Life & Work with Amber Harmann

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Harmann.

Hi Amber, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Born and raised in St. Louis, I started my journey here in Kansas City in September of 2013 in search of a fresh start. Coming from an undoubtedly cliché broken home and long line of alcoholics, I aspired to “break the mold”. However, my journey did not start as planned as I fell back into bartending and the lifestyle that goes along with it. To my surprise, I became pregnant in 2019. Shortly after announcing my pregnancy, I was let go from my bartending job for reasons beyond my control.

Thankfully, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise and my journey began its projection onto a better path. Shortly before becoming pregnant with my beautiful, now one-year-old daughter, I had taken on a second job as a Logistics Specialist at a local tow dispatch company. I enjoyed the hours at the day job, but the salary wasn’t enough to cover my then bills, let alone the cost of raising a daughter as a single momma. While on maternity leave, I started to exhaust my savings. I started brainstorming ways to make cash from home. I went thru multiple ideas from paint pouring to succulent farming (no green thumb here though!), but nothing felt right. Then it hit me, candles! I love keeping my home smelling fresh and amazing.

I already had transferable skills from being a mixologist for nine years, I knew it would give me a leg up on the game! After that, it was like everything clicked! My brain was exploding with ideas. I knew this was my path and I had to take the leap! After spending eight months researching everything about candle making, I decided to go all in! I quit my day job, decided to pick up a delivery gig for cash and put everything into launching my company, Sweet Cheek’s Candles on May 1st 2021! I am so happy I took a chance on myself. The amount of support I have gotten in such a short time has been incredible! I cannot wait to see what comes next for my mini, myself and Sweet Cheek’s Candles!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing about this journey has been easy, but if it were, everyone would be doing it, right? Being a small business owner requires you to sacrifice everything for your company. This sacrifice includes finances, to time and relationships. Not only do I manufacture my own products for Sweet Cheek’s Candles, I also do my own marketing, graphic design, accounting, photography, website maintenance, shipping, delivery and the list goes on! So on top of that, I must still find time for my mini, maintain my home and maintain myself! Fortunately for me, I have some amazing, supportive people in my life who understand I am building my empire for myself and creating a legacy for my mini! While this journey has not been easy, it has been worth the sacrifice! I love to create, I love making my own schedule, and I love being my own boss. Simply put, I love what I do! Transformation isn’t always pretty, but it is worth it!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My aim at Sweet Cheek’s Candles is to bring fun and UNIQUE candles and wax melts, along with high quality! As a single momma myself, I understand the importance of getting the most bang for your buck! Handcrafted uniquely for you, with an all-natural soy wax and premium fragrance oils then topped with a dash of sparkle, because who doesn’t need a little sparkle in their life, right?

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
My brand is all about “Being Unique”. No matter what you do, I believe you should do it with your own flare! Find what makes you stand out above the crowd and run with it. Oh, and the only voice that matters is your own. I encourage everyone to start off each day telling yourself how amazing you truly are.

Contact Info:

• Email: sweetcheekscandlesllc@gmail.com
• Website: sweetcheekscandles.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/sweetcheekscandles
• Facebook: facebook.com/sweetcheekscandlesllc