Meet the Maker Interview: Emily Prout, Founder of Arrow It Forward

Meet Emily, the Canadian founder and creator of Arrow It Forward, handmade home fragrance products that will inspire and refresh any space in your home. 

Can you tell us a little bit about your business, Arrow It Forward?

Emily: I started Arrow It Forward after a period of time writing blogs about female entrepreneurs. I don’t even know what ignited (candle pun intended) the specific interest of writing about business owners (I called the series Behind the Brand), but a fire had definitely been lit and I was so drawn to the world of makers.

I remember one time I was invited to help promote a local market and they gave me a table to promote my business of blogging. I felt silly because all I had was business cards and I looked around the room at the beautiful table set ups and knew that would be my next step.    

I decided to make candles (yes candles, a very saturated market!), and I thought I would be carrying the same candles around to different markets. I mean, there are a billion candles out there, right? I thought it would just be something small, fun to do. And then, within the first month, a store contacted me wanting to carry them. 
It took off from there. I had three candles that I started with, called Mom Life, All The Coffee and Positive Vibes Only. I think that's really what kick-started my business, the names I was giving the candles. From seeing people’s reactions I knew I “had something” and I turned my attention to social media to get as much exposure as I could.

That's very interesting! And what was your inspiration behind your business name Arrow It Forward?

Emily:  The name for me was like merging, follow your arrow and pay it forward. I felt like I was finally following my arrow, finding something I was passionate about. I think my identity had become strictly, "I'm a mom," and I'd just lost any other identity. So I felt, "Wow, this is something just for me. I'm creative. I'm proud of myself for this." And I wanted to inspire other women to do the same thing. So, if I can do it, why can't you? What are you interested in? Maybe you're going to start making jewelry or wooden signs or beautiful artwork. It doesn’t even mean you have to develop and grow a business, but why not dip your toe in the water and see where it will take you. Running this business has brought so much positivity into my life.

I love that. Have any of your customers come forward and said, "You really inspired me," or have you heard any great customer stories?

Emily:  I have definitely connected with a lot of my customers. It feels more like a community of amazing women cheering me on and sharing their own experiences. I love that so much. It's something that people seem to resonate with and want to keep following my journey.

I'm sure the Christmas season has been crazy busy, but what does a typical day look like at Arrow It Forward? If there is one.

Emily:  Honestly, I've had such exponential growth this year that I don't think you could predict it. Each month I would have said something different. A year ago, my typical day did not look anything like how it is right now because up until the summer; I was a full-time government employee. 

Before, I was making candles in the evening and on weekends, but now I'm doing it full-time, which I'm so grateful for. And my business could have gone entirely in the opposite direction because of the pandemic, but I have been busier than ever.

This year, and typically lately, it starts with me getting up, turning on my melter, and having my family and a friend help me—and it's cranking out as many candles as possible. We had turned our garage into a fully-insulated workshop right before COVID started actually which I am so thankful for, however I can tell I am already outgrowing that even, so I’m not too sure what the next year in business will look like but there are always changes!

So, talking scents, if you have a favorite, what's your favorite scent and what are your most popular products?

Emily:  I'm all over the place with my scents, just like music, I like it all!!! But, I will say, the one called Hygge is the coziest and most fresh. I can't even explain it. It is just a fantastic scent that everyone falls in love with, and it's definitely a best seller. It is part of my signature collection that's available throughout the whole year, but then I like to play with different ones for different seasons. I personally like sweet scents, but I make sure I have something for everyone.

This may be a difficult question, but what do you love most about your business?

Emily:  What I love most about my business is probably the thing I love most about just life in general and who I am as a person. I love to make people laugh. I love to brighten their day. So I think many of my candle names and descriptions have that element of humour. There's nothing better than when I'm set up at a market, and I see somebody pick up the candle to smell it, then they read it and start laughing and show their friend next to them. I love creating fun little descriptions.

You've had such impressive growth in 2020, but what are you most proud of this year?

Emily:  A huge moment for me was partnering with Chocolate Soup because this was my biggest order yet, and it was right after I decided to leave my full-time government job. This was obviously extremely reassuring and validating for me, kind of like the universe saying, "You're on the right track. You've got this," because being an entrepreneur can be a very vulnerable thing. That's the biggest hurdle. You have to get over that fear of, "Can I be successful doing this?"

That's fantastic. What does it look like in 2021? What does the future look like?

Emily:  I've been asking that of myself a lot recently because I know that I need to scale up. It's almost like I need a mentor right now. Somebody who's maybe three years ahead of me and can give me insight as to what did they do at this point? It's either going to mean moving to a different house with maybe a three-car garage that I can transform into a more extensive workshop, but still be attached to the house to be around the family. Or it means renting out an actual warehouse space. We're busting at the seams here, so I definitely know that I'll have to figure something out soon in that regard.

So, the last question is just a fun one. So, according to your website, you love to read, and you once wanted to become a librarian. So what are some of your favourite books that you'd recommend?

Emily:  Yes. I still think a librarian would be a great job, except I like to talk too much, which might be a problem! But these days, since I've become a maker with long days in the workshop, I definitely need it to be a page-turner. I gravitate towards the thriller mystery genre. Right now, I'm reading one called The Girl From Widow Hills by Megan Miranda, and it's awesome so far. One of my favourite authors is Shari Lapena and I'm always waiting for her next one to come out because it just gives me exactly what I'm looking for.

Your story is very inspiring, especially that you've been able to scale this large while also having a family, and at one point, working full-time and were able to leave your job. That's every entrepreneur's dream!

Emily:  I still can't believe that it actually happened because I remember even a few years ago saying, "Wouldn't it be so cool to be your own boss and have a business?" I never thought that I would be here. And it all started off with me making one candle at a time, in my microwave, in a measuring cup. And that was less than three years ago! I now have a full line of different sizes of candles, melts, room & linen sprays, and reusable car hangers. It’s been quite the journey!

A big thank you to Emily for sharing her story in our Meet the Maker series. You can shop her unique candles and scented products at arrowitforward.com and follow along her business journey on Instagram!

P.S. — To learn more about including Arrow It Forward products in your next Chocolate Soup employee recognition gift box order, please contact us at [email protected].