I thought shaving my head like humbled me, but this is humbling.
I'm gonna walk into this sales meeting later.
They're going to be like, "Dad,
when you smell things, you remember pleasant experiences." So, there's a real science behind that.
Where in the journey that you decided very difficult stage of life to start kicking around business ideas from South Bend to Evansville and everywhere in between, this is Get In, the show focused on the Hoosier State and the incredible stories happening here today. I'm Nate Spangle, founder of Get Indiana, and I will be your host for today's conversation. Before we get into it, just a reminder, this episode of Get In is brought to you by Cluster Truck, Indy's go-to delivery kitchen. If you haven't tried Cluster Truck yet, you are missing out. They have over a 100 menu items. Everything from handstretched pizza to tacos, salads, breakfast burritos, and my personal favorite, their pad thai ad chicken.
They've got something for everyone, plus delivery is always free. Now, here's the best part. If you order right now, by the time this podcast is over, your cluster truck order will already be at your door. It's that fast. So whether you're catching the game or just too busy to cook, head to cluster. com.
Order now and use code indie ndy at checkout for 20% off orders of $25 or more. Trust me, your stomach's going to thank you. Reminder, that code is indie ny. Now, let's get into the episode. Today I'm joined by Carrie Han, founder of Ember and Bell, a clean fine fragrance company, as well as Clutch and Kindle that do hats and apparel. Both of these companies are based out of Noblesville.
Now Carrie is a breast cancer survivor, a firefighter's wife, and the mother of twin daughters. She launched her company after completing her breast cancer treatment determined to create a non-toxic quality artisan fragrance company. Today, we're going to be talking about your journey through obviously breast cancer treatment and that story. diving into uh how you started this business with $1,000 and have grown it to over six figures. Yes. And just dive into the whole story of, you know, growing small business here in Indiana and all that fun stuff.
So, welcome to the show.
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
Um I always start people that are regular listeners, I always start every episode with like I am so pumped for this conversation and I always am pumped. This is going to be really fun. I think that two things. One,
uh breast cancer is something that's near and dear to my family, my heart, as well as small business. Like those are just two like small growing like starting something with $1,000 in a dream. That's pretty cool. Entrepreneurship wasn't necessarily always the thing that you knew you were going to do, right? And this was inspired by your kind of started from your your battle with breast cancer. So like one take us back to the the impact that a breast cancer diagnosis and the treatment plan and all that fun stuff not actually fun all that stuff takes a toll on the family. And then what inspired you to start Ember and Bell?
I was 40 years old. I felt like a lump after uh in my breast when I went to itch. You know, I had worked out so I had a lightweight sports bra and it was like kind of in my armpit and I thought, well, that's that's I don't know what that is. Uh so the funny part is I texted my husband who's a Indianapolis firefighter. I think he knows everything medically. Like I've just I've made him a doctor, I guess.
So I'm like, "Hey." Hey, I'm like, can you come check this out? And he's like, absolutely. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. Like, there there's an issue here. So, uh, so he, you know, he comes and he's like, I, you know, I don't know what that is.
He's like, but you you clearly need to go get a mammog. So, that was kind of how the whole process of getting diagnosed started. So, I was 40, had not had a mammogram yet. So, my first mammogram was to see if I had breast cancer essentially. So, I went in for the mammogram and then they said, "Well, if there's an issue, we'll call you back and have a biopsy." They called, wanted to set up a biopsy, and I remember calling to cancel the biopsy.
I just I didn't want to know. I just wanted it to go away. And I called them and I said, you know, I just I think I'm going to pause this and I'll come in in a little bit. And actually, one of the nurses got on the phone and she said, you know, Carrie, we don't like the size. We don't like the shape. We don't like the blood flow.
There was one other thing. and she said, "I'm not telling you like I can't force you to do anything, but you need to come in sooner than later."
Why do you think you wanted to put that like put that off and be like, "Oh, no, it's fine." Like kind of just out of sight,
out of mind.
I wanted to be in denial and I didn't want to face it, right? Because I didn't have a history of breast cancer, but I just had this feeling it was going to be bad news, and I was terrified. So, I went in, I obviously got the biopsy and uh the I think it was two days later. I I basically I got a phone call. I was at work. She left a message. My phone was on do not disturb. We had actually gone the night before to a friend's like memorial celebration. Uh it was a fundraiser for someone who had passed away from cancer.
Oh gosh. So the whole night I'm just I'm a disaster because I'm nervous and and I know I'm waiting on biopsy results and she leaves a message and she just said if you could give me a call back I I need to schedule a time for you to come in. So I called her. I had to wait an hour for her to call me back. So the whole time I'm just I'm a nervous mess. And um she says to me at that point um when when she finally gets on the phone she said can you come in?
And I said no. I said, "Let's just I said, I'll go to my office and we can talk." And the first thing she said is, "You know, there's never an easy way. You have cancer." I said, "Okay." And she's like, "You know, we're still doing some pathologies, so they're still trying to figure it out, but but we do know it is cancer."
I said, "Am I going to live?" And she said, "Yes." And I said, "Am I going to lose my hair?" And she said, "I don't know." So that was how it all started. So, I went from nothing feelable during a breast exam for my physical in December, nothing feelable to when it came out in June, stage two.
That's rapid.
And not only that, I was considered bilateral breast cancer. So, I had breast cancer on both sides and again, no family history of breast cancer. So, they say that breast cancer uh 70% of women have no family history that are diagnosed with breast cancer. And the dangerous part about breast cancer, it's not necessarily the first diagnosis, it's the likelihood of the metastasis. So 30% of us go on within a decade and are diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.
Wow.
Yeah. So
30,
it's it's a lot. It's it's so it it so you know, I can sit here and I can tell you I'm nine years out now at this point. I look healthy. I look fine. All of that. all of that. But I still am I am still technically an an oncology patient, you know. I still I actually just went off my anti-cancer drugs, which I should technically still be on them.
Um but and my oncologist knows you're supposed to take them for about 10 years. And I just I went to my oncology team a couple of months ago and I just said, you know, I I've been a cancer patient for n like I just I have to move forward with some part of my life.
Yeah.
So, and it does lower the risk. It's not a huge and that's where I was like I just kind of want quality of life right now. But
does the does the ongoing like drug have side effects and things
it does. So a lot of women have to take my my breast cancer was hormone fed. So it's a drug called tmoxifen that most of us have to take and it just kind of makes you feel like you're an 85year-old you know woman with brittle bones and everything hurts and um it it can just exasperate that. Um, and it doesn't affect everyone, but a lot of us don't like tmoxifen.
Yeah.
Um,
and I feel like that's a like a general statement about all of the treatment plan in regards to breast cancer, but also any cancer is like the treatment
Yeah.
is horrible.
So, the treatment's rough. I mean, um, so I was obviously I was 40 and my twin my identical twins were in middle school when this happened. So, my surgery was first. So that was in June. And then I think within a month of that, I started my chemotherapy. So four chemotherapy sessions. And they tell you when you start chemo, hey, you're probably going to lose your hair within 10 days. And sure enough, just it comes out in clumps. Yeah. you know, and um I remember I had a good friend shave it, you know, when it cuz I thought, you know, so many of my friends who have had breast cancer, which is so sad that so many young women have breast cancer, you know, um but they had all said to me, shave it before it just comes out. They're like, because it just then at least you're kind of in control of it.
You're on your terms.
It's on my terms.
Yeah. And um and I remember when my friend shaved it, you know, on my way home. Uh just like I wanted to cry, right? Because I'm like, "This is a I'm not a really pretty bald person. I mean, I can I can tell you that." Like I I'm not looking I'm not looking my best, but you know, you you shave and I just remember I thought I'm going to I'm going to cry one tear. Like that's it. because I thought I can't stay in this because if I stay in this,
I've got to like I've got to prepare for all of what I'm getting ready to go through and I just I can't have my moment.
Yeah, that was like one of my mom's like least maybe the least favorite part. Like you mean and then you think about all the other like horrible stuff that comes along with breast cancer. But I used to remember like the losing her hair and like the like shaving it and doing that whole thing was like
the hardest emotional piece.
It It is. it just to because again I mean you don't realize as a female how much of your identity your hair is. I was thinking like and that's not to like you know some people are like oh it doesn't matter but like you know going she just like her time
was like she would go to her hairdresser and like you know get that done and a new color or some highlight or whatever the thing was and it was just like a part of of how it made her feel pretty and this whole thing and uh I just remember and I was like a I was like a sophomore in high school the first time and I'm like I don't care. I'm like probably like the worst ever for like I'm looking back now I'm like oh that was terrible but like
no but it wasn't.
Um but it's like now I'm like she I was like why are we like there's way worse things than losing your hair. Like that's what's going through my head and but for her it was so important to her and it was the large you said like your identity. you cry your singular tear and then that's a good mindset to have cuz I think another piece of it is
when there's this stuff that's just kind of out of your control like it's not like you can just go and run 50 miles and it's going to be gone. It's a combat happening inside of your body. Um so talk to me about the the mental state that you were in.
It was very very difficult. And you know in addition to I'm I'm fighting breast cancer. My my daughters are in middle school, which is a hard time, right, for for anyone, right? It's just it's an it's an awkward time, right, middle school. So, for young girls, like
it just was an awkward time. But they were so supportive, the twins. And I remember being so fearful
cuz middle school kids are mean, too.
They Oh, they can be.
Just in general, like relative blanket statement is that that time because everyone's kind of insecure about themselves and insecure about and so they were like, you know, just yapping all day. Well, I remember like a day one day they were talking about there was another mom in the next neighborhood over that had breast cancer and they were talking about like some kid on the bus like was making fun of people with cancer or something. And you know again I am like fight or flight mode and I looked at the girls and I said do you want me to get on that bus and I will pull him off the bus and I will have a conversation with him like and my girls were like no no no mama it's okay. But I mean, I was like mama bear right then and um I just had that and they're like, "Oh my gosh, our mother is a little bit unhinged.
She's going to get on that bus for sure."
But um you know, you just kids can be mean. And that's where I was just worried again like what are they going to hear on the bus? Are they going to hear that I'm going to die? Like what what are they hearing? What are they being fed? And that was the first thing is I said I'm I'm not dying first and foremost. And I said whatever questions you have like I will answer anything. And I was I mean Matt and I were so concerned. My husband was actually on the back of a of a ladder downtown Indianapolis as a firefighter when when I told him the news. So um you know when the when the doctor called me, I then said, "Can you call Matt?" So he's on the back of an engine comes home. So we talk when
he's on the back like legitimately
legitimately on the phone and she's like, "Your wife has cancer." Um but again, I was like, "Someone needs to tell him." And I I I'm too emotional to tell him. So, I made my doctor. Anyway, um so that's where like when we both got home, we hatched a plan like how do we tell the girls? What do we say?
And that's where, you know, we had this whole spiel like I'm not going to die. It's going to be fine. And they literally looked at us. They go, "Okay, cool. Can we go have a sleepover at our friends?" We're like, "Okay, all right."
So, um they were kind of unbothered by it, which is which is all that I would want for them, right? I mean, they were upset about it, right? But even I remember um because they were cheerleading you know at time that time at their middle school and I'm like how do you guys feel about like me coming like with a wig or a scarf like I made it a much bigger deal than they did.
I don't know. I think that that's the age group where you are just very uh
all about yourself which is great which is great for that time because it wasn't it didn't bother them so much. It didn't affect I think uh what I was a freshman or sophomore when my mom got her first diagnosis and I was like I couldn't not that I couldn't care less but I just didn't believe cuz like these people are invincible to you
right
you know like nothing like maybe I had lost like a a great grandpa at that point but I had never really like known the fragility of life
right
and then when I think I got to be I was a sophomore in college in 19 I think I was 20 and then I was like oh
like it just hit me different with that conversation and like I don't know sometime in that like five year span
you like become a little less self-absorbed
right
maybe you know
um so you go throughout the treatment process yes
and like take us through where where in the journey that you decided in this very difficult stage of life
to start kicking around business ideas
the business I think like most it it very much happened by accident so when I would go in for all of those appointments and treatments I always had fragrance on me and in my purse and I had essential oils and I had all the things and it just like going in an MRI I hated it every single time. And I mean there's sometimes like I I don't take like a volume or anything but like at that time a lot of times I'd be like give me a volume you know to go in the MRI. I just because it wasn't just being in the MRI. It
was like the fear being in my mind when I'm in there like what if they find more cancer and just it it was an overwhelming period of time. And I was in the hospital doctor's office so much. I mean I think I would say it's easy to say I was probably in a hospital doctor's office probably at least 80 90 times you know just throughout because you think about too just like radiation I went to the hospital for that alone like 36 times so because
over the course of how long
uh so radiation you do daily and for me it had to be bilateral radiation um it's super easy and radiation is not necessarily the hard part you're just really tired by that point Um, but you go in
Well, and like sometimes like that doesn't that irritate the skin?
Oh, so my skin was like falling off.
Yeah, I remember that from my Well, and I remember she had like a tattoo. She had like they had like tattoo and she was so upset about that, too, cuz like she's not a tattoo person.
You have marks everywhere. I mean, you just you just look like something out of a sci-fi movie right at this point.
I don't think people unless you've like seen someone very close to you go through it, you know, right there next to it level. Like I don't know if they totally understand the whole the intricacies that go into that.
It's a lot. I mean it's it's the mental aspect, it's the physical aspect, it's the life is still going on. I've still got to pay bill. Like it's it's all of it. And you know then at that time I didn't quite know but that was when my my husband was um in full addiction with alcohol. So I have that. So there were just some odd behaviors that I'm starting to notice from him at that time. Um, and he did eventually get sober, but
that's a lot going on at one point.
Oh, it was it was a lot. It was a lot. So, I think for me like fragrance just my degree had been in art therapy. That's what I went to school for. So, um, and I loved like the potter's wheel. I love ceramics. And, you know, again, I don't have a potter's wheel in my house. So, I think for me, I needed something to stay busy and keep my mind off of stuff. So, I was like going to Whole Foods all the time and, you know, all of the bougie groceries and and um I was trying to live a cleaner lifestyle as I was going through breast cancer and I just kind of found that like fragrance or just playing or staying busy, keeping my mind busy. It started with candles is really what what I first started with, which I don't even make candles anymore.
But you started by making one a candle. What was the scent? What was like what did you want? So, I did like a citrus fragrance.
So, my girls love a fragrance from Anthropology. So, my first initial investment was like $1,000 into fragrance and soy wax and just all of the things. So, instead of buying a $30 candle, I spent $1,000 to make, you know, my first couple.
Heck yeah. Good investment there. But it's it's at that point it's kind of like a therapeutic like you know what
it was. And so you know at first I was you know making roller ball perfumes and I was making candles. I was making them on my stove top. I'm youtubing carrying fragrance around in my purse honestly during treatment. But as as I would say probably within 6 months of finishing treatment I just mentally was not in a great place. I was riddled with anxiety.
so much anxiet so fearful of the cancer coming back and um they actually I remember going into one of my follow-up appointments and they're like we actually call this the cliff because survivors just kind of you it's just that's when I processed the cancer and everything I'd been through where I think during treatment it all stayed inside I you know I kept it just bubbled in and it was fine but I think then the reality hit me that this is kind of my life now you know I'm going to be a cancer patient I have all these scans. Um I think it was very shortly after I finished radiation, I needed my first brain scan to see I just was having like some vision issues and they're like, "Well, we've got to see if if it's metastasized to your brain and it's just a different life at that point and it's overwhelming and I had so much anxiety and just so much. I didn't know what to do with my anxiety and my nervousness.
I kind of making candles.
I used my art therapy degree and instead of, you know, doing art, fragrance became my art.
Okay. So, you you make that initial $1,000 investment.
You make some candles on the sto like and it's at that point like a cool hobby.
Yes.
Right. Like, oh, you know, fragrance, it's cool. Um, I I do have to ask just cuz I'm curious.
Uh, how long from like diagnosis to end of treatment plan?
Diagnosis was April 15th. Um because I always joke I call the death in taxes day still. Um you know it's fair.
Yeah. Respect.
Um because I mean who get who gets a cancer diagnosis on tax day? I mean
double sucky day.
That's a that's a the worst day ever. So it was and then I finished active treatment the end of December.
9 months 10 months. And then from that point you said it was another six months of just like figuring it out dealing with this anxiety. At what point after that uh did your husband get sober?
That year we were really dealing with his addiction. Um so my husband is an Indianapolis firefighter. He has been a firefighter for 26 years now. He actually is going to retire and join the business fully.
Hey man, let's go.
Clutch and Kendall is his baby. Um but he does help me with the the day-to-day, you know, operations. Um, but he has been diagnosed with PTSD about four times uh throughout his career. Um, I mean, they see horrible things. Um, there's a firefighter actually last night uh that that was pretty severely injured and
it's a it's a tough job. It's minimal pay, you know, for what they do. When you really look at what they do, he didn't know how to help me, I think, during breast cancer.
And I was not, you know, the I was not showing up as my best self. I was I was struggling. I was surviving. And um he he just really
turned to alcohol. So
um he was probably still in active addiction for about the next year and a half maybe. And um so we were not in a great place either.
That is just so real about the toll that cancer takes on families.
Yeah, it does. you know, the obviously being the patient is one like the physical toll there, but the emotional the relational toll like
it is hard on families. Well, it's amazing to hear that his journey with addiction and like getting sober. You said it was six years now.
It's been uh seven years.
Seven years.
Seven years.
That's incredible. And and what I love about Matt is first responders, they see a lot of really horrible things and and it's heartbreaking honestly some of the things that they see because they respond to people's worst days and and things that you things you will never, you know, forget. And um what I love is that he just openly shares his mental health journey with first responders because more first responders needs to need to talk about if they need the help and a lot of times they just want to be brave and strong and they don't want the help and they they're heroes and it's okay to fall apart and it's okay to need help. And
I think about this, how many times in your life have you seen a houseire with your own two eyes in front of you?
Uh maybe like once. I mean,
I mine might be zero.
Like when I've driven by somewhere it once probably
once. Like I I honestly I'm 28. I might have seen zero house fires with my own two eyes. Yeah.
Matt's hundred.
So they say that I think Indianapolis has truly about three and Matt would be the one to have to tell you this, but I think it's like three active fires a day throughout Indie somewhere
that they consider an active fire.
Yeah. the normal. How many car crashes have you seen?
But that's it's it's the car crashes. It's the people that they don't make it in the car crash and Matt's with them in their last moments. It's the um I mean, he's seen a lot of that. So, you're with that patient. It's when they tell the mother, "Your son didn't make it." And the mother is broken. And um you know, it's it's it's a it's just you see a lot of really hard things.
Yeah. You see a lot of people's worst days every day.
You do.
And yeah, the mental health toll that that takes, the emotional, again, the like
Yeah, being a firefighter is one physically tough, right?
But it might even rival it with like the mental is is the toughest part.
Oh my god.
Because I I don't know how people are equipped to, you know, go into trauma again. And you also never know when that when what you see is going to lead to right you you struggling with PTSD and reliving it over.
When did how old was Matt when he became a firefighter?
He was working down in the bars in Broadfall. Mine shaft Rock Lobster Average Joe's. Yeah. Come on.
Um so anyway, and he was volunteering at Fischer's Fire Department at that time going to going to school too. So I think he was when he got on full-time 26 years old on IFD
and even like you know 26 year old I feel like some it's usually yeah somewhere in the like 20 to to 30 at the top end probably that they join the
Yeah I think now you can be up to like 32 maybe I
like when you're young you're young testosterone full like you want to be a hero and run into burning buildings but then by the time you get to be you know late 30s you have kids and a family and all these like right it's just you know it is uh who you are at 38 40 is different than who you are at 22 when you're just like I want to go be the hero and run it all the and then you've seen all the things for a decade.
Yeah. Yeah.
Oh man.
Yeah. It it definitely it starts to just take its toll. And I think the other thing with with first responders that really kind of gets overlooked especially like a firefighter you work 24 on and then you work 48 off. So for 24 hours, you might be up the entire night and then guess what? You have to then go I mean Matt can tell you plenty of times where he was at work the night before. Maybe someone passed away. So just maybe solve something terrible and then the next day it's a holiday. So he has to be on and happy because he's he's with his family. But he's like seriously you guys are you know complaining about an appetite? You know it just
it's it's it's really hard to juggle that. Yeah. It's like, let's say you go from being on 24 hours, you see some, you know, crazy things and it's like now we have a dance recital or a football game and like,
you know, your kids are upset because they lost the football game or the basketball game or whatever and you're like and you're like in your head you have to like this is that's normal life. Like in normal life like people can be upset because they don't win the football.
I mean the the stupid things I've called him about and I'm like I'm so upset and he's like why? And I'm like I don't know the air conditioner is not working you know and he's like seriously I just saw something terrible. So that's that's hard.
It's hard, right? Because um so you know, you don't sleep, you know, when you are on shift and again 26 years of that it it starts to it's it's hard.
I love exploring some like the side conversation sometimes and like those things cuz obviously uh as we get more into it, there is a huge connection between your guys's business and your connection to first responders and mental health that we're going to get into. What we need to know is how do you go from a $1,000 candle set like kind of playing around art therapy to building a business?
The first few years it really was a hobby. I was doing markets. Um I gifted I think that first year I gifted things right to people.
You know it's like one of those like birthday Christmas whatever like oh yeah we're going to get a caramel get some fragrance. Oh, they're still getting everyone's still like I'm going to get but now people want it. But uh back then I couldn't give it away, right? Like so I remember I mean doing some of my first markets.
What was your first market?
Hamilton County Fairgrounds. I don't remember what the booth rent was. Let's say 300 bucks. I think I sold $70.
Yikes.
Yeah. And my table was atrocious. Like I just look at it, right? And it just like looked like I just threw a bunch of crap, right? Like cuz I didn't know what I was doing. So, um,
and during the time when you start to like go out and do market, like that's when I think it becomes like a little bit from like, uh, hobby to side hustle.
Oh, yeah.
So, you start to have the side hustle.
Yeah.
Like, what are your friends, what are people say like, "Oh, you're going to go lose $200 more dollars by paying your booth fee and not selling anything."
Pretty much. Well, the So, I will tell you one of my worst markets I went to. It was It was juried. So, that means you have to be accepted. You know, you have to apply. There was a market at the it was like a Cincinnati Museum of Art or something. Well, I get the market. It's like again three $400 for to be a part of the market. Well, then I don't realize I I have to get a hotel downtown Cincinnati. I hadn't thought about that. Well, that hotel that night was like 350 bucks, something like that. And I'm like, "Oh god." Cuz I'm like, "This was a night market. So, I'm not going to drive back to Indie." Yeah.
You know, at 11:30 at night.
So, now you're like 700 pushing meals. You might be 800 pushing $1,000. Then my daughter goes with me. I will never forget and I don't know why I had to leave her like in an alley and it was not great for just a few minute like for just a minute. There were other vendors but I remember the guilt I felt and I was like I mean like I met like a nice vendor like a mom and I'm like can I just like just a minute and she's like yes and I mean we both have our cell phone. I am freaking out though that I have to leave right? My my my daughter is like 14 15 at this time and um I'm just horrified. So, we do the market. I sold $60. So,
stop. Like, what? And like what was
it was like the worst day. Like, no one like no one came to the market. Okay. So, it wasn't just like me, right?
It wasn't like you had bad presentation. It was like, no, it was just wasn't
this this market was a flop. And then I remember like the next day I wanted to cry right the whole way home but my daughter's with me and I'm like I got to be brave and strong and I'm like but I don't want like you know I'm like singing like you you know like a some like brave and strong like Disney song to myself by Katy Perry is going on right for awful and and the minute I get home I'm like you know I just cry for days because I just a I had to leave my daughter in an alley and I made no money and it was it was awful. But
not only did you not make money, you lost
Oh, I lost a lot of Yeah, big time
for like a small business, too. Like going in the whole 750 bucks is
big time. I had another market that was at Clay Terrace that was outdoors. Again, couple hundred in a vendor fee. I didn't sell a single thing that t like no one came to this market. I mean none of the
and these are the things that uh one a lot of like small businesses one maybe don't talk about or two that like end them like some people would go to one of those no one buys their stuff and they're like yeah I'm done.
I was too stupid right? I was like I was like I just got to keep going like but I mean the humility I was like I thought shaving my head like humbled me but this is humbling like this hustle is this is brutal but I have money in this and I like what am I going to do? So where did you catch that first big break
when CO happened?
Oh, how long at that point had this been going on?
So a couple years that like I mean there were there were probably I Matt knows of at least two times I threw everything in the trash after markets and went to bed and cried and he got it out of the trash at least two times because it it's it is brutal. So I mean I'm starting to get some momentum. I'm starting to get some boutiques but it's not it's a it's a side hustle at this point. So when you're this is 2017, 2018, 2019.
Yeah. So then when COVID hits, I had just invested in the website and it actually was starting to like I was starting to get
How many like how many orders a week or a day at that point?
Not a substantial amount. Maybe maybe clearing 20 30,000 a year maybe for a side hustle. I mean I So I mean not not a huge amount.
And at that point are your friends like, "Oh, that's a cute like side hustle. That's like fun."
Yeah. and it and it was but I but I wanted it to be more and I knew that um at this point I knew I wanted to make it a business. So um at this point I'm working part-time for a hospital foundation and I love that because we're raising money for an infusion center um in in Noblesville. I just I love that and I thought well maybe I want to be a director you know and and and give back to cancer in this way and um and I loved the work that we did but I just thought no this isn't this is this hits too close to home and I thought I really love the creativity that I that I get to be my own boss and it was right before co Matt just goes you know what
just go full-time with it and I thought okay so I I thought you know we haven't really made a salary off this for so like what's it what's it matter at this point so
yeah That's good.
I mean, okay. So, we just we decided I mean, and financially, we were not in a position that we should have ever done this business, but I really wanted it. And Matt knew that it was helping me so much mentally to just stay busy and active and blending and playing. And um when I had anxiety, I would just go blend and play. And
hey, Hoosiers, let me tell you about Keller and Keller, a respected Indiana based law firm that's here for all of us from Evansville up to South Bend. They've been serving Hoosiers since 1936, and they really know what it means to fight for the community. These guys have recovered over $1 billion for their clients. Yes, that's billion with a B. That's a serious track record of getting results. And here's something that should really make your wallet feel good. They have a zero fee guarantee. That means you don't pay a dime unless they win your case. Talk about peace of mind when you're hiring a lawyer. So, if you've been injured here in the Hoosier State, don't hesitate to call 18002 Keller to get the support and guidance you need. They mean business. Now, let's get back into the episode. The idea of adults playing.
Yeah.
Like I think being able to test and experiment and fail and like maybe you mix a scent or whatever it is and it doesn't work. Like a lot of times,
especially in work, people aren't incentivized to play.
No,
you're not incentivized to fail or try something new.
Um, and then in their hobbies, it's like they usually do things like, you know, I don't know, my friends like we drink beer and watch sports. there's not a lot like we're watching someone else play but we're not actually playing or tinkering or anything like that. What would you say um the the benefits for your just overall well-being?
Oh my I mean it's I I will say I mean the business literally like I I healed myself. This was my art therapy for myself, right? So like this is every day I'm so excited to get up. I'm so excited. So, like yesterday, um I I have the opportunity to to do a huge collab and I said a year ago I won a huge blogger contest living in yellow
and my small business got $6,000. What Aaron really did is she poured into me and mentored me and she has a huge business. I think she's got like 15 women that work for her.
Heck yeah.
And um she was not an entrepreneur. She's based out of Mberry, Indiana of all things. Isn't that crazy?
Heck yeah.
So, um, Aaron has probably a combined following of about a million followers.
Owner of Shop Living in Yellow.
Yeah. So, she's Shop Living in Yellow and then she's also the blog which is Living in Yellow.
Yeah. And what's the whole what's the what's her whole stick?
So, she was one of the early influencers. And I think what people love about Aaron is that she is the real deal. She pours into women. she pours into her community and she's just a real person and and that comes across does this um funded by yellow. She doesn't she got nothing out of it and they just poured into us like crazy.
So she blew up my business last year. So they want to work on possibly doing a fragrance collab. So I'm super excited about that. And I am in her shop in Mberry, Indiana.
Okay. So this is this is so cool. I'm like looking through and these are like businesses that
Yeah.
I don't know like how long she she's probably been doing this for a minute.
So she was one of the first influencers. So
yeah, but even like that's like
2015.
Yeah. 10 years,
you know, like 20 years ago, this business didn't exist. So this probably got started right around the time that you were going through um
a little bit before. Yes.
A little bit before. Okay. But that's so cool. And then like for her to give back $6,000 for a small business,
that was huge. I mean,
and honestly, like if you think about the the value of her promotion
when she does a shout out to me, my website, I mean, um, so when we did the, uh, I got to do a live with her, we we went to, uh, stay with her, all of the funded winners. There was a gal from Georgia.
How many?
Uh, there were three of us total.
And the whole weekend, I mean, these women poured into us the whole weekend. I felt like I was on this like amazing retreat, but it was like it was just for small business owners, them just pouring into us, helping make our businesses better. We did a live on her Facebook page during the weekend. I mean, I think I came home to 200 web orders just from the live.
No way.
Yeah, it's so cool.
That was when was her? So during um CO I started doing farmers markets and I got very good during CO and that was when I really learned
what made it good.
I mean I was terrified right when CO hit cuz I'm like how am I going to sell fragrance? Like this is crazy. Everyone's got a mask on. But I think me being out every single weekend talking to the community. Um I am from Noblesville originally, so I'm also kind of on home turf.
Did you see the video we put out with the mayor?
I just did. So, I want to know, have you bought in Noblesville yet?
Uh, I'm currently assessing my offers. Like, I'm I'm getting courted by many, many different suburbs. I don't know if I'm a suburb guy, but Noblesville, they put on a good show. So, Sufinum of Caramel, I'd like to see Mayor Fadness from Fisers, maybe you get in the in the mix, too. But, I'm keeping my options open. But Noblesville did put on a good show.
It's I think Noblesville is such a special town. Um, but uh that's where I'm from. And you know when when COVID hit I was like that was the one place I could get into was their farmers market. So I did the farmers market there for three years.
And you said you got good at it. How do you get good at a farmer?
I get good because people are coming up. They're smelling things actively. So I know how it's I know if people like it or not right away. So there's that you can just you know you're with a live audience.
Yeah. You're getting like product feedback a little bit better.
I'm getting feedback right then and there. So you know. So if it was good I'm like okay. Would you like write that down or something like, "Okay, this is good. This one not good."
Yeah. And then it was funny because a lot of times Matt and I would battle because he would have his hats and I'd have my fragrance and we'd see who could outs sell the other, right? And a lot of times he would at the farmers market. I mean, the hats are so cool that we make. So,
well, okay. Where did these come into the mix?
So, those came into the mix about four or five years ago. A friend of mine does repurposing. Uh Lisa Underwood, she takes vintage designer handbags and cuts them apart. So, and repurposes them and puts puts the Louis Vuitton, the Gucci on other things. So, she designed the first ever Fire Hose patch hat. That is Fire Hose. So, um she brought it to us and at first we're like, "Huh?" And you know, Matt hand paints those. We are We have paused the hand painted right now. We are still doing like the American flag with the fire hose. Um we still have like a shamrock with the fire hose, but those hand painted, they're a lot of work. Um but we've rolled out the all of that about four years ago.
Heck yeah. Um so for those that are checking out the the YouTubers, see it online. So this right here is Yeah. Fire hose.
It's fire hose
that's repurposed into hats.
Yes. So what happens is after after a fire um you know they they go through they test fire hose and if they have to get rid of it they're going to take it to a landfill. So we started basically taking it and repurposing it. So I have a gal locally that cuts the fire hose for us on a laser cutter and then Lisa sews all of the patches on for us.
Incredible.
And then we give back to first responder mental health. So
amazing. Amazing. So as you guys were growing Yes. right? Doing the farmers markets. Where did the brands kind of like split?
You know, especially living in yellow. So, last year uh Indianapolis Monthly did a feature on us in August.
Um and then the end of the year they reached out and we were named uh best local fragrance by Indianapolis Monthly for their for and we were on their uh we were on the cover for their group photo shoot which was super cool. But at that point, I'm like, "Okay, I really have a business, right?" And I and it's been a business for a few years, but
well, when you're losing money or like it's a hobby, it's like it doesn't feel like it a business,
right? But it really I mean, I would say probably the last three years it really became a business and um you know, especially with Living in Yellow. But as I was working with Living in Yellow, just things came up like trademarks. Like one of the gals had a trademark and I thought, well, I'm not trademarked. So, I start down that path of looking at trademarks and just long-term legacy planning because this is a business and at some point if my twins want to be involved, you know, and and and they are involved, but they're in college right now. And I then realized I I need to get both need to get the business trademarked.
And as we talked, there were some problems with trademarking Clutch and Kendall. I could only own it like in hats and apparel. I can't own it in the perfume space. So that's where we're like, okay, we we sat down as a family. So we basically were like, you know what, why don't we kind of separate the businesses and with dad retiring, this is just going to make it a little bit easier. So the collection and Kindle is the hats and the apparel and then the Ember and Bell is the fragrance.
So I started that process of trademarking about six months ago.
Oh, heck yeah.
So
how's that been?
Uh, well, I had an attorney do it because I don't know what I'm doing. And most people have said um that if you do your own trademark, they're going to they're going to need more stuff and they make it difficult. So they're like by the time you then call an attorney in, you might as well just have the attorney do it from start to finish.
I love that. I think it's super cool, especially as Matt, you know, Yes.
ends his time with the with IFD and, you know, joins the family business full time.
I also I do have to I went and looked. You were It's with Samson on the front. Do you know Samson? Let me check. He's a previous two-time guest of the pod. He is a character.
He He is.
And I was like I looked through I was like, "Oh, yeah. I' I've definitely seen the image."
Oh, yeah. I don't Now Samson during that photo shoot. I mean, he was like crouched down for like 15 minutes cuz he was in the front of us and I'm like his like it's like a thigh day for Samson. I mean, he he grinds.
He Yeah, he he
he's been one where I'm like
he's super fun.
Oh, he's great. And he might be I mean there's probably some people that I don't know but people I know may be one of the only people that can rival me in random Indiana knowledge of just like the most random things. That's very very important and I love it all. Like that's why I you know do what we do. But he's one that can go back and forth with me of like oh yeah do you know this that the other thing. No well do you know this that and the other thing? It's it's great. Love Samson.
Okay so catch us up to today.
Yes.
Right. 2025. How's the business looking? What are the next big steps that you guys are trying to do? The business probably had I don't know maybe like 30% growth last year
and then this year I think we're up 30% over last year.
That's amazing.
So, um my accountant does those things because again I can be creative. I won't I won't do the financial stuff. Um I know just enough. It's it's super exciting. So then it was like September October I was on Instagram. Sarah Sarah Blakeley had a post and I made a comment.
Stop.
Well, no, I didn't get to Sarah Blakeley. I I Sarah, I'm I'm waiting. I'm waiting. Mentor me.
Um
she avid listener of the Get in Pod. She listens to every episode.
She'll reach out.
So anyway, she had made a post about just, you know, being a female entrepreneur. And I just made a comment and I said, you know, Sarah, I said, "Thank you so much for paving the way for female entrepreneurs." And I said, "I'm a cancer survivor owned business." Well, Junk Gypsy, who they had an HGTV show, they are a New York Times bestselling author. They ended up in my DMs and they said, "Hey, we would love samples." And I'm like, "That's great."
So, they've got about a half million followers. So, I sent samples to them and I didn't hear anything. So, I followed up and I'm like, "Hey, I just want to see like, do you have any questions?" She's like, "Yeah, I think so and so." And I didn't hear anything and I was kind of bummed. And then it was like 2 weeks later they sent me a huge order.
And then about a month after that, they said, "Things are going so great. We want you in the other in so I'm in Roundtop, Texas, as well as Wimberly, Texas in both of their boutiques." Um, and then Matt and I got to go see everything at Junk Gypsy. We didn't get to meet the sisters, unfortunately, that weekend, but we got to go see all of our stuff in Roundtop, which was that's so cool.
Super cool.
Okay. One, I'm now nowhere near half a million followers. I love it when it's like cuz you see the thing you're like I need to experience this and then I feel like uh vendors are like oh they're going to they're going to do something and like so there's been a few times where we get like merch or whatever and I'm like oh yeah I totally have it on my calendar to like put something together but it's never like as quick as like like they get the tracking thing like it's been delivered and then they're like are you going to post about it and I was like yeah I totally am. And then it doesn't happen for like two or three weeks and they're like hey just checking in here and I'm like hey we're I promise you we're going to do it. But it's so cool because then you get to like uh put real thought into how you're going to display this and like make it a huge impact for you all
just to see. I mean and and we actually we did another local uh we did a collab with Mina from uh Two Chicks and Hammer. So we did that with her last summer which was super fun. So that was my first HGTV. So now I've got Junk Gypsy. So, I just I feel like I want HGTV to call me, too. And maybe maybe like do something on on just watch watch how, you know, watch me go to vendor events and that sort of thing. I think that'd be super cool just to see the behind the scenes of these small businesses.
I I think that's super fascinating. That's the one part that people love about some of the content that we put out. Yeah.
Uh like I did like whatever it is, whether it's working a vendor event or like it's kind of like Mike Rose's dirty jobs concept. Yeah. where it's like these jobs that are very normal things like people are getting on Instagram live to watch like every morning this trash guy goes live on TikTok I believe and there people just watch this guy clean up trash like literally like jump off the trash truck and back on and stuff and like people are just
curious about the way that people live the their lives are right
it's very very fascinating to me but yeah learning the behind the scenes of setting it up and what's the right pitch and how do you close deals
the the thing about Indie we do we love our small makers I mean, we do. And it has been I've had so many people it I mean, it's crazy. I have people that order from me like every single like every single week and I'm like, "What are these people doing with this fragrance? Like, what what are they doing with it?" Um, it's it's
Yeah. It's like, "Hey, Karen, what are you doing with this much fragrance?" Um,
what's going on over there?
It's But it is incredible that Indie truly I mean, we do show up for our vendor events. we show up. Um and and one thing that I'll say too about Noblesville is Pief Fest. I have to give a shout out for PE Fest.
Yeah. In the last five years, it's like only a sevenyear-old thing or a 5-year-old thing.
I think it's five years. So, we've been in it. This was our third year.
Can I can I ask like kind of a probing question about that single day if you had to say sales from PE festival cuz there's 40,000 people that are there.
Yeah.
If you had like you can give us a rough estimate ballpark.
I I cried like cried this year. Um, we had a huge number the year before.
A big number the year before. It's more than probably my husband brings home in 6 weeks pay.
Shut up.
In 8 hours, 6 hours.
The event is that long. But there is a lot of prep that goes into it.
Oh yeah. Yeah. But like but like you turn on like you know you flip go. It's like hey the event started.
Something like that. It's like if you think back to when you first started and you're like yeah we maybe did $20,000 a year. I got in my car and you know again I mean I've been I've been hustling to build this brand. I mean I I hustle. I'll reach out. I you know no one's coming to me, right? Like I mean they are now kind of but at the beginning I mean I had to beg people you know take my fragrance and they're like I don't smell this.
Yeah. Smell this. And they're like we don't want to. And I'm like please and um you know I can remember so I make the soaps for Monterey and Tibberoon if you've been to Monteray and Tibberoon. So, I walked in the door and how that came about was when they opened, I was there eating lunch with a girlfriend and we're sitting at the bar and I got up, I went to the restroom and it was just really artificial smelling and I remember coming back and I reme I I remembered CT who was the owner from when he was a manager at one of the other restaurants in town and I just looked at him and I go you I go I'm so sorry like this isn't going to this might not sound great And I said, "But you are such a nice restaurant and there's like an artificial smell. We've got to fix that."
And I said, "But here's the thing. I'm going to fix it. I'm going to fix it for free and you're going to send me business." I came in that Tuesday. I set it all up. I set up my soaps.
Like now my soaps are just part of Monterey Tibberoon. Like everyone knows like that's just that's the fragrance and it works and people like sense when you smell things you like you remember pleasant experiences.
Yes. Okay. So there's a real science behind that. These are my Monterey soaps.
Oh, that I do.
What do we got?
So, uh, Big Su is a Monterey soap.
Oh.
Um,
come on. This So, this smells like what Monterey smells like.
So, yeah. So, and Tiboon now.
Wow. Okay.
So, those are those are that um
big. Can I open this?
Yeah. Or you can open it in the home fragrance oil, too.
Is that acceptable?
Oh, yeah. These are all for you. This is all your stuff.
Oh, that's phenomenal.
Yeah.
Okay. Uh because I do want to talk about all the different goodies that you brought. I will say I just had Gemi Osmir on the podcast. He opened Oswell Fitness.
Okay.
The fancy gym in Caramel. Um he's an aid listener. Gemi, it's it is a fancy gym. There's a scent when you walk in there. Like they really worked on like
doing a fragrance. And I think that that just is a like an a level up experience,
right? you go into a really nice hotel, you're going to smell something and it's it's it's just it's going to evoke some great memories for you. So, I'm a big I I love fragrance obviously. It's what I do.
No.
Um so, I know. Um and the and the running joke is when my husband's not saving lives and property, he is at home making women's perfumes. Amen. So you know that's
well well talk to me because there is a whole point of the brand that is about being a clean fragrance.
Yeah. So when I was um in breast cancer treatment I was I had never done this before. I was going to Sachs and I was buying like $60 candles because I am like I have breast cancer. I'm going to buy myself a $60 candle. I've never bought one before but I'm going to now. So, I'm surrounded with all these really expensive candles thinking this is so healthy.
This is so great. Well, it doesn't just because you're spending a lot of money, it doesn't mean that there's good ingredients in them. So, what I really learned is about the phalates which are in fragrances, uh, hormone disruptors. There's just there can be a lot of bad things. And not only that, when you have candles that were not soy wax, you know, you can still do fragrance. I just opt to do things that are as clean as possible so that I don't have headaches, I don't have migraines.
Um, and again, I can feel safe putting it on my body and then it's safe for my twins, it's safe for my family. So, I I don't do things perfectly, but I try to live a cleaner lifestyle.
Okay?
So, like my soaps for example, like they just turn a natural amber color. I don't add any ingredients to to change that because why? I mean, it it's not it's just one more ingredient that it doesn't matter. As long as the soap smells amazing, who cares?
Yeah.
So, but that's where I just I want it to be as clean and as natural as it can possibly be and minimal, you know, ingredients and just really transparent ingredients and just everything as clean and as luxurious at a great price point so that everyone can afford it. you know, 28-y old guy. I'm not necessarily thinking about
fragrances and clean fragrance as much as I I mean, I I should be could be, you know, um but it's cool to learn the story and learn about like, you know, the different You talked about what phalates and
hormone disruptors.
Yeah, there we go.
So, again, as a breast cancer survivor, I just want to make sure that everything that's in my space that's on my body, that it's as clean as I can possibly get it. So, again, I don't do everything perfectly. I still eat sugar. I mean, you know, you you you make some lifestyle changes. And this was one thing that again, if I'm going to put it all on my body, I just wanted to make sure it was safe for me and it's safe for my kids.
So, how many different product options do you have?
Uh, what I do is I do the soaps, uh, the refillable soaps only. Now, I used to do um, so again, like with a business co like all the plastic, it just became really difficult during co the prices kept going up. So that's why I just started to do a refill online. So I have the soaps. I'm known for those.
When you say a refill,
so that's like a refill bottle that you would put into
into one of these things.
Into one of those things.
Yes. Okay.
Yeah.
Cuz this is like a
That's like a glass refillable bottle. So you would reuse it over and over. Uh-huh. Yes.
So um I do the soaps, I do body oils, I do roller ball perfumes and cologne. I do car diffusers, um, which are also for a closet if you don't want to put in your car. The the home fragrance oils, which is just the the little oil right there. Um, I do room sprays.
What is What is like the number one selling thing?
So, my number one selling thing is my are my roller balls.
The roller balls.
So, and the boho is my top seller, but it's been with me the longest.
Gotcha. So that I created and brought out my first roller ball I think like six years ago.
And like how much has the like presentation and everything like leveled up over the years cuz like this is a this is a really nice
well like that I don't sell but I have the link to it on my website but that's where and and again like so the soaps but like these are all of my um roller balls. So like the
I don't even what's a roller ball?
So that's like a cologne.
Oh.
So what you'll do So that's one of my men's scents. That's the Santa blue is you take it and you're going to put it like put it like on a pulse point and then you're going to dab it.
Okay.
Okay. And then you can like put it on your neck.
Oh,
so I'm a girl. I have long hair. I'm going to put it on the ends of my hair.
Yeah.
I'm going to walk into this sales meeting later. They're going to be like, "Dang,
you're going to smell so good.
We love the We'd love to double our price."
Um Yeah. You are going to smell so good. So, and then the uh the little car diffusers. So these became really big. This became like a viral Tik Tok item. And it's really funny because when people see that other people make card, they're like, "Carry their copy." I'm like, "Everyone makes it's just
But the one you created was like the first viral."
No, no, no. Mine was I wish I I wish it was, but no, but the just card diffusers in general. So you take the little cap off and then you put it on. So it's right now you can't smell it. And then the fragrance comes up. So then when you're driving, like especially if you start going crazy in your car, it's going to really fragrance.
Oh, cuz then it like puts it diffuses more out there.
It's like So yeah. So if you really get going.
So I have a Jeep, so if we take it off-roading, it's going to smell. Fantastic. So there's the car diffuser.
Amazing.
And then I do body oils. So which body oil is just to moisturize skin in place of lotion.
The uh the next guest who comes in the studio is going to just be like, "Whoa, what? This place smells amazing."
Well, so I have to tell you a funny story. Matt and I went uh to Michigan a couple years ago in an Airbnb and the gal reached out and she's like, "I just have to say," she's like, "Did you spill fragrance somewhere?" And I'm like, "No." And she's like, "Are you sure?" Like, "I think you spilled." And I'm like, I said, "No." I said, "I own a fragrance company." I said, "I'm guessing it's just that." But I thought like it was the weirdest. I thought there really wasn't that much fragrance with me. I I don't know if she was super sensitive, but it just made
Were they mad at you? like I it just made me laugh because I'm like do I'm like Matt like you don't walk in my house and go oh my gosh it's overwhelming with fragrance. So um it just made me giggle cuz she's like I really think you you spilled something. I'm like I really didn't but
it's like hey this is the like but but by the way if you want me to
I was like yeah if you want to go to my website then
I love it Gary it's been so great learning more about the businesses plural that you guys built and your journey and your family. I just think you're doing an amazing job. We've come to the end of the show where we have a couple fun segment questions to ask. First question, if you could have your fragrance anywhere in any retailer, where would it be?
Is I want to go into Magnolia Home with Chip and Joanna Gaines. Chip and Joanna, if you're listening.
Yeah. Also avid listeners of the G.
Husband and wife team. That is that's a big goal for me. I just to see my stuff in Magnolia would be super cool. Um,
you know what you do? You take a Sarah Blakeley approach. Maybe just go in there and just start reorganizing them. I keep sending them samples and no one's getting my no response at all.
But you know what? I just I It's going to happen. It's just It's going to happen. So, um, so that's my big goal. And
especially after they hear this episode,
obviously. Are they Are they calling you right now?
Uh, well, we're not live, but when we post it, it'll go live.
Yes. Perfect.
Um, that's okay. That's a good one. Um, another piece of you do that you do is sometimes you'll send out handwritten notes with orders. Yes.
What was like the most recent handwritten note that you sent out to a customer?
Well, I like my notes are kind of like, "Thank you so much. I'm so excited, you know, that you're supporting us." Now, my husband though, he he is known for having very good penmanship and he will write like paragraphs to people. It's really cute. So, he gets really into I'm like my handwriting's messy. I have ADHD. I don't want to sit and write that long. Whereas Matt will just
great penmanship.
He has great penmanship and um but you know again I mean every single order still to this day I'm grateful right like people are spending their hard-earned money with us so it's it's incredible.
Absolutely. Has there ever been a time you've experimented with a scent and it did not go the way you
all the time?
Well it's like the most recent one.
I would say I probably do about 50 blends before I really release a good one.
Wow. Okay. I didn't,
but I'm very critical of it. So, and then my twins also chime in on it and they kind of help me. We kind of we kind of see like what fragrances are trending and and what notes and that sort of thing and and we
but I I've made some doozies. I'm not going to lie. I have made some doozies and um you know, like I'll think, "Oh, maybe that's good." But sometimes too, I go nose blind when I'm when I'm creating
and then the next day I'll smell like that is wow.
Not good.
That's funny. What's a scent that reminds you of Indiana?
I used to have a home fragrance scent called Indiana Nights, which had uh cardamom. It had I know it had some musk to it.
Notes of pork tenderloin.
Yes. Yes. That's exactly notes of like the the Speedway like
burnt rubber.
It would have to be burnt rubber, right? So, um, so I don't know if
if you had to make one, how would you make a scent that was like another one if you released like
I would probably do something that would be like a again like another fragrance for like an like a Indiana summer night, you know, right? Like cuz that's just I don't know there's like a special smell to that. Maybe like some grass seed in it.
So Noblesville, you grew up there like Noblesville is not was not what it is today. So back when Noblesville was like out in farm country,
right? the well the other hat Deer Creek when it was
Deer Creek back when Deer Creek like I'm from a small town in northern Indiana so like the Indiana scent to me actually wouldn't be burnt rubber
it would be like the when they're harvesting
up in like farm country in northern Indiana right
there's just a scent about it that
scent and that's where like I grew up on the on the lake in Noblesville so again like it just and Noblesville is this it's a hidden gem I mean for sure so um but I think anything that's like a little bit you know just very like reminds me of the lake and being outside and just fireflies and just all all of the things that Indiana has to offer.
A large listener base is, you know, men.
Yes.
And if men were going to find something from Clutching uh Clutching Kindle or Ember and Bell,
what uh what scent what thing do they need to buy for their significant other?
Santal Smoke is my men's, which that's Santal Blue. Buy for you. Buy for yourself for you. But what what am I getting?
So, but if you're going to buy for your like wife, your girlfriend, um, Not an Angel is a new one that I just did. I think it is my best fragrance I've ever blended.
Not an angel.
Yeah. And I love the name of it. Right. So, it is vanilla, lavender. It is
vanilla, pink pepper, jasmine, lily, lavender, cacao, and ginger.
Yes. Yeah. That's a good one. That's a really good one. So, and I I always say too, like my fragrances are like personal space fragrances. So, you're not gonna you're not going to offend anyone. So, I mean like my fragrance is going to kind of project around me. It's not going to
unless of course you're at a
unless you're an Airbnb, which it didn't even happen. But anyway, um you know, so again, it's going to kind of be like a close sexy date night. So, I love that. So,
go on. There we go.
Yeah. So, I love that one. Um, love is one that's really fun. It's cognac and pralines. Really spicy.
Oh,
so that's a great evening fragrance, too.
Evening fragrance.
Evening fragrance for sure.
Oh, I'm starting to like Yeah, I'm not I don't have a great sense of smell.
After dark.
Oh, all right. You just musk. What is musk?
So, musk is just going to be kind of a little bit manly, masculine, just just kind of
I love it. Love musk. So, you're going to find musk notes in a lot of men's fragrances.
Yeah. Boho. This is the one you said is your your big one.
Yes.
Pistachio, vanilla, and salted caramel.
Yeah.
Smell like a treat.
That's a good one.
Ooh, that just smells
friendly. It's just sec like they're just I I don't know. I try to I just I play. I mean, that's what I I say that I am a Makea-Wish. I I made like I'm a Makea-Wish Cancer kid, right? Like this is my Makea-Wish. and and I did it, right? So, like how cool is that? And my husband I mean my husband obviously. So,
um well, hey, it's been incredible learning about your journey. We have come to the portion of the show where we ask the same three questions to everyone who comes on. So, first question for you, what is something the world needs to know about Indiana?
Indiana is a great place to live. Great people, welcoming people. It's unlike any place I've ever been. It has a little bit of everything. it how you can go to the country, you can be in the city. It's it really is a special place and I've I've traveled a lot of other places. It It's unlike any other place with hospitality.
Amen. All right. This is your chance to uh to share the mic you to spread the love to someone someone else that or something else that we need to know about that's not getting enough love. So, what is a hidden gem in Indiana?
There is kind of this NA movement happening, right? like uh so alcohol-f free I am loving like Orangely
is the gals out of they have a shop in Broadripple now they're in Caramel um so it's a it's an alcohol-f free store
o r a orangely
orange they've just re they had to do a rebranding a trademark
co-founder of Laurens alcohol free
it was Laurens alcohol-free now it's like the orangely or whatever
but I just think you know again for people like my husband that aren't drinking I think that the alcohol-f free movement's pretty cool in Indie Yeah.
And I did give I did give up alcohol too along with my husband, I just decided to give it up because I'm like the older I get and again like it's it's not great for us for our health.
Okay. Orangely
Orange.
Yeah. O R A N G I L Y. They are ready to drink non-alcoholic cocktails.
Yes. And they also have now some CBD as well as some low THC which is legal in the state.
Yeah. Uh, beer, wine, spirit, ready to go drinks. Wow. There you have it.
But it's just kind of a cool movement.
Yeah, this is super cool.
And womanowned.
And womanowned. Come on. Sparkling white wines.
Yeah.
Beers.
Yeah.
Holy smokes. Tequila and Mezcow alternatives. Okay. And where are they? Where's their shop?
So, they have a new shop where Lux and Ivy was at uh down off right next to Mama Corollas.
Yeah.
They have a shop that they just opened there. That's their second or third shop.
East Caramel, South Broadripple, village of West Clay. I love that. That's a good That's a good shout out. Hidden gemily.
Yeah. Yeah.
Um, finally, now you get to share some more love with a person.
Yes.
Um, someone that again, it's flying through. This is how we find out new recommendations for guests or people that need to be on our radar. So, who is au that we need to keep on our radar? Someone who's doing big things.
Jen, I think it's We wree gluten warrior mix. She is a granola brand. So, again, like me, she kind of had a has a purpose-driven business. Her son was autistic. So, she came up with a clean granola line. She's in Costco. She's built a national brand based out of Noblesville.
Be free gluten-free bakery.
Yeah.
Heck yeah.
She's a She is one of the coolest people.
I love that. Uh founder and owner. Yeah. At Be Free Gluten-Free Snacks.
Yeah. But and she employs uh she employs people who have autism. I mean she's just she is the real deal. Super cool. And she, you know, just just did this for her sons.
And the the Noblesville crew always support each other. I love that.
We do.
Uh Gary, thank you so much for coming on, sharing your story. Uh when is Matt's official retirement?
One year, eight months.
One year, eight months.
Yes.
Okay. So, you're getting getting close on time. We're getting close.
Um that's so fun. Well, one, please give my appreciation to him for all the hard work that he puts in. Uh, obviously, yeah, IFD, like that's some serious stuff going on there. I love your guys' mission. I love the fact that you also give back to first responders
and breast cancer.
And breast cancing the gospel from here on out. Uh, appreciate you coming on. And if people want to connect with you, oh my gosh, we can't forget that. People want to purchase fragrance, check it out, see you, learn about your story, more, where can they do that at?
So, the website Clutch andKindle, which it's k i n d uh.com or Ember and Bell, which is ble L.com. I'm on Instagram. Uh, it is Clutch and Kindle and Ember andBell combined, Carrie Han, C A R I H Ahn. And I'm on LinkedIn. I'm on Facebook. I'm on all the things.
If you can't find it, we'll link it in the notes, too. But if you can't find it, you're not looking hard enough. Come on. Uh, appreciate you. Keep up the great work.
Thank you.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Get In. If you like what you heard, make sure you leave us a review wherever you listen to podcast. This show is made possible by our friends up at Sweetwater. Whether you're looking to start a podcast or take your content to the next level, click the link in the description to see all of my gear recommendations atwater.com. If you want a behind-the-scenes look at everything we're doing across the state, make sure you follow me on Instagram and Tik Tok, Nate Spangle. Thank you so much for listening and being part of what makes the Who's Your Stake great.
