Today we’d like to introduce you to Bethany Campbell.
Hi Bethany, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It all started with a dehydrator from my mom (thanks, Mom!) and a little holiday project with my school-aged daughters. We began drying fruit, found cute packaging, and put together simmer mixes to gift and share with friends and family. To our surprise, everyone absolutely loved them and before long, people were asking to buy more! We decided to give our little business a name and Simmer & Chill became official. Four years later, our little holiday project has become a thriving seasonal business, bringing cozy scents, festive cheer, and a little extra joy to hundreds of homes each holiday season.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road…we’ve had to eat our own words a few times and remember to just chill!
When Simmer & Chill really started taking off a couple of years ago, I wasn’t prepared for the demand. Our featured holiday scent became incredibly popular, and suddenly I was trying to keep up with hundreds of orders while still working my full-time job during the busiest time of the year. It was exciting, exhausting, and a little overwhelming all at once.
Looking back, those growing pains were worth it. There’s something incredibly satisfying about creating a product with my own hands and watching people genuinely love it. Building and scaling Simmer & Chill has definitely scratched my entrepreneurial itch, and every holiday season teaches me something new about running a business, planning ahead, and embracing the unexpected.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My career has taken a few unexpected turns (in the best way). I spent seven years in medical sales before becoming a stay at home mom when my oldest daughter was born. Since then, I’ve built a direct sales business and worked in both sales and the travel industry. Through every chapter, one thing has stayed the same: I love connecting with people. Whether it’s helping solve a problem, serving customers, or creating something that brings people joy, that’s always been the part I enjoy most.
At Simmer & Chill, we specialize in handcrafted simmer pot kits made with real dehydrated fruit, spices, and botanicals that make homes smell amazing without artificial fragrances. What sets us apart is that every kit is assembled by hand with attention to quality and presentation. We want opening one of our products to feel just as special as using it.
What I’m most proud of, though, isn’t the number of orders we’ve shipped but the experience we’ve created as a family. My daughters have had a front-row seat to what it looks like to build a business from the ground up, and they’ve learned lessons about hard work, creativity, and serving customers that you can’t find in a textbook.
I’m also incredibly grateful for the people behind the scenes. My husband is my biggest cheerleader, supporting every new idea (and the extra-long holiday hours that come with them). And when the business grew beyond what I could manage alone, my childhood best friend, Corrie, jumped in and became my right-hand woman. Building a business alongside your best friend makes even the busiest holiday season a lot more fun!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people probably don’t know that I’m a little obsessed with finding new ways to diversify our family’s income. I’m the person who’s always saying, “How did they come up with this?” or “I could totally create something like that!” If only there were more than 24 hours in a day.
I’m also a huge Shark Tank fan. I love hearing how entrepreneurs turn simple ideas into successful businesses, and I’m fascinated by all the different ways people create value and earn a living. It’s incredibly inspiring to see someone take an everyday idea and build something people love.
Pricing:
- Our simmer kits make the perfect gift under $10!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/simmerandchill
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simmer_and_chill/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@simmer_and_chill
