Jennifer Anderson, Sivana Interiors
There’s something quietly life-changing about understanding what your true priorities are. Whether it’s caused by a health scare, an epiphany or a global pandemic, there are certain things that remind you of your core values. For Jennifer Anderson, the mass self-realisation of 2020 had a huge impact. Thanks to the excess of free time that furlough created, Jen had the chance to reconnect with herself and channel her energy into making her passions her livelihood. Now, Jen is owner-manager of Sivana Interiors, a thriving wellness brand selling candles, wax melts, and reed diffusers that have captured the hearts of those who are putting wellness at the top of their priorities. Sivana has grown rapidly since self-care became a permanent fixture in people’s daily routines after its true value shone during the pandemic and lockdown’s more testing times. Jennifer shares her experience of finding success within a highly competitive marketplace and how wellness is filtering into the lives of business owners everywhere.
Setting up Sivana was a whirlwind, but it was based on something I have always loved. Essential oils, candles, bath oils, and natural fragrance has always been a big part of my own self-care ritual. Even when I’m working from home alone, I’ll spray perfume to lift myself up. I was part-way through an online aromatherapy course when Covid hit so I was learning about the science behind essential oils, the percentage balances, and what you can and can’t mix.
Then I remembered I had a candle-making kit that a friend gifted me, so I thought I’d give it a go. I realised the oils that it came with were synthetic so instead I made my own blend of essential oils and was blown away by the smell. From there I experimented with lots of different oils that are now part of my Sivana product range. I’m proud that it’s completely self-developed. I did everything myself from the products and the website to the branding and retailing. I still can’t believe it all snowballed from making some candles for my friends.
A big milestone was having a stand in Fenwick when I won a space in their Christmas market. It was a mad rush getting all the stock ready, with only three weeks to make 300 units, on top of working full-time. It was a difficult time to be in store because of restrictions.
To get a real sense of the high quality you need to smell the fragrances and feel the heavy glassware. There were other candle and home fragrance brands there too but it’s not as competitive as you might think. It’s about believing in your product and brand and understanding that there are enough customers for everyone because you’re all attracting different customers who want their own sensory experience that’s personal to them. Another big win was my collaboration with Carrie Elizabeth. She’s a jewellery designer also stocked in Fenwick, and she invited small businesses to apply for a Christmas collaboration box. Sivana was selected to include some wax melts in star shapes to match her celestial designs. They are beautiful, made from all-natural ingredients including lavender, ylang-ylang, and eucalyptus. It was like a dream come true because I was always a fan of hers; she’s a great role model. Opportunities like that have introduced me to a community of small business owners who are all trying to build something new. We all gravitate towards each other and bond over our shared experiences and ideas for creative collaboration.
I think awareness events are important for encouraging conversations. I have lived with depression for 13 years now and I am comfortable talking about it but that hasn’t always been the case. When I shared my experience on the Sivana social pages people messaged to thank me for sharing my story. Speaking up makes everyone realise that they are not alone in their mental health struggles. I want to keep showing that depression and anxiety are not a life sentence. You can follow your passion, start a business, and make it thrive. I find that people engage with Sivana because they personally relate to the values of the business.
It’s ironic because Sivana is all about self-care, but if I’m keeping it real, I am 100% guilty of not doing that enough for myself. When you run a business, the demands on your time are constant and there’s a never-ending list of things to do. They’re never a chore but it means looking after yourself comes further down on the to-do list than it should. I am conscious of the wellness agenda I push with Sivana and that the mission is to create a lifestyle of happiness through self-care. The answer is to remind yourself to build boundaries. Of course, you want to create an excellent experience for your customers, but it’s about balance. Having a self-care ritual can help to pull you back to what’s important. For me, it’s about lighting my candles and having an essential oils bath that grounds me and gets me into a good headspace. If I don’t do it then I really notice the difference. My advice is to schedule time for yourself and to give yourself a break when things don’t go to plan.
Having a strong and driven team behind Sivana would be a huge development – I can’t run it on my own forever! I’d love to see the brand grow to be a household name, with stockists across the country. I’m always growing the product range and I'm even looking at opportunities for corporate gifting. I think there’s a big market for bespoke products that show companies are sending a message to their teams about looking after yourself. I’m currently looking for a flexible working space which is the next step in the journey, and one day I want to have my own premises with offices and space to manufacture products. I am loving the independence of being my own boss. It’s not because I don’t want a boss, it’s about choosing how I spend my time so I can run Sivana in a way that suits my lifestyle. Even now, it feels incredible to take a step back and look at the business and think how proud I am of what I’ve built.
Say yes to everything and take every opportunity. It’s a cliché but in business you never fail, you just learn lessons. Any opportunities you don’t take you will regret because everything leads on to something new. Do whatever you have to do to make it work. Owning a business is not for the faint-hearted but it can be done if you’ve got the drive.
(offer excludes wax melts and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer)
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