((PKG)) KID ENTREPRENEUR

((TRT: 06:31))
((Topic Banner: Kid Entrepreneur))
((Producer: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera/Editor: June Soh))
((Map: Fairfax, Virginia))
((Main characters: 1 male; 1 female))

((Summary: With the help of his mother, an 11-year-old learns how to make candles using natural and organic ingredients. He became the CEO of his own company, The Smell of Love Candles.))

((NATS: Alejandro))

I’m stirring the wax together with the citrus oils. I learned this from my mom. I mean, we just learned this by ourselves.

((NATS/MUSIC))
((Alejandro Buxton

CEO, Smell of Love Candles))

My name is Alejandro Buxton. I am the CEO of Smell of [Love] Candles, and I am 11 years old, and I am in sixth grade. Smell of Love Candles is a candle company that specializes in vegan candles and organic candles. We do not sell candles that have bad chemicals in them.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
I was nine years old when I started this idea. It was a little bit of crazy idea to me because when you're a kid, you don't really expect to start a business.
((NATS))
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
What inspired me? My mom. She loved to burn candles. But then after a while, we got headaches. Our allergies were acting up. So she didn't know where they were coming from. So after a while, we found out it was actually coming from the candles she was burning.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
The ingredients we use are soy wax. We also use a little bit of coconut wax to make the scent spread out further. And we use natural, essential oils. And our, all of our supplies can be traced back to the fields in the west of the United States.
((NATS))
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
I learned the process from my mom because she's made candles in the past, just for us, not really for selling. So, she taught me how to make a little small candle. So, I created a candle for her. It's called “Jurassic Orange.” And she really loved it.
((NATS))
((Patricia Buxton
Mom & business partner))
When I went through my separation and divorce from Alejandro's dad, Alejandro and I became even closer because it was just us and his little sister. When he asked me to show him, that's where he was like, “Well, we can sell these,” you know? And that kind of grew from there. But I wanted him to experiment and get the process right. And also, I wanted to see if he was really serious about it before we began the registration, before we did all the legal paperwork for the foundation of the business.
((NATS))
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
So, the role for my mom is that she helps with the back end. She does all the back end. She makes sure we have enough inventory. She orders the inventory. And she does a lot of marketing and getting us into market.
((NATS: Alejandro & Valentina))
Put the popsicle stick on.
That one?
Yes. Done. Be careful.
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
My little sister's name is Valentina and she is four years old.
Alright. There we go.
She’s the assistant of operations. That's her role and she likes to help around.
((NATS))
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
The candle-making part is pretty cool. Just sometimes, when you have like preparing for markets, it can be a little stressing because we make sure we have enough. But it's pretty cool because we can work together as a family.
((NATS: Patricia, Alejandro & Valentina))
Yay! Make sure it's in the middle.
Good job.
Middle.
((Patricia Buxton
Mom & business partner))
To me, it's a big bonding family experience because it's almost like, you know, when we cook together, like we're making candles together. That's sort of how I can relate to them.
((NATS))
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
The time I spend in the studio when we’re making candle, about, you know, four hours. During the waiting time, we can do other stuff because candles take a time to cool down. So, we sometimes, you know, read during that time. We do school during that time. And we do a lot of things. I also love to build Legos. I’ve always dreamed to be a civil engineer and I like building Legos. I spent hours with those little sets.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((NATS: Alejandro in the market))
((Courtesy: Smell of Love Candles))
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
The most interesting part is the markets. I love the markets because we get to interact with different people and we get to suggest like candles you like. And it can be pretty fun, even though it can be kind of tiring because markets last for a while, it’s fun because you get to talk to people and I like talking to people. I definitely know that my social skills are better now.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
I've learned a life lesson of budgeting and also, you know, taking the time and not, you know, rush because if you rush, you know, things can be damaged or can be messed up. And another thing I've learned is just interact with people and don't be shy. That’s one of the things I’ve done
((Courtesy: Smell of Love Candles))
because when I first did our markets, I was like really shy.
((NATS: Alejandro))
((Courtesy: Smell of Love Candles))
You need a glass jar for a candle.
So, I have a YouTube channel. It's called Lessons from a Kidpreneur. This cools evenly. You need any piece of paper to keep the area clean.
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
We give out a lot of advice for other people who want to start business
((end Courtesy))
or who want to, you know, create candles.
((Patricia Buxton
Mom & business partner))
It doesn't matter how old you are, you know, like that's sort of his biggest message when people ask him. You know, it doesn't matter if you're seven and it doesn't matter if you're 47. You know, it doesn't matter. You can always start. It's never too early and it's never too late.
((NATS))
((Patricia Buxton
Mom & business partner))
The question people always ask me when it comes to parents is like, “How do I make my son or daughter also be an entrepreneur?” And my answer to that is always like, “Don't push them. Don't push them into what you think they want to do. Pay attention to what it is that they're interested in. Pay attention to the things that they start.” You know, I was paying attention to Alejandro’s lemonade stand. I was paying attention
((Courtesy: Smell of Love Candles))
to him picking weeds and like cutting grass for people.
((Patricia Buxton
Mom & business partner))
We got a lot of snow. And so, he was also shoveling sidewalks
((Courtesy: Smell of Love Candles))
and parking spots for neighbors and charging them a fee as well.
((Patricia Buxton
Mom & business partner))
And so I knew that seed was there.
((NATS))
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
Secret of success? We've learned a little bit because we're still unlocking that. One of the things is that it can't be quick. Things take a really long time. And another thing is that, of success, is to help others because we give money to charity. In that, you know, we spread the message and then, we also advertise too.
((NATS))
((Patricia Buxton
Mom & business partner))
There's always a message that he writes on every order. I'll be making boxes. He'll be wrapping the candles. So, it's almost like an assembly line that we're doing when it comes to shipping. And then we'll go drop them off at the post office.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Alejandro Buxton
CEO, Smell of Love Candles))
So, it does bring joy. A table accomplished. It feels like we did something great.
((NATS/MUSIC))