Meet Heather Williamson | Owner, Chandler & Scent Connoisseur

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

Hi Heather, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The Dainty Blossom Company was born differently than most. It was the spring of 2015 and my husband Matt and I had just returned home from a week-long stay at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. That was the best week, and also the worst week of my life. The worst week because my fears had been confirmed – I am sick. The best week because I finally had validation. After 10 years of suffering through symptoms that made no sense, and doctors who couldn’t find an answer, I finally had one. At 28 years old, my diagnoses were multiple: Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Type 3, POTS, dysautonomia, gastroparesis, just to name a few. The multitude of symptoms that didn’t make sense finally did. The dislocated joints, the burning numbness all over my body, the migraines, the weight loss that had reduced me to walking with a cane, the miscarriages, it all had a box that had been checked. That week of appointments in neurology, gastroenterology, nutrition management, and genetics, and the decade of battle that preceeded it, had left me a shell of the strong and capable woman I once was.

I sobbed for a full week, not over the diagnosis, but over the 10 years of struggling to find one. Over the 10 years I had diligently worked one job or another- as a home health provider, a waitress, a full-time minimum wage employee to work toward graduating a first gen college grad. I cried for the years I spent studying to achieve my Bachelors in Psychology, serving my senior year as Psychology Club President, envisioning a career in higher learning. That vision was fading before my eyes. I cried for the time and energy spent trying to have children only to learn that my disorder has a 50% hereditary rate, and I no longer knew if having children was an option for us. But mostly I cried over the waste of a human being I was so sure I was now destined to become. A week turned into a month, one month turned into three. Unable to work, my unfed mind devoured itself.

One day, really like any other, I decided to do what little home organization I could. I started in the closets, deciding to focus on a loose stack of pictures on the top shelf, when it hit me. Literally. The stack came tumbling down and hit me square in the face. As I stood there laughing, I peeled the stuck photo from my forehead and gasped. Two sweet little boys were there in my vision. Jumping back to the year before my diagnosis, my husband and I briefly fostered a toddler and baby sibling set in our home. And there they were, smiling back at me. Although they found their way to a fitting and loving kinship home after only a few months in our home, they left a huge imprint on our hearts. That moment, the stuck-to-the-forehead-picture moment was what changed my life.

Hallelujah! I could have a family, AND I could have a career, AND the life I always intended to have! I just needed to structure it a little differently than most. So I set about making that happen. I spent a few months of discovery, journaling and Jeeping in the Rocky Mountains and spending deep quality time with my family. I took pictures, I siphoned energy from things that inspired me. I drew closer to my childhood and things that made me insatiably happy then. My husband picked up paramotoring as a hobby, and I took pictures of him midair. I was published in the Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine. Through a series of small and large successes, I tapped into the deep feminine energy I once knew. I structured a family role for myself that revolved around health, happiness, and family first. I did things that brought me joy. I volunteered, which I hadn’t done since college. In doing those things, I found a joy that I wanted to build a career from.

I carried with me a strong desire to thank those who had helped me in my lowest points. My doctors for their time and attention, family who put money toward travel expenses, friends who cooked and cleaned for me, those who offered an encouraging word. I poured my first batch of candles in the fall of 2015. I mixed and smelled, and mixed some more to create my first scent, Angel, for all of the angels who had touched my life. The more candles I gave away, the more requests I received to make more. The requests turned into a pleading urgency from my inner circle to build a business and show the world what I was making. They wanted to give my creations as gifts, too! My husband sold his paramotor and we invested $1,000 from the sale into business supplies. Even though we were broke from medical bills, we took a leap of faith. We cleared out our spare bedroom, threw up a few folding tables and went to work.

We did small events. We built a website. We narrowed our focus on what types of products we personally love to use, and what we wish was better about those products. We developed our luxuriously scented candles to burn long and strong. We created wax melts that remove easily from the warmer and last longer than the bix box brands. With every product we formulated, we focused on sourcing quality ingredients and keeping costs to our customers down. Our scent varieties were developed over time, with each scent receiving its due diligence to create the best blend possible. Scent creation allowed me artistic flow, bringing to life scents that were gleaned from treasured memories of people, places, and things that are dear to us all.

Colorado Pine brings you deep into the piney woods, begging you to explore. One whiff of Palisade Peach and you’re biting into a fresh, juicy peach straight from the orchards of Palisade. Desert Jade transports you to the cracked desert earth, where the cactus blooms despite its harsh environment. 40 custom signature scents and dozens of products later, we are sure to have one of your favorites and we would love the opportunity to help you find it. Chances are, you’ll be tempted to discover your favorite product in the coming year, as our business is expanding at a fantastical rate. Our Etsy shop boasts over 6,000 sales backed by over 200 reviews with nothing less than 5 stars. We love to help our clients discover hidden Dainty Blossom gems for themselves and gifts for those they love.

Not only is our business expanding, but so is our family. We were incredibly blessed to adopt our oldest son in July of 2020, and are equally blessed as we prepare to adopt our youngest in 2022. Recently elected to the Mesa County CASA Board of Directors, I have been given a humbling opportunity to be a voice for foster children in my community, as well as yours. I still do photography. I still use my degree in Psychology. I still find myself in the Colorado mountainsides. I’m still sick. But I not longer let it define who I am as a person.

My advice to you is this: If there is not a path where you desire to go, make one.

What should our readers know about your business?
I feel like you have recieved the majority of this answer from my first question, but I would be happy to further elaborate on the things I feel have set our business apart from others in the same field. Please let me know if you would like to go into detail on this matter.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would start the vacation with a hiking excursion to the Grand Mesa. With breathtaking views and multiple opportunites to explore, we would start at the visitors center at the top, and work our way down, foraging some of my secret spots for wild Porcini and Chantarelle mushrooms, wild mint, and chokecherries.

If we still had time, we could mountain bike our way down the Palisade Plunge trail and wind up in Palisade for a refreshing sip of Peach Brandy at Peach Street Distillers. While in Palisade, we could walk or bike the riverfront trail, which is a paved nature walk that runs all the way from Palisade past Fruita, over 20 miles of scenery to explore.

Stopping off at Enstroms to grab some world renound toffee would be a must. Coffee shops abound, we would grab a cup of Joe. After grabbing coffee, it’s just a short walk to Main Street to take in the shops and art that line the streets. After working up an appetite shopping, 626 on Rood, or Bin 707 are the spots to go to impress. Delishious, fresh, and modern, they are sure to delight the pickiest pallate.

Another day of shopping could include the newly opened Dillard’s as well as a stop off at the The Picture Show to take in a movie in comfort.

The end of the trip will include a rafting trip down the Colorado River, ending up in Fruita where we would grab a slice of pizza and a draft beer at The Hot Tomato before heading over to check out the Dinosaur Journey Museum and Dinosaur Hill Trail. On the way home, we would take a drive over the Colorado National Monument, taking in the city lights on our way down.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are three entities I would like to dedicate my shoutout to: my husband, for his undying love and support, my doctors at the Mayo Clinic, especially Dr. Brent Goodman for putting together the pieces of the puzzle, and my family for everything they have done for me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Website: www.daintyblossom.com

Instagram: @thedaintyblossomco

Twitter: @daintyblossomco

Facebook: facebook.com/daintyblossomco

Other: www.daintyblossometsy.com