Alecia Hoxie took advantage of quarantine by using the time to nurture her crafty side hustle. And the Michigan mom has advice to share.
TRAVERSE CITY, MI — One Michigan mom and caregiver has found that time poured into her passion project during the COVID-19 pandemic has paid off.
Alecia Hoxie says she was nervous about starting her Etsy business, Jasmine + Jane Candles. The Traverse City resident and mother continues to work a regular job by day, handcrafting candles and lip balm by night.
“I actually just started before COVID,” she told The ‘Gander. “It just took off, so I kept going.”
Jasmine + Jane creates vegan candles, wax melts and lip balm from ethically sourced materials. The name of the product line comes from what would have been Hoxie’s.
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“My mom almost named me Jasmine. Then I almost named my own daughter Jasmine,” she said. That plus the plant’s namesake convinced her to name the product line, and her best friend rounded out the company’s name.
Hoxie works full-time as a caregiver in an assisted living facility. She juggles work and motherhood by day and dons her creative hat at night after her two-year-old daughter goes to sleep.
But Hoxie said she hesitated to start her business.
“I was nervous about marketing myself. It seems silly now, but I really worried about what other people would think.”
Her network of friends and family quickly purchased her entire stock of items, leaving the general public questioning when she would restock the Traverse City trinkets. After the success of her initial launch, she added vegan lip balms and, most recently, lotions to the product list.
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“People kept asking me when I’d have more. So I decided to keep going.”
Business has been steady despite the pandemic. Hoxie said that she encourages all Michiganders to follow their passions, especially if they can lead to extra income.
“Just don’t give up,” she said. “Even if you start to doubt yourself, keep going. You never know where you could end up.”
Jasmine + Jane can be purchased on Etsy.
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Ellen Chamberlain is The 'Gander's multimedia content producer. She is a seeker and sharer of truth.
