The Nomad Journey - The Beginning, Middle and Unknown

When I began my little venture in mid 2015, I never expected it to take off the way it did. Apparently people like candles. To be honest, I was a little unprepared. Working as a full-time teacher during the day and usually well into the night, it was beyond tricky to juggle a new business and all the new learnings that came from it.

Never one to back down from anything, with a mind filled with determination, somehow the first version of this business venture, Happy Little Nomad became more than a funny name, it was a vision, an alter ego, and a brand. In fact, my students at the time brainstormed the initial business name for me in their Business and Economics lesson.

I moved out of home when I was 19, and I have moved house countless times ever since. I think I'm up to house #18 at 37 years old. Eventually, moving and changing became a part of me and a way of life. It was one big adventure, carelessly living each day in the moment. I had this urge to be an explorer of life and with it brought a happiness that I didn’t know I had been searching for.

I rekindled my love of making candles after dabbling in it when I was younger amongst many other creative outlets I learnt with my Grandma. They were my nomads. My Happy Little Nomads. Venturing off to the unknown.

I remember making my very first candles under the Happy Little Nomad name in my friend's garage. I had three fragrances. Looking back, I had absolutely no idea what I was really doing, but, I was learning, evolving and excited. I went from selling to friends to having business meetings which led to professional photography and a website being built. All of a sudden I was thrown into the deep end. There were orders to fill from customers I didn't know, there were retail enquiries and market events. Then there was a complete rebrand and I gave life to Nomad Candle Co a year later.

I decreased my work load as a teacher after realising Nomad was more than just a fun venture. That was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. Teaching was my one constant - the one part of my life that remained the same and it was comfortable. The leap of faith began after the first year of Covid-19, when everything about life as we knew it changed completely. Lucky I was familiar with change. I worked on pivoting in many different ways. I read blogs, I took courses, I experimented with new knowledge and I challenged Nomad more than I ever had before. I built a new website, rebranded again, collaborated with other creatives and worked on promoting my journey in business. 

So where to next? Most businesses have a clear cut plan. Nomad doesn't. I'm content with rolling with the opportunities that present themselves. I mean, it's got Nomad this far. It's beyond my wildest dreams to think that my Nomads have travelled to homes in every state and territory in Australia, and have enjoyed journeys to Europe, Canada, Dubai, New Zealand, Indonesia and the United States (that I know of anyway).

I truly hope that you join and enjoy this journey with me. It’s a pretty magical adventure.

Love and light,

Mel a.k.a The Happy Little Nomad of Nomad Candle Co.