Rising Stars: Meet Judy Romero

Today we’d like to introduce you to Judy Romero.

Hi Judy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My small business journey started in May 2017 with an origami jewelry business that turned into a print media business. I learned a lot from those two failed businesses and it was eye-opening. Fast forward to January 2021 when I decided that I wanted to make candles I partnered with my cousin who made greeting cards as a hobby and we created hoboBee Studios launched in June 2022 with greeting cards, candles, wax melts, hanging diffusers, concrete planters and jewelry.

We attended many craft shows and everyone knew us by our little bee mascot that we took everywhere with us. In January 2023, my cousin (business partner) and I parted ways due to life and I rebranded to what is now known as STINK, LLC with a skunk as our mascot. I added soap to the product line along with other bath & body products. The goal for 2023 was to double the amount of shows from 2022 and I tripled that amount, which is a huge accomplishment.

As of January 2024, I will be discontinuing candles and wax melts to focus on soaps, bath & body products plus a new product line that will be launching in the next few months under STINK! I cannot wait for this new business adventure and wish I had thought about it when I started my business journey in May 2017.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all because when you are a one-woman show, you have to do everything yourself (marketing, website building, customer service, production, etc.). I’m not at a point where I can hire someone to help with all the small tasks while I focus on making products. There were times when I had to cancel markets because I was sick or had personal reasons where I was unable to attend the markets and since I didn’t have any extra help, it was a business loss for me.

Setting up at a market by yourself is exhausting and there are times when I didn’t even want to attend morning markets anymore because you have to be at the market to set up at 7 am in whatever weather, drive to the location (some can be 30 mins to two hours), unload the car, set up, break down and load the car and drive home. It can get very tiring but 90% of the time you make new vendor friends and they make the time go by fast.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
STINK! started with candles made up of Beeswax, Coconut, and Soy wax blend with wooden wicks. Our candles stood out because it wasn’t 100% soy wax like most candle makers. Our wax blend is clean burning, and nontoxic and our wood wicks are slow-burning, which makes the candles last longer.

Our business name stands out because it makes people laugh and even if the customer doesn’t purchase a candle from us, they remember our name. We get customers who walk up to our booth just to tell us that they love our name and to see what STINK! is all about. We have expanded our product line to soaps, bath & body products, and a new product line that we are very proud to launch in the next few months.

What makes you happy?
What makes me happy is when a customer purchases an item from me and gifts it to someone and that person reaches out and orders more. It began as a gift for that person and now they are returning customers. It truly makes my heart happy when a customer spreads the word about my product. I’ve had customers who purchased from markets and they would reach out to buy more products. It’s a great feeling to know that your products are well-liked by many.

Contact Info:

• Website: hellostink.com
• Instagram: @hello.stink
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stinkhello
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hellostink
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hello.stink