Learn a little more about Poet Botanicals's founder Melanie Morris in this interview with Jemma from Wellington Apothecary.
Melanie, how did you get started in the candle business?
A couple of years ago a good friend gave me a candle - the first one I’d had in a long time. Then a member of my family passed away suddenly and lighting that candle became a small ritual that I did each morning to help me through the grief. That small act each day gave me a moment to pause, think and feel - and that stuck with me. During that time I had also left my career in the design industry and was studying Naturopathy. I was fully immersed in all things health and wellbeing and started making my own natural cleaning and beauty products. I couldn’t find many alternatives to traditional fragranced candles so started playing around with making my own essential oil candles. It turns out making candles can be quite addictive so I was soon giving them to all my friends and I eventually started selling them. Poet Botanicals allows me to indulge in my passion for wellbeing and offers me lots of creative opportunity - it’s a perfect combination for me.
What inspires/motivates you?
I’m very passionate about being able to choose what we put in our bodies, on our bodies - what we surround ourselves with and how it can affect our wellbeing - both physically and emotionally. This is my motivation - to provide well designed, truly natural alternatives to products that we use in our everyday lives and ones that create an opportunity to take a moment for ourselves.
We love that you use clean ingredients in your candles, can tell us more about this?
When I started making candles I did a deep dive into the world of fragrance and discovered that the term ‘fragrance’ is trojan horse for all sorts of nasties as makers don’t have to disclose what ingredients are within a fragrance. Providing an alternative to fragrance really is at the core of what I do and essential oils are the common element in all my products. I was introduced to them by a friend over 25 years ago and they are so beautiful to work. Creating blends that not only smell divine but offer therapeutic qualities is so rewarding. I also use coconut wax as opposed to soy for my candles which is completely clean-burning with no additives or chemicals added whatsoever. It's provides a luscious slow-burn which works perfectly with essential oils and coconut trees are sustainable due to their high crop yield.
What music do you listen to while you work?
I have quite a thirst for knowledge so I listen to podcasts when I’m working - I find they keep me working at pace and also keep me company. I’m very inspired by the guests Rich Roll (a plant-based ultra marathoner) has on his podcasts and they’re a deep dive - usually 90 minutes to 2 hours long so I love that. I also spend a LOT of time on Spotify and make Poet playlists for each season which you can find on our Journal page.
You have made a conscious effort to live a slower, more purposeful life. Tell us what this looks like/means to you?
It’s certainly an up and down journey, particularly as the business has grown but slow living for me is very much about establishing a rhythm that nurtures and sustains me individually and my family unit. I’ve made a conscious effort to ensure we have moments where we're not doing much - I think it’s important for the kids to be ok with being bored, to have quiet moments. For me personally I take the opportunities when I can and they really are as simple as walking around the South Coast and putting my feet in the sand.
What's your favourite aroma/scent and why?
I am absolutely obsessed with Vetiver. But not all vetiver is equal and it took me a while to find the right one to use in my blends. I’ve always been drawn to more masculine scents - slightly woody, deep and aromatic. Our Vita blend is a magical blend of vetiver and black spruce and is all those things - it’s deeply nurturing.
You make bespoke candles... how would you describe your creative process?
This is hard to define as my creativity seems to be ON, 24/7 but … nature, travel, colour, people and moments of nostalgia are my inspiration. Each blend in the current collection is inspired by some moment in nature that I’ve wanted to replicate, a person I cherish. For example Nova is named after my daughter and our most feminine blend for that reason. True North is inspired by standing in a fresh forest after rain, Zephyr was created to try and emulate the feeling of the ocean breeze. Or it will be based purely around a particular essential oil that I’m loving at that moment.
What book are you reading at the moment?
How To Do the Work by holistic psychologist Nicola LePera. It’s pure gold.
Tell us about an essential daily ritual you can't do without.
I go for the easy wins most days which look like five sun salutes on rising, lemon juice in a glass of warm water and at the end of the day over dinner, the kids and I saying three things cool things that happened in our day. On Sundays I try to always have a bath, after applying our Indira face and body oil and taking time to thank my body for all its done for me.
One piece of advice for others starting their own business?
You must be prepared to work hard - really hard. And if you’re lucky enough to be doing something you love, it won’t feel like work and you’ll be happy to do it. That being said you have to be mindful of burn-out which I thinks happens to most people in small business. It’s very easy to work late into the night as there is always something to do and certainly ALWAYS things to be thinking about. I have a mantra that I remind myself of when the going gets tough… ‘it is the constant and determined effort that breaks down all resistance and sweeps away all obstacles’. Small business really is an up and down rollercoaster and I’ve learnt now that the secret is just to keep going. Take each fall as a learning experience, pick yourself up and keep going as there’s usually another win waiting for you just around the corner.
