Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Moore.
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?
Inglenook & Co. began in 2010, during a very busy season of our family’s life. We had four children at home, and our youngest son, Nathan, has cerebral palsy and required total care. I was also working two part-time jobs, but I was looking for a way to contribute financially to our family while having the flexibility to be home and available for our children, particularly Nathan.
What began as a practical need for our family eventually grew into something I never could have envisioned at the time. Inglenook started small, and like many small businesses, it grew little by little—through a lot of hard work, trial and error, and simply figuring things out as we went.
Over the years, it has grown into the family business we have today. My husband, Rich, works alongside me in production, and our daughter Sarah is our Director of Operations. We make our products at our Soap Barn in Campobello, South Carolina, and sell through our website, wholesale partners, and events throughout the Southeast and beyond.
Sixteen years later, I think one of the things I’m most grateful for is that something born out of the need to care for and support our family became a business that our family has built together. Inglenook has changed and grown tremendously since 2010, but at its heart, it is still very much about home, family, and creating something meaningful through the circumstances you’re given.
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?
It definitely has not been a smooth road! I’m not sure there is such a thing when you own a small business.
In the beginning, one of the greatest challenges was simply trying to build a business while raising four children, caring for a child with significant needs, and working other jobs. There was never an abundance of extra time or resources, so Inglenook had to grow gradually and within the realities of our family life.
There has also been a tremendous learning curve. So much of owning a small business has nothing to do with making the product. You suddenly find yourself learning about pricing, packaging, bookkeeping, marketing, websites, wholesale, shipping, regulations, inventory, events—and usually learning each new skill because you need it right then.
As we’ve grown, the challenges have changed rather than disappeared. We’ve had to learn when to take opportunities and, just as importantly, when to say no. We’ve made mistakes, tried things that didn’t work, changed direction, and adapted more times than I could count. There have been seasons when we’ve worked incredibly hard without knowing whether that work would pay off.
But I think those challenges have also shaped the way we run Inglenook today. We’ve learned to be resourceful, to pay attention to our customers, to remain flexible, and not to be afraid of changing something when it isn’t working. Perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned that success in a small business rarely comes from one big break. For us, it has been the result of showing up consistently, learning as we go, and continuing to move forward.
We’ve been impressed with Inglenook & Co. , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Inglenook & Co. is a family-owned home fragrance and bath and body company based in Campobello, South Carolina. We are probably best known for our hand-poured candles, but over the years our collection has grown to include handcrafted soaps, wax melts, home fragrance, bath and body products, and an ever-evolving assortment of products centered around home, comfort, and gifting.
Fragrance is really at the heart of what we do. We offer a large and varied fragrance collection because we know scent is incredibly personal. Some customers want something clean and fresh, others love warm bakery fragrances, and others are drawn to sophisticated, earthy or nostalgic scents. One of my favorite parts of what we do is helping someone discover a fragrance that immediately reminds them of a person, place, season, or memory.
What I believe sets Inglenook apart is that, even as we’ve grown, we are still very much the people behind the products. Our products are made at our Soap Barn in Campobello, and our family is involved in the day-to-day work of the business. The products our customers purchase aren’t being designed by us and handed off to someone else to manufacture. We remain closely involved from the initial idea and fragrance selection through production, packaging, and ultimately getting that product into our customers’ hands.
We’ve also tried to allow Inglenook to grow naturally rather than forcing it to fit into one particular box. One example is BookeNook, which grew from our love of books and has become another fun part of the Inglenook experience, including our popular Blind Date with a Book offerings. Whether we’re creating a new candle collection, wrapping a book for someone to discover, or developing something completely new, we want it to feel like it belongs in the same world—warm, welcoming, thoughtful and a little unexpected.
Brand-wise, I think I’m most proud that Inglenook still feels personal. After sixteen years, we have customers who have been with us for years, wholesale partners who have become friends, and people who seek us out when we return to an event. We don’t take that loyalty for granted.
More than anything, I want people to know that Inglenook isn’t about chasing every trend or becoming the biggest company in the room. We want to make really good products, treat people well, continue creating things we’re proud to put our name on, and hopefully make someone’s home—or their day—just a little bit better.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Start where you are, with what you have, and don’t feel as though everything has to be perfect before you begin. It doesn’t. Some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned came from simply doing the work, making mistakes, adjusting, and trying again.
I would also tell anyone starting a business to know their numbers. It’s very easy to be busy and mistake that busyness for profitability. Understand what your product truly costs to make, price it so your business can be sustainable, and remember that sales and profit are two very different things.
Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Social media makes it very easy to look at another business and assume they have everything figured out. You rarely see the years of work, mistakes, financial investment, or uncertainty behind what looks effortless from the outside.
I also wish I had understood earlier that not every opportunity is a good opportunity. You don’t have to say yes to every event, every product idea, every customer request, or every direction your business could take. Learning what *not* to do can be just as important as discovering what works.
Most importantly, give yourself permission to evolve. The business you start may not look anything like the business you have ten years from now—and that’s okay. Pay attention to your customers, learn from your experiences, stay curious, and don’t become so attached to the way you’ve always done something that you’re afraid to change it.
There is rarely one big moment that makes a small business successful. More often, it’s hundreds of small decisions, made over many years, and the willingness to keep showing up and doing the work.
Pricing:
- Our product selection and pricing vary by collection and season. Current offerings and pricing can be found on our website.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.inglenookandco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inglenookandco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/193fZit8RF/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/inglenooksoapsandco/
