Sponsor Spotlight: New career path that made 'scents' for this mom -

Remember when we gave away five beautiful Scentsy warmers a few weeks back? (We found Melissa, btw!) In comments, several of you said you’d love to try the wickless candles.

Well, one of our newest nwaMotherlode sponsors is Melanie Markley, a local Scentsy representative. Melanie’s just low-key and nice enough to get a great approval rating from the mamas. Gwen and I spent a whole day beside her at a boutique show recently and she was a fun booth-mate and very attentive to her customers. And there were lots of them. She was quite busy showing women the ceramic warmers and helping them find the perfect scent for their specific tastes.

Between the huge hanging plant were were giving away and the Scentsy scents, we had the best-smelling aisle at the show!

We asked Melanie, mom to three beautiful little girls, a few questions about her journey and the company she loves:

Tell us a little about the Scentsy story and its products: Scentsy is a wickless candle company. Our wax is melted in a ceramic warmer with a low-wattage lightbulb. A wickless candle, called a Scentsy Bar or a Scentsy Brick, is a highly fragrant wax bar that is warmed to release fragrance into the air. Because the wax is gently warmed rather than burned, it can hold more fragrance oil than a traditional candle. And, because there is no flame, there is no smoke, soot or lead. Scentsy wickless candles are a safer alternative to traditional candles.

Who came up with the business? Scentsy was actually started in the basement of two stay-at-home moms, Kara and Colette, in 2003. By 2004 they were getting the word out by word of mouth, home shows, and fairs. At one of these home shows they met Orville Thompson. He loved the product like everyone else and saw some great potential. In May 2004 he and his wife Heidi bought Scentsy and started running it out of an ocean liner in Idaho. Scentsy has grown from that 40 foot metal box to our new house in of over 100,000 sq ft with an additional 80,000 sq ft distribution center in Kentucky. As you can see Scentsy has grown incredibly fast. That has to do with our amazing products and the people that represent Scentsy.

How long have you been selling Scentsy? I celebrated my 2-year anniversary March 1st this year.

Why did you want to get involved with the company? I saw a post at online community that had tons of raves on Scentsy. It was near the holidays and I needed some gifts for my mom and mother-in-law and this seemed like a good fit. I also picked up two warmers for myself and got hooked. I figured I could support my new addiction by selling to a few friends and family. At that time I never thought it would grow into what it is now!

Your website says you’re a ‘star director’. What does that mean? It means my team is amazing and that I have at least 2 other directors under me and have team sales to support that title also.

How do you juggle home, family and running your own business? Good question! Juggling is a great analogy because sometimes everything is flowing and in the air and other times it seems like I’m always dropping the ball.

You recently relocated to NWA, right? We moved from Wichita, KS but we only were there for a few months. We lived in the Dallas for 10 years before that and I was born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana.

What kinds of Scentsy specials do you have going on right now? Every month Scentsy releases a new warmer and scent which is 10% off it introductory month. I also like to offer personal specials. For June I’m offering an extra $15 of hostess dollars!

Are there any new products out? Yes, our Warmer and Scent of the Month. This month it’s our Nature’s Haven warmer and the scent Clarity. Next month’s sneak peek is under the “my special” tab on my website. (Click here to go see!)

What’s your current favorite warmer? What about your favorite scents? That’s a tough one! It’s like being asked if you have a favorite child. lol. If I have to pick I would say the Faith warmer and scents would be: cutiepie cupcake, skinny dippin’ (the only kind this girl would ever do!), and red candy apple.

How can someone order Scentsy from you? If not ordering at a party they can order online or they can call or email me. Many times I have the products at my house so you can avoid shipping times and costs.

OK, some people worry about ‘pressure’ to have a party when they place an order. Tell us how you handle that: Well I do love to party but I love to shop more so I know others enjoy some retail therapy too. Come shop online, at a party, or you can even come over to my house to see what I have in stock. I do like to mention the benefits of hosting and how easy it is but we’re all grown-ups and know what we want to do and how much time we have to do it. 🙂

What if someone does want to have a party? What are the benefits? If you want to party just give me a shout and we’ll set up a date. Or if you want the hostess benefits without the “party” I have some mini scent testers you can check out to do a catalog party. Our benefits are 10-15% of the party total in FREE hostess dollars and 1- 8 items at 50% off. Most of my hostesses get at least $60 in FREE products and 4 items at 50% off! Oh and everyone that orders with a party will also get FREE shipping!

What if someone is interested in doing what you do? Are there costs? It’s really easy to sell Scentsy. You start by buying the kit for $99. Then just start showing everyone how the warmers work and how great the scents are. Usually when people experience it they catch the bug and want one too. If you have more questions check out the tab “Join” on my website and give me a call. I love to talk Scentsy. You can do it to support your habit, pay off a bill, save for a vacation, or replace your full-time job like I do.