Meet Cody Weber | Candle Maker & Home Decor Store Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cody Weber and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cody, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Well I started working in retail since I graduated high school. Since then I’ve worked for a few large retail companies like American Eagle, Bath & Body Works, & Superdry. Working in retail slowly became something I was passionate about. and something I was good at. Ive always had a passion for the customer, the connections I’ve made with them and the brands Ive worked for. So in 2018 I started making candles for fun, a side hobby to just make them for my selves and friends. Slowly I thought to myself “hey why don’t I see if other people would be interested in buying them?” So I created a quick online website and that was the beginning of The Modern Deer. I still worked full time during that time as a store manager and just did that on the side. Well fast forward to 2020 and the beginning of COVID and lockdowns I just kinda took the time off to put more time into the online site. After returning to work and working a few months post covid I separated from my full time job to dedicate myself to my own brand. I had this Idea I wanted to add more to our site and expand into the home decor industry. So my partner and I came up with a game plan for our aesthetic and what we wanted to venture into. Since I was now able to dedicate more time to The Modern Deer I began doing local markets, and events. The customer reaction to our brand in person was amazing with feedback after feedback of you need a store front! After a little over a year of trying to find a space that fit our needs we were able to find a small store space in Downtown Waynesville!

What should our readers know about your business?
Well The Modern Deer is a home fragrance and home decor brand. A brand that is passionate about creating fragrances that transport people to a time and place. Fragrance can have a huge impact on someone, especially sparking a part of the brain which reminds them of a special moment, a person, or memory. So many times when a customer is smelling a candle they will share how a scent reminds them of something from their past. To hear we have a scent that reminds them of a family trip, a loved one who’s passed, or just a time of year is what makes us happy. Im passionate about the scents and our customers and that is what I like to hear. Now some lessons I’ve learned along the way is, don’t worry about what another brand similar to yours is doing. Don’t waste time trying to be like everyone else. It’s your brand and it can be whatever YOU want it to be. Too often we try and compare ourselves to others and the same goes in business. Will you please every customer? no. Will you get bad feedback? yes. Take that as something that helps you grow and always keep developing your business. At the end of the day have a mission statement, or a couple words you use to define your business. Set goals, beat them, and set new ones! Being an indie brand is all about learning, making mistakes, and growing from them. Also there are so many resources out there to help you no matter what stage of business you are in. Remember have fun and share your passion with others and never stop learning.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well being that we are in the mountains of western North Carolina we get friends and family that visit all the time! First we would get coffee at Orchard Coffee and Panacea which are two of my favorite coffee shops in Waynesville. Orchard is my go to for an iced latte when I’m on the go, and Panacea when I wanna sit outside and enjoy a coffee by the river. We would get drinks and lunch at The Sweet Onion which is a casual American restaurant that has one of my favorite drinks, The dirty onion which is a dirty martini with goat cheese stuffed olives! Another favorite restaurant of mine is Birchwood hall which has amazing fried chicken. If they wanna go shopping I would take them to our Downtown Main St district and visit all the local shops, a new favorite is our leather shop Axe & Awl which creates quality leather goods by hand. We also have a ton of amazing local artist on Main St as well. For outdoor lovers I would take them on the Blue Ridge Parkway to see some of the most amazing views of the mountains. I personally love to get up early and go watch the sunrise on the parkway. Id also take them to deep creek in Bryson City where they can rent a tube and go tube the river as many times as they want. Another fun thing to do is go visit Asheville in the evenings, you can find live music almost any night of the week, and lots of opportunities to catch a free play in the park put on by The Montford Park Players. Finished up by drinks at one of my favorite bars the Asheville Yacht Club.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Well to be honest it would have to be my district managers that I’ve had over the years. Working for multiple retail brands I’ve had the pleasure with woking directly under some of the most inspirational women I’ve ever met. Sabie Bartoo from American Eagle was the first leader I had that saw something in me. She pushed me to have a passion for the brand and our team. Second would be Jen Hays who I worked under at Bath and Body Works who pushed me to not only have a passion for the brand but also for the customer. Working directly with her and Andrea Hamilton I learned to have a deeper understanding of the customer, and developing a relationship with them. It taught me how important creating relationships with the customers not only directly affected the brand but also impacted the customers life as well.

Website: www.moderndeer.com

Instagram: instagram.com/moderndeer

Facebook: Facebook.com/moderndeer

Other: Email: themoderndeer@gmail.com Brick & Mortar address: 225 Wall St Waynesville NC 28786