We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Simanis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Calavera Craft started at the beginning of the pandemic. I needed a creative outlet and since we were at home a lot more candle making seemed like a natural answer. I also have a background in design so it was both fun and challenging to design something on my own. I started with an online website and social media to start building the brand.

What should our readers know about your business?
Calavera Craft started in 2020 and is still a relatively new candle company. We began with the idea of making small batch goods that bring joy to everyday life. I started hand-pouring candles because of Covid and being home a lot more. I have thoroughly enjoyed both the creative and business side. I focus on natural ingredients and use essential oils, natural fragrance oils, and plant-based wax. I’m proud of the sales we’ve been able to achieve and love building the brand from the ground up.

Some of the challenges we’ve had to face include supply chain shortages (getting wax and jars on time) and everything being closed down because of the pandemic. This led us to a strong e-commerce approach, but the challenge with that is how to do you sell to a market that can’t always smell your product. We’ve recently started to go to more in-person craft markets which has been awesome meeting everyone in person.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you’re a beach person, we love going to the beach here in Carlsbad. We enjoy walking around the Village and enjoy the short drive up to Oceanside as well where there are couple new restaurants and bars.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give my husband Stephen a shout out for supporting me, letting me talk through all the good and bad ideas, and sampling all my test candles. I’d also like to give a shout out to all the friends and family who have bought candles! Buying from a small business truly makes a difference in someones day and I appreciate everyone’s support!

Website: calaveracraft.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calaveracraft/

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