Rosanna of Interest Candles: Etsy Equestrian #11

The sheer boredom of pandemic living inspired Rosanna, a dressage lover and herd owner (she has five horses!) to literally light up joy for fellow equestrians around the globe. A labeling-everything-in-sight spree during California’s first lock down got the NorCal horse girl to think up funny sayings which she then put on labels and covered up some candles she already had around the house. Rosanna gave those COVID-themed candles away to friends and the response was illuminating (pun intended). Her creative way to kill time planted the seed of an idea and soon after Interest Candles was born!

This is a long interview, but totally worth the read–you will love it and feel enlightened! I laughed out loud reading some of Rosanna’s responses (the fire-season go pile label–lol!) and when I got to the part about her being a breast cancer survivor and viewing her riding as a personal growth platform, I was blown away and decided we need to be online friends. 🙂 Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links.

Tell us about Interest Candles, your Etsy shop and products.

My product offering is simple, but also extensive; – I sell scented soy candles with equestrian themes. There are 24 products that are arranged into “collections” that feature different styles of artwork. There is a Dressage collection featuring the X, Halt and Salute candles. Horse Lovers offers products called Trails, Groom, Pasture and Equestrian. There are two candles for jumpers, Stadium and Cross-Country; and two products with a western look named Ranch and Cinch.

Recently, the Antique collection was introduced which features vintage inspired illustrations; those candles are called Hay Barn, High Point and Whip & Spur. The Antique collection comes in two different types of containers: the standard 9-ounce jar or an 11-ounce luxury vessel that uses high-end painted glass and comes in a black matte gift box. And finally, there are five candles with seasonally inspired names and scents for the holidays: Fall, Cozy, Winter, Frost and The Tree.

The tagline for my company is “light your joy every day™” and it sums up my vision for the equestrian products in my shop; – whenever you’re missing the barn, your horse, riding, showing, or any facet of the lifestyle, there’s a candle to transport you “there” so you can light your joy.

My shop opened in July 2020. I made the move to Etsy because so many international inquiries started coming in and it seemed Etsy was the best platform to support global customers. There’s also a corporate website, but all my sales through go through the Etsy shop now.

Being on Etsy has been an absolute thrill; there have been 100 sales since July and customers represent the US, UK, Canada, Australia and United Arab Emirates. That is truly something I never saw coming when I created my workspace next to the beer fridge in our basement!

How did you choose the name, when did you start, how would you describe your niche?

Quite a few friends and customers have wanted to know why the company name doesn’t have an equestrian theme to it and truthfully, I do sometimes regret not coming up with a horse themed identity. But, my vision for the company is to expand beyond equestrian and develop products for a number of interests – hence the name “interest candles”. My husband is a life-long boater and a few years ago he began teaching me, now I’m hooked.

And funnily enough, so many of the equestrians in my community are boaters too. My family and friends also enjoy camping, outdoor pursuits, golf – so my thinking is that the product offering will eventually expand to include other passions that have been such a joyful part of my life. But without question, horses come first and will always be the priority of my product development.

The company came together during the six-week shelter-in-place orders we had here in California in spring 2020. Two important things happened during that time.

First, I went a bit stir crazy and started labeling everything in our house! And not just by spitting labels out of a label maker – out of boredom, I began designing and printing all kinds of labels with artwork and humorous quips. For example, everything that we put into our fire season go-pile is now labeled with a design of giant flames and instructions to “stay calm, but run like hell.’

At some point, I removed labels from un-used candles and created new, beautiful labels that were COVID themed; they had verbiage about how the candle would “take you away” from the lock-down. Those candles were sent as gifts to some friends and family who really loved them.

Secondly, I had this long stretch of quiet time to ruminate over my intense desire to begin an equestrian-focused business, something I’ve felt for the last five years. Somehow, the goofy activities to keep myself entertained during shelter in place just clicked with my business dreams; – there was an a-ha moment: equestrian themed candles, interest-themed candles.

Once it clicked, I was off and running with tremendous excitement; I didn’t even research the space – I just knew what I wanted to create. I ran so fast and so hard that a number of costly mistakes were made – typos on labels, wrong materials, you name it – but with it came valuable learning and clarity about the products I wanted to offer.

My niche is offering a consumer experience that includes a combination of self-care and beautiful home decor. Sure, it’s a scented candle at the core of the offer; but the purchase also includes environmentally friendly packaging, lovely gift-wrap of every candle and a little bag of treats for a horse or pony.

Customers really enjoy opening their order; they love all the sensory aspects of the candle fragrance, the visual aesthetic of the labels, and the fun of an included gift for their horse. It will sound corny, but when someone messages me directly about their purchase or posts a review on Etsy, there’s a little toe-wiggling moment of happiness that something I did brightened their day.

What’s the greatest challenge and joy you face in your equestrian life?

About one year after purchasing my horse, Cosmo, and building our relationship, I declared that riding was my “platform for personal growth.” Our first months together really reminded me how horses mirror our strengths and weaknesses in such an honest and direct way – one that forces us to decide if we want to push our abilities and resolve our issues or just curl into a ball and cry!

My greatest challenge is getting out of my head when I ride. Turning my brain off and limiting constant analysis has always been difficult for me. When I’m able to ride with feeling, put trust in Cosmo and believe in my own skills, it’s truly the most incredible thing in the world. The moment my inner-critic takes over is the moment things will go south.

My greatest joy is when I’m completely connected with my horses – whether it’s in the saddle or on the ground, through a deliberate exercise or just a chance moment. There’s nothing more wonderful than the pure feeling of mutual love and trust between a person and a horse. I think it’s that sensation that horse people all acknowledge and understand, and it’s the appreciation for that feeling that creates our best horse communities.

What do you do for work?

Back in 2001, I co-founded and started a company with a business partner; we grew it from the two of us into a staff of 100 who worked on high-profile entertainment marketing programs with artists like Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban and Maroon 5. I was the Chief Operating Officer for 10 years and it was an incredible time in my life, but it was completely exhausting. A diagnosis of breast cancer in 2011 made me slow way, way down. Thankfully, my husband and I were in a position where I could leave the company and figure out a new lifestyle.

Since then, I’ve worn a few different hats. On the heels of my parents being terminally ill at the same time, and then passing a year apart from each other, I became obsessed with the gaps in our eldercare system. I became certified in the basics of Gerontology and spent four years writing professionally; publicly speaking about aging issues; and consulting for companies in the industry. I’ve also spent time providing pro-bono services to budding entrepreneurs, mostly focused on young women starting their own companies.

In 2013, I started riding again after decades out of the saddle. Initially, I did it as physical and mental therapy to try to overcome the persistent shoulder and chest muscle problems resulting from my mastectomy. Very quickly, the buried inner-child who started riding at age five popped back to the surface! The more my days became focused on horses, the more my interest in creating an equestrian business was piqued.

Today, I am busy full-time with the new candle business; taking riding lessons; helping beginner riders at our barn; and caring for our herd of five horses. And I’m also thrilled to report that riding did in fact improve my shoulder and pectoral issues tremendously.

Where do you live and what’s the horse scene like there?

I live in Sunol, California which is part of the Livermore Wine Country located southeast of San Francisco. The horse community is really wonderful; there are a number of talented trainers and very beautiful boarding barns, as well as state parks that offer fantastic trails.

I ride with Billings Equestrian and our barn focuses on dressage and western pleasure. It’s fabulous to go back and forth between the disciplines, and the cross training has definitely helped my overall riding skills and confidence. How many equestrians get to sit arena-side and watch a grand prix horse work on piaffe, followed by a barrel racing lesson for a student preparing for a 4-H show? That’s our barn and it’s just the best.

Whom do you regard as a hero or look to for inspiration in the horse world?

My hero is Jane Pike in New Zealand; a talented horsewoman, rider and mental skills coach who saved my equestrian journey after the “being in my head” problems started to destroy my confidence in the arena. She has an incredible program that caters to riders who want to manage their pesky inner-critic and re-discover the pure joy of horses and riding.

Jane’s approach is quite holistic; she combines horsemanship exercises, meditation, and nervous-system management. What I respect most is that Jane never stops learning and evolving her methods; she has an inherent approach that assumes there is no “one way” to come at a challenge. Jane helps us to question, explore, and experiment until we find the best techniques to lovingly navigate our unique horse-person combination. I’m also inspired by her community of horsewoman and riders – it is the most caring and supportive on-line group of people I’ve ever experienced.

Do you have any horse-related bucket list items you’d like to cross off?

There are so many! But if I have to rank them, I would put hacking in Ireland at the top of the list. We honeymooned there and the countryside is so stunning, I can’t imagine anything better than exploring it on horseback.

How do your friends describe you?

Oh wow that’s hard to answer! They would probably say I’m a bit crazy and hyper, as well as very upbeat, driven, loyal and funny. They might also say I talk about horses too much! I’ve been truly fortunate to have great and long-time friends; my closest and longest friendship is still going strong after 44 years! The older I get, the more I appreciate how important true friends are.

Tell us about your horses!

We have five horses in our herd now, four of them live on our property and one lives at my trainer’s boarding facility.

At home, we have George, a retired Hanoverian who is a gentle giant at 18.2 hands. He is a horse that is perpetually happy and sweet. Then there is the first mare I’ve ever had, Lilly Belle. She is a 10 year-old quarter horse and former cow-roper; she’s my “ranch horse” who I’m getting back under saddle after an 18-month break. I love Lilly to bits; meanwhile she loves my husband and tolerates me!

We also have two mini-horses. Our first is Betty; she has a face and eyes that will break your heart. We decided she was lonely (read as an excuse to get a second mini) and so we got Checkers. He looks just like a tiny Haflinger. He is very sweet and friendly but he’s also clear that Checker’s priority is Checkers!

And then here is my main-man, Cosmo. He is a thirteen year-old Dutch Warmblood who’s been with me for a little over 6 years now. He is my heart-horse in every way. We came together in 2014 and it’s been a zig-zagging journey. We have both have had some injuries (my right hip is feeling its 54 years of age), and my head challenges have derailed our partnership at several points. But Cosmo always remains steadfast; he is truly larger than life and definitely more person than horse. He loves to do the dressage “tricks” and you can literally see his face light up when eyes are on him. I actually made a candle in his honor – the artwork features his face and it smells just like a Cosmopolitan, my favorite cocktail and the inspiration for his barn name.

Remember to check out Rosanna’s Etsy shop and follow her on Instagram too.

ALL THE ETSY EQUESTRIANS

In case you missed them, here is a list of more women from the series The Etsy Equestrians. If you have a favorite horse-themed or equestrian-owned Etsy shop, let me know by leaving a comment here or email me at Susan@SaddleSeeksHorse.com. I’d love to feature more fellow horse lovers.

#10 Lindsey of The Preppi Pony Company

#9 Nia of Beautifully Beaded Halters

#8 Taryn of Warmbloods + Wine

#7 Liz of Liz Wiley Fine Art

#6 Kasia of Kasia Bukowska Art

#5 Erin Kate of Silver Oaks Farm

#4 Elaine of Bowdangles Horse Show Bows

#3 Carla of The Frugal Foxhunter

#2 Tracy of The Printable Pony

#1 Amanda of Bel Joeor Metier

Leave a Comment: Which of Rosanna’s candles strikes your fancy? How have you spent your time this year during lockdown? 

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