Hey ladies! We are bringing back our Member Spotlight blog series, featuring our Members — influencers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and bosses alike! Next up: Arielle Jenkins, founder of cloud ivey, a candle & homeware brand. Read on to learn all about Arielle and her business.
Q: Tell us a little about you, girl!
A: First off, I’m from Texas! That’s usually my opening statement when meeting someone new so hey Y’ALL! Nice to meet ya 🙂 Other than that, I’m ever evolving and always have the hardest time talking about who I am but here’s a few fun facts about me that you hopefully find fun and interesting!
- I’m TEXAN and have much pride in that!
- I am the biggest dog mom ever. Most of my day to day decisions are based solely around my dog and sometimes my husband. My doggie, Roman, is the light of my life and I want to hold onto his cornchip-smelling paws forever <3
- I really love fashion and I’m on a journey to be more sustainable with my wardrobe and everyday life. Thrift is LIFE.
- I love documenting things via photo and video. I take photos and edit videos of the most random moments and places in life and I find it very cool to know that there will be digital and physical proof that I existed!
Q: What inspired you to start cloud ivey?
A: Curiosity and being a multi-hobby girl! I have taken on more hobbies than anyone I know – It just never gets old. Long story short, I had been working from home for months and it was time for a change. I never had a desire to start a business, but I’ve always LOVED taking on a new hobby. Candle making sounded pretty daunting at first but the next thing I knew I was thinking “Well, how hard could it be?”. So, I decided that my new hobby was going to be making candles for pure fun! Fun turned into semi-serious once I realized I ordered 100 pounds of wax over the course of two months. At that point, I realized I was no longer experimenting with making candles, I was actually becoming a candle maker and having so much fun with it! I immediately started drawing up a mood board and seeing what kind of ‘trendy’ handle I could come up with for Instagram. Once I solidified those things, it was a wrap. I had the wax and I had a vision, all I needed was a launch date. Being a multi-hobby girl finally paid off!
Q: What’s the most rewarding—and most challenging—part of owning a business?
A: I love knowing that people are placing items that I created in their homes, especially people that I don’t know personally! I always downplay myself when I see my candles in a friend’s house because well, they’re my friend! But to know that people who have no relation to me ALSO have my candles in their home is a mind-blowing honor that I’ll never get over.
The challenging part is understanding that I am not my business and that I shouldn’t view myself through the lens of cloud ivey. A month with low sales doesn’t mean that I suck as a person and that I should just call it quits. I’ve had to learn and am still learning that cloud ivey doesn’t bring value to my identity and who I am at my core, so it also cannot devalue me. Again, this is a work in progress but a necessary one if I want cloud ivey to stay afloat!
Q: What’s your biggest piece of advice for someone looking to find their passion?
A: Pay attention to what you do naturally! I’ve always hated being asked “So, what are you passionate about?” when getting to know someone or at a job interview. I would either dance around the question or spew out something that I thought the person would want to hear (especially at those interviews, HA!). It took me 25 years to realize that being flat out creative was a passion of mine – I love DIY’ing things, I love recording things and making cool video edits, I love falling in love with a new hobby every 6 months, I loved painting my nails 3x a day over the summer when I was in high school and uploading my nail art to Instagram (True story – My mom has the stained carpet to prove it). Creativity has always been within me and fuels a lot of my choices. I would’ve continued to miss it if I kept trying to fit the mold of what other people thought passions looked like. It doesn’t always have to be world changing. If it brings you joy, it will have a chain effect on other people 🙂
Q: You know Girl Gang is all about finding and spotlighting the coolest spots around town. What does your ideal weekend in ATL look like currently?
A: Honestly, a lot of exploring! I moved to Atlanta right before the world shut down so I never had the chance to really go out into the city like I wanted to. I’ve always been a homebody and the pandemic encouraged that even more but I’m trying to make the most of my time these days and do what the cool kids do! Loads of thrifting, checking out cute shops, and finding new trails to walk my dog!
Q: Tell us about some of the products you will be selling at the Members Mart!
A: Obviously a lot of candles but also, some non-candle home decor items! I have been exploring more HOBBIES outside of candle-making and I’m planning to launch them at the Members Mart! I can’t say too much, too soon but there are a lot of hints on my Instagram… See you in March!
Q: What’s your favorite thing about being a Girl Gang Member?
A: The endless events! Sometimes planning a day/night out can be daunting but when I have a GANG of GIRLS planning it for me… all I need to do is show up! And it’s such a fun mix of events, it’s never just one thing every time. I can’t wait for more coworking days this year!
Q: What’s next for you and cloud ivey?
A: EXPANSION! In all the best ways 🙂 I’m launching products that aren’t candles and hopefully getting into some local shops around town!
There you have it, ladies.
A little peek into Arielle’s journey of turning a new hobby into a business! Follow along on Instagram and shop here. If you want to shop cloud ivey IRL, grab your tickets to the Members Mart here.
Who should we spotlight next?! Leave a comment below!
