Meet Karyn Morrow of St. Joseph

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karyn Morrow

Hi Karyn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Clean Alchemy was born simply out of necessity.
At the time, I was working as a massage therapist, and I began mixing my own scents; Plug-ins hurt my sinuses and gave me a headache. My clients loved my scent creations, and they started asking to buy them.
I’m a creative to my core, but the entrepreneurial side of myself knew I was onto something. After months of research, I was confident I could create a product line with 100% soy wax and clean fragrances (phthalate and paraben free) that smelled amazing and didn’t trigger headaches or sinus issues.
I began experimenting to find my favorites, and those would eventually become part of the Signature Collection.
Once the brand started circulating locally, the private label and wholesale entity caught fire. In August of ‘24, I was able to open the brick and mortar flagship store in St. Joseph, MO, and we now ship to corporations and boutiques across the country.

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?
There’s no such thing as a smooth road, and I deeply believe that’s by design. When life is easy, it’s just the celebration of getting through the hard.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried in the bathroom. Just figuring out the complexities of the wax seals has sent me over the edge numerous times. There’s always a number of rabbit holes I can go down on any given day: “Will the financing come through? What if no one likes the new product? Why didn’t I foresee (fill in the blank) happening?”
If you keep adjusting and learning from the mistakes, you’ll eventually win more times than you lose.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Is there a box to check for: employer/employee/owner/manufacturer/creative? Being a business owner, who produces/markets/sells the product, requires so many hats. Some days you get to wear your favorite one, and other days you end up wearing them all.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I don’t know if I’m qualified to give anyone advice, but a few things come to mind.
•Ask for twice as much financing as you think you’ll need. I’d love to turn back time on that one.
•In this economic climate, you need to have multiple irons in the fire. A single product needs to suffice multiple sales channels.
•Doing it scared is better than never doing it at all. I might be terrified, but I’m going to jump with both feet every time. I’ve never been afraid of hard work, and I’ll bet on myself everyday of the week. That sentiment alone will get you further than you can imagine.

Pricing:

• 8oz Signature Candle $24
• 14oz Signature Candle $38
• KC Collection Candle $40
• 6.5 fl oz Reed Diffuser Set $35
• 6oz Wax Warmer Beads $18

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cleanalchemyco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanalchemy.co/profilecard/?igsh=ZmZ4b2RmcHFtMmc5
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15Fh5VK13j/?mibextid=wwXIfr