This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hey friends, Cytosla School community, welcome back. My name's Chris Guillebeau. Let's hear some lessons from a candle subscription box. This is our segment known as Failure Friday. Failure Friday collection of short stories about mistakes, missteps, disasters, all of the things that go wrong.
All the things that don't go well, let's say. And in this segment, you get to hear directly from a Cytosla who has struggled in some way, otherwise encountered some difficulty. They'll tell you this short story of something that went wrong, but also what went well, or at least how they adjusted to the setback or the mistake, whatever it was. Sometimes it's something they've done. Sometimes it's an external market force.
Sometimes it's an actual natural disaster. We've had a few of those. And I think it's just so interesting to see how people respond to adversity or setbacks, and they often come out better on the other side. So spoiler alert, that happens a lot, and that's okay. I want people to be able to embrace those setbacks or whatever you like to think of it as, whatever challenges or obstacles you experience, because there is a reason why we push through.
Maybe this idea wasn't the best idea, or this wasn't the right time for this idea, whatever the idea might be. But this is why you can have more ideas. So do something different if your first thing isn't working well. Let's hear the story today from Rebecca. She is a candle seller who tries to start a subscription box business, but soon discovers a much better business in selling in bulk to restaurants.
So to get to that success, you have to wade through the initial setback. Let's hear the story from Rebecca. [Music]
Hi, I'm Rebecca. I've always loved making candles, and I thought turning my passion into a subscription box business would be a great idea. So a few months ago, I launched my candle subscription box, expecting to attract around 80 customers.
I was excited and ready to share my unique handcrafted candles to the world. However, the reality was quite different. When I opened the pre-orders, the response was underwhelming. I only managed to get 12 subscribers. It was hard not to feel discouraged.
I'd poured so much effort and money into this business, and seeing such a low number of subscribers was disheartening. I tried to understand what went wrong. Was it the marketing, the product, the price point? I spent days analyzing and rethinking my strategy. To get to the bottom of the issue, I reached out to the 12 subscribers and a few friends who hadn't signed up.
Their feedback was invaluable. Some people loved the idea, but felt the monthly commitment was too much. Others said they already had too many subscription services. The feedback helped me realize that while the product was good, the subscription model might not be the best fit. I knew I had to pivot my business model if I wanted to succeed.
I started thinking about other ways to sell my candles. That's when the idea struck me. Why not sell candles in bulk to restaurants? Restaurants are always in need of ambiance-enhancing products like candles, and this could be a consistent and reliable market. I began reaching out to local restaurants and offering them samples of my candles.
I focused on high-quality, low-burning candles that would be perfect for creating a cozy atmosphere. To my surprise, several restaurants were interested, and after giving away the samples, I secured my first bulk order within a few weeks. Transitioning to bulk sales required some adjustment. I had to scale up production and ensure consistent quality for larger orders. I also had to navigate the logistics of delivering bigger shipments.
But the positive response from the restaurants kept me motivated. I worked on refining my production process and building relationships with restaurant owners. Today, my candle business looks very different from what I initially imagined. Instead of sending out subscription boxes, I'm supplying candles to a growing number of restaurants. This pivot has allowed me to build a stable and profitable business.
My initial failure with the subscription box taught me to listen to feedback and adapt my approach. While it was disappointing at first, it ultimately led me to a better business model, one that I'm excited to pursue for the foreseeable future. [Music]
All right, Rebecca, thank you so much for sharing the story. And always remember, listeners as well, never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. There is more you can do if something doesn't go well, you can try something else.
There's always another option for you. If you have a question and update about your hustle or just wanna share something, sidehustleschool.com, there's some resources there. I also write a three times a week newsletter at europhmentalhealth.com, totally different subject, but you know, mental health is relevant for a lot of us these days. And of course, there's a notes page for every single episode. This has been episode 2827, 2827.
Much more is coming up, new episode every day. My name is Chris Guillebeau, this is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the Onward Project.
