Today we’d like to introduce you to Chasta Parker
Hi Chasta, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
After my son left for college, I was looking for a creative way to spend my time. I started making candles and realized that it not only allowed me to be creative but I could also tap into my analytical side and do experiments to increase the performance of the candles I was making. With a PhD in chemistry and a love for all things creative, this new endeavor was perfect. The one downside was that I didn’t have a lot of room for all the candles I was making. My mom, who owned a stained glass business, encouraged me to start a candle company. With my family’s help in naming the company, Crazy Chemist Candles LLC was born in June of 2022!
Since then, I have participated in several vendor markets in Columbia, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lake Wylie, and York. I was honored to be asked to make custom candles as wedding favors, I have done candle-making workshops at the York County Library, and, this year, Crazy Chemist Candles was able to sponsor a Rock Hill girl’s softball team!
The company continues to be 100% family-owned and operated. I hand-pour and prepare every candle, wax melt, and diffuser. All the fragrances used in my candles are uniquely mixed and cannot be found anywhere else. My son created my e-commerce website and was crucial in the design elements. He was the one who suggested “The Periodic Table of Candles” as the name of the shop on the website. My dad has been a huge supporter and an amazing candle tester.
Crazy Chemist Candles would not be the success it is today without my husband’s help. He is always present at the market events and is a critical part of set up and break down. He is the first person to smell and help me name each new fragrance. He is also my go to when it comes to new ideas and troubleshooting.
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 think the biggest struggle was handling both the business side and the product side of the company on my own. I wanted to spend my time creating new fragrances and new products, but the business side is just as important if I want to keep doing the fun stuff!
So, I had to push myself to learn how to market on social media, how to form an LLC, and how to keep up with the business taxes.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Crazy Chemist Candles is a family-owned and operated business. We use 100% soy wax, and all of the materials we use are selected to minimize our impact on the environment. The materials used are always recycled, recyclable, or compostable. We even use Sendle, which allows for carbon-neutral shipping.
I am most proud of our unique fragrance combinations and the performance of our candles. My favorite candle container is our 100 mL beaker!
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
While the company itself was not impacted by the crisis, I was making candles during the height of the pandemic. I learned quickly that supply chains are fragile and that being flexible and able to pivot when a particular fragrance oil or container was not available was critical to success. So, I spent a good bit of time making sure my candle testing protocols were sound so that if I needed to adjust, I could do so quickly while maintaining the performance standards that I set for my candles.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.crazychemistcandles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazychemistcandles
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazychemistcandles
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@crazychemistcandles
Image Credits
Chasta L. Parker
