or Fig and Cranberry. Do you find your individual fragrances identifying with certain personalities? There’s a constant pull between what scent people identify with the most versus what they want to burn in their home, so it’s quite difficult to find trends. I think there are a lot of go-to scents people are comfortable committing to for an entire 80-hour candle — coconut or vanilla, for example. But once people go outside their comfort zone, it all changes. Before I started making my own candles, I was in a monogamous relationship with vanilla candles. But once I had the freedom to make anything I wanted, and I didn’t have the pressure of choosing “the right one,” I discovered I really enjoy citrus. That said, it depends on my mood or the room. If you were to make a candle for the White House and the President himself, what blend would you create that resonates with the President and the ambience of the place? If I were to make a candle for the White House and the President, it would have to include an earthy base of musk and mahogany to keep the scent grounded and strong, a dash of whisky, and a subtle top note of sweet rose — America’s national flower — as an ode to the First Ladies of the White House. Ignoring money and rules, what would your dream project be? I’d want to travel the world and make bespoke candles for people. Get to know them, learn who they are, what they like, what their dreams are — and then create the perfect, unique fragrance for them to burn in their home. Scent is such a personal and powerful medium. One smell can take you back to your childhood, your wedding, or your first love. Imagine having a fragrance with all those memories layered into one — unique to your story.

Aug 19

How to Clean and Reuse Your Candle Jar

How to Clean and Reuse Your Candle Jar Give your Maison Blanche vessel a second life. Maison Blanche candles are poured into durable glass jars designed to be repurposed once your candle has finished. Whether you choose to reuse them or recycle them, cleaning out remaining wax is the first step. Here’s how to do it safely, without damaging the glass, along with a few simple ways to reuse them around your home. If There’s Just a Little Wax Left Soy wax softens easily in warm water. Fill your sink or a bowl with warm, soapy water and soak the jar for a few minutes. Once the wax has softened, wipe it out gently with a paper towel or soft cloth. Do not use scourers or abrasive cloths. These can scratch or cloud the glass. The wick sticker will loosen and can be peeled off during cleaning. Dry the jar with a soft towel. Avoid scraping the inside with rings or fingernails. If There’s Still a Lot of Wax Left You can use one of two methods, depending on your preference. Microwave method Microwave the candle for 20 seconds at a time until the wax softens. Use oven mitts to remove the jar carefully, as it will be hot. Pour the wax into a disposable container like an old takeaway box. Never pour wax down the sink. Let it harden and discard it in the bin. Freezer method Place the candle in the freezer for 12 to 24 hours. The wax will contract and should pop out easily with a gentle tap at the base. Once the wax is removed, clean the jar using the method above. Ideas for Reuse Tea light holder - soft, ambient light Bathroom storage - cotton pads, ear buds Desk organiser - pens, clips, pins Mini plant pot - succulents or herbs Makeup brush holder - clean and minimal Good to Know If you don’t plan to reuse the jar, you can recycle it. All Maison Blanche glass vessels are fully recyclable through standard household systems.

Jul 18

Ten Questions with Maison Blanche's Creator, Part 1

10 Questions with Kristy – Part 1 Maison Blanche was founded by Kristy Payne in her apartment in 2013. Today, we chat with Kristy about everything from bacon-beer candles to how her cat, Mr. President, inspired the brand name. What inspires the fragrance combinations that you create? Anything and Everything. I started this collection with a classic soft, sweet and smooth Vanilla Bean. It was the reason I started creating candles. I wanted the prefect vanilla to burn in my room at night. From there I explored what it was that people thought made a good candle scent; a smell that relaxes them, a smell good enough to eat, a smell to create atmosphere or a smell that reminds them of their childhood. I started to fill in those needs in my collection, hopefully creating something for everyone. What are some of the craziest or strangest fragrance combinations you’ve created? The craziest (worst) was a bacon-beer candle. I told someone in a passing comment I could make a bacon scented candle and it just went from there. The beer was surprisingly fresh, but the bacon was just awful. It smelt like the old dried bacon bits at the bottom of a pre-packaged ceaser salad. I refused to mix them together, so I made 2 separate candles that he could burn at the same time. He loved it…. What’s the philosophy behind what you do and what makes Maison Blanche different? Here at Maison Blanche, we are very proud to be a handmade business, and we think our customers are proud to buy handmade. We think that when you buy handmade products, you’re not only getting a beautiful and meticulously made product, but you’re buying a story. Someone has imagined, sourced and created your purchase out of nothing. It is a reflection of who they are, and you get to take a piece of them home. It is also very important to me that something I’m putting into the world, isn’t in turn damaging it, so with that in mind, I picked recyclable labels and high quality glassware with their reuse just as important as their aesthetics. We encourage our customers to reuse our jars and lids around their homes to cut down on waste. What is the story behind the name Maison Blanche? I was having tea with my best friend and my mum and we were brainstorming ideas for a business name. We were just yelling out things to do with candles and random words. I said that I thought ‘all the good names are taken in English’, so out came Google translator and we started typing in things. I settled on a perfectly good name, but said, ‘I like it a lot, but it doesn’t really feel like me…’, to which my mum explained, ‘nothing is going to feel like you unless its about cats or politics!’ Anyone that has ever come in contact with me knows that these 2 topics rule my life. I have been obsessed with US politics since I was in high school, I even tried to host an election party in 2008 and 2012 but no one wanted to come. And well, cats. Cats are just the best. I have one cat fittingly called, Mr. President. And that was how the name Maison Blanche was born. Mr. President is a white cat. The real President lives in the White House. White House in French is Maison Blanche. Cats and Politics. Aside from coffee, what gets you up in the morning? My cat, he screams for food every morning at exactly 5.43am. I love him dearly, but I have strong thoughts about smothering him too. Head to Part 2 to find out what fragrance Kristy would make for the President of the United States and what her dream project would be.

Journal

The Daily Mail: Turning a hobby into a thriving business

SBS Small Business Stories: Turning empty pockets into a booming business

A New Chapter for Maison Blanche

Marie Claire Magazine: Turning A Love Of Candles Into A Business

Meet Maison Blanche's Chief Chandler

How to Burn Your Candle Properly

Ten Questions with Maison Blanche's Creator, Part 2

How to Clean and Reuse Your Candle Jar

Ten Questions with Maison Blanche's Creator, Part 1

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