9 MONTHS into the *pandemonium*, restrictions in Quebec were at an all-time high. We weren’t allowed to go anywhere after 6pm unless it was for medical reasons or business purposes. Now I know I don’t have to explain to everyone what being locked inside morning until night can do to your spirit.
At the time, I was working a corporate job as a Marketing Coordinator at Converse and Alessia was graduating from University with her degree in Engineering. Naturally, my work got moved to WFH and Alessia was part of the grouping of recent grads in a time where work was scarce and not easy to come by.
For 9 months, Alessia and I spent the better part of everyday on FaceTime (with the exception of when I had meetings - it’s ok I don’t work in corporate anymore so I can admit that now). Healthy? Probably not.
But i’ll admit, I’m historically terrible and staying in touch with friends at a distance. I recluse a lot and sometimes feel I can only handle giving energy to people in my physical presence.
So the connection to Alessia (healthy or obsessive) kept a bright light in my life after 9 months of feeling like a prisoner in our homes.
During this time (like many) we were led down a rabbit hole of reckless spending and consumption and unnecessary redecorating just to feel something. Through which we discovered pillar wax bubble candles popularizing in Europe. The shape was unlike anything we had seen in Canada or North America for that matter.
After many days trying to find something similar locally with no success, we decided we’d attempt to make it ourselves.
Alessia (being the one that’s always been good with the finances) suggested we “make a business out of it”. SO we each put in $300 CAD (it would have been cheaper to just pay the import and duties and order from Europe but alas here we are.. girl math), bought enough materials to make 100 candles and just went with it. We watched some youtube videos and figured the only thing stopping us was a name.
We later brainstormed names aloud with her family, thinking of things that resonated with us. Finally I said, why do I kind of love the name “Smellies” for us? We call my family dog “smelly shelly” all the time and it’s funny, its cute & easy to remember.
A photo of Sir Sheldon (aka. Smelly Shelly - Taylor's family dog)
You might now think WOW it must have just clicked!! Wrong. Only negative response when we asked the family sitting around the table what their thoughts were on the name. BUT, Alessia liked it and I liked it and that’s always been enough for us. SO Smellies it was. And Smellies it has remained.
Two smellie girls in a smellie world despite the odds.
We launched a few short days later after I downloaded Procreate & bought and Apple pencil and convinced myself I could “design” the first logo & series of posts for our new instagram account.
Want to know the funniest part? When we launched, we had only ever made 1 candle successfully. We shared it on instagram and we sold out that night. We still sell our OG Bubbles here.
The rest you can say, is history. We’ve been iterating and making things we think are cool since. That has always been enough for us. Now we’re lucky enough to get to make things in collaboration with brands & creators, celebrate weddings & other special moments with you and give back.
What’s next for us? You’ll just have to stick around and see. But I promise it will be something we think is cool.
