Exploring Life & Business with Byron Jones of OAKLA Scents

Today we’d like to introduce you to Byron Jones.

Hi Byron, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
OAKLA was born out of both passion and necessity. Like many folks, 2020 was a challenging year for me. I found myself laid off from my career and uncertain about what the future held. One thing I knew for sure is I wanted to take my future into my own hands!

So in August of 2020, I decided to take my love of candles and style and curate my own collection of all natural luxury scents for people to enjoy. After being in business for a year now, it’s still super fulfilling to see the all of the positive reactions to the products that I create. From fresh ‘n clean, to herbal & botanical, to warm & woody; OAKLA has something for everyone.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Great question. It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I’ve grown so much through all of the challenges. The hardest part was not knowing what I didn’t know about starting a business. The whole process was (and still is) very daunting. From sourcing materials, to the testing phase, to making a decent website, to figuring out to get my product into customer’s hands…it was a lot! I made mistakes along the way, but with each mistake made, it helped me improve and I’m so thankful for that.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about OAKLA Scents?
My vision is to grow OAKLA Scents into a lifestyle brand that invokes a cool, sophisticated, and sexy vibe with all of our product offerings. I decided to make candles my flagship product because who doesn’t love walking into a great smelling room! I personally curate all of the scents and infuse each one with essential oils to help promote a different mood in each. The OAKLA Classic Collection was created to appeal to masculine fragrance lovers without being overpowering. Each candle is made with a vegan coconut wax blend, crackling wooden wick, and infused with essential oils.

I have also ventured into private labeling and customs gift orders. OAKLA was recently tapped to create custom mini candles for the touring cast of Hamilton! We can also create custom orders for birthdays, wedding gifts, corporate chotchkies, and more.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
It makes me happy to see people enjoy something I made from my own creativity. .

Contact Info:

• Email: OAKLAscents@gmail.com
• Website: www.OAKLAscents.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/OAKLAscents
• Facebook: facebook.com/OAKLAscents
• Other: www.Etsy.com/shop/OAKLAscents

Image Credits:
Ralph Palumbo