The Candle Lady and the Dip

What would you do if you woke up one morning and said “I can’t do this work any more! I’ve had it! All I can see is this big iceberg blocking my way. And I don’t have the energy to get past it.” That’s what happened to Pat Hess, owner of Colonial Candlecrafters. After many years of managing her shop near Lewisburg, PA, Pat found herself in a self-described “funk.” The cyclical nature of the business, the increased competition, and a fluctuating economy seemed like good reasons for giving up. On a daily basis, she began to ask herself if it was time to do just that.

Best selling author Seth Godin says every new project starts out fun, then gets harder and less fun, until it hits a low point: really hard and not much fun at all. He calls this The Dip. Clearly Pat was experiencing a Dip.

PAT’ STORY
Since 1982, Pat had owned and managed her candle making business; it had been fun, challenging and rewarding. But then something happened. After 25 years, she felt her energy and enthusiasm diminishing. Things that she typically handled effortlessly now required great effort. As she continued to operate the store and workshop, she grappled daily with what she should do. Close up shop…find other work or continue in the business. Pat says that there were days when she was very close to quitting. As she reviewed her efforts over the years, remembered new initiatives she had taken, thought about the wonderful staff working with her, she found herself in a serious dilemma. But at some point, Pat says she realized that if she were going to move forward, she was the only one who could do it. She was in charge. And then something happened that resulted in a renewed commitment to her work.

When a vendor that owned the molds for some of the “Critter Candles” pictured here failed to ship Pat’s holiday order, Pat was told that her high quality standards were the exception - not the rule. The vendor would no longer service Colonial Candlecrafters because, in the past, Pat had returned candles with defects. The supplier said that Pat was confusing handmade with perfection. That’s when Pat knew that she had what it would take to continue to be successful. She was going to push through the Dip.

Godin states that winners commit to beating the right dip for the right reasons, creating the opportunity to become number one in their field. The vendor’s reference to Pat’s high standards regarding product quality, confirmed for Pat that she was in the right dip.

To read more about how Pat took Colonial Candlecrafters to the next level, see The Candle Lady - After the Dip.

Comments

[Pat Hess]

Hi Rita,
Oh my gosh! It's really here!

Thank you for all your kindness and thoughtfulness recounting this part of my business. It feels like having this for everyone to see symbolizes that I have crawled out of the Dip completely and the path is much more even.
Rita, I'd like to give credit to my other POW WOW friends. I HELPED form the group. I didn't do it on my own. And we're so new, that I kinda got the words incorrect. It should be Professional Opportunities Working with Outstanding Women.(POW WOW)
I hope that you bringing my story for other eyes to see helps people understand that as hard as we try to always be in control of all aspects of our lives and our businesses, sometimes one needs the strength to reinvent themselves. It doesn't come easy, but in (at least my case)it has made me stronger and once again, more focused on the bigger picture.
Thank you for your time and effort in telling my story.
I look forward to the next time we get to chat.

Pat Hess
Colonial Candlecrafters