I Started With $20, a Kitchen Counter, and a Lot of Trial and Error

When people see a business online, they usually see the finished product. They see the beautiful candles, the packaging, the website, the social media posts, and the orders being packed. What they don’t always see is everything that happened before that moment.

My journey didn’t start with a huge investment, a warehouse, or thousands of customers.

I started with $20, a kitchen counter, and a lot of trial and error.

And I’m still building.

I want to share that part of my life because I know there are other people who have an idea but keep waiting until they have more money, more followers, more knowledge, or the “perfect” opportunity to begin.

Sometimes, you have to start with what you have.

Building Something From Nothing Takes Time

When I started my candle business, Britt’s Decorative Candles, I had to learn as I went. Candle making might look simple from the outside, but there is so much behind it: choosing wax, testing fragrances, finding the right wicks, designing products, creating labels, figuring out packaging, shipping orders, building a website, marketing, and learning how to actually turn attention into sales.

And then comes one of the hardest parts: getting people to know your business exists.

You can create an amazing product, but customers still have to discover you. They have to become familiar with your business, trust you, and eventually decide to spend their money with you.

That doesn't always happen after one Instagram post.

It may not happen after 10 posts.

Building a business during the first few years can require showing up over and over again, even when it feels like nobody is paying attention.

Social Media Is Part of My Everyday Business Life

One thing I’ve learned is that marketing isn't something I can do once and forget about.

I have to continue showing people what I'm doing.

That means posting on social media, showing my products, talking about my fragrances, sharing behind-the-scenes moments, explaining what makes my products different, and reminding people where they can purchase.

But there's also a difference between getting views and getting customers.

Someone might watch one of my videos today and not purchase anything. They might see another post next week. Then they might visit my website a month later. Eventually, after seeing me consistently, they may feel comfortable enough to place an order.

That's why I'm learning not to measure everything by immediate sales.

Sometimes I'm building recognition and trust first.

Why I Started Sharing My Journey on YouTube

My YouTube channel gives me another opportunity to show people more than a finished candle.

I can show them the person and the life behind the business.

My content includes my lifestyle, my children, my family moments, and the behind-the-scenes reality of building something from the ground up.

I don't want everything to look perfect because my life isn't perfect.

Sometimes I'm making products. Sometimes I'm packing an order. Sometimes I'm figuring out what went wrong. Other times, I'm simply living my everyday life with my family.

That's what I want people to see.

When somebody discovers one of my videos years from now, I want them to be able to go back and see the process.

I want them to see what it looked like before the growth happened.

I'm Documenting the Process, Not Just the Success

There is something powerful about documenting your life while you're still working toward the goal.

It's easy to tell your story after you've succeeded.

It's different to say, “I'm not there yet. Come watch me build it.”

That's what I want my YouTube channel and my business content to represent.

I'm learning about marketing.

I'm learning how to convert viewers into customers.

I'm learning what products people respond to.

I'm learning how to improve my website.

I'm learning from mistakes.

And I'm learning that running a business requires patience.

There will be posts that don't perform well. There will be videos that don't get many views. There may be days when nobody places an order.

But one quiet day doesn't determine where the business will be three years from now.

Trust Is Built by Showing Up

One of the biggest things I want to build isn't just a customer list.

I want to build trust.

I want someone who discovers my business to be able to see that I'm a real person behind these products.

They can see me creating.

They can see my family.

They can see my personality.

They can see the wins, but they can also see the learning process.

That matters because people have countless businesses competing for their attention online. I can't control whether someone buys from me today, but I can control whether I continue showing up.

Every post becomes another piece of my story.

Every video becomes documentation.

Every customer becomes part of the journey.

I'm Still Building

I don't want to write this story as though I've already reached the finish line, because I haven't.

I'm still in the middle of it.

I'm still growing my business. I'm still growing my YouTube channel. I'm still learning how to market better, reach new people, convert followers into customers, and create a community that genuinely wants to follow my journey.

And that's exactly why I'm documenting it now.

I started with $20 and a kitchen counter.

I didn't start with everything figured out.

I simply started.

So if you're reading this while sitting on an idea because you don't have thousands of dollars, a huge social media following, or every detail worked out, remember this:

Starting small doesn't mean you're thinking small.

Sometimes the beginning isn't supposed to look impressive.

Sometimes it's just supposed to be the beginning.

And years from now, I want to be able to look back at these blogs and my YouTube videos and say:

“That's where it started. That's what it looked like before everything changed.”