#078: When Your Husband’s Casual Suggestion Changes Your Whole Creative Life With Sarah Lents

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Maddox: Hello, hello, hello! You've got Maddox and Dwight in the house, your co-hosts for The Love of Creatives. Oh my god, one of these days I'll spit that out correctly. I'm glad you're all here, and we're excited to welcome our featured guest today, Sarah Lentz. Sarah?

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Sarah Lents: Hi! Welcome to the party!

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Maddox: podcast.

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Sarah Lents: Thank you for having me, I'm so excited!

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Maddox: We've been excited to have you. So, just to tell our listeners a little bit about how we know you.

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Maddox: We were wandering through a boho market in one of the parks here in the Dallas area one Sunday afternoon. It was like one of those

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Maddox: Let's look for something fun to do on Sunday afternoons, and I love stuff like that, so we ended up at the Boho Market, wandering in and out of the booths, and we wandered into Sarah's booth, and there was just something immediately that we sensed was different.

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Maddox: There were a lot of cool booths, and a lot of interesting stuff out there, but there was something different about Sarah's booth, so we stopped, and we started talking to her, and looking at what she… the things that she was creating and making, and how she was doing it. We ended up getting into this long conversation.

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Maddox: Where she kind of basically told us our story, part of what we're… her story, what we're gonna hear today. And, it was just so fascinating, and we loved talking to her so much, we said, okay, you gotta come and be on our podcast. And it's been a little time making, because lives are busy, I don't know, what was that? Probably…

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Maddox: 3 months ago?

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Dwight: Yeah, but…

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Sarah Lents: Yeah. Crazy, time flies. Yep, it does.

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Maddox: And here we are, and that's truly the case with a lot of our guests. Sometimes it's months before we actually get them in the chair, so we're just thrilled to have you. So I'm going to turn it over to you now and let you tell our listeners and us a little bit more about who you are and what you're about.

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Sarah Lents: Yes! So, my name is Sarah Lentz. I am originally from Chicago, and I moved to Texas about… gosh, it's been 12 years now.

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Sarah Lents: Still haven't acclimated here, but you know, we're getting there. Let's see, I started a candle company about 5 years ago with my brother.

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Sarah Lents: And we just kind of hit the road running. We didn't really know what we were getting into. We kind of were just like, hey, like, it was COVID, and I had saw a video of a Bath & Body Works candle that was so toxic and, like, killing animals, and there was actually, like.

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Sarah Lents: an infant that got sick from one of the wallflowers, and I was like, I literally have one right now in my house, like, this is so scary. And so, the idea came from pretty much watching something that was super toxic, and I wanted to create something that was so much more than that.

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Sarah Lents: And so, I kind of got into the groove of, let's see where I can take this, you know? It started with just experimenting a little bit, and it became… or it started out as a hobby, and then kind of became into a job. And…

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Sarah Lents: it's awesome. It started very slow, you know, because I didn't really know what I was doing, you know, and then it got to a point where I was like, I know exactly what I'm doing. Like, it took me 2 years to perfect the formula for my candles.

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Sarah Lents: And now we're just kind of going everywhere, like the boho markets and different farmers markets and stuff like that, and that's pretty much what my life is like now. It just revolves around the candles.

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Dwight: Sounds like a labor of love.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Maddox: Absolutely. So I'm gonna stop for a second and grind it back a little bit, because there was a story that you told us when we were in your booth that was the one that lit me up so much. So I want to go back there. And, you know, every time we tell a story, we kind of tell different parts of it. I completely get that.

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Sarah Lents: But yeah.

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Maddox: You told a story about really…

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Maddox: I mean, you just said it started off as a hobby and became a business, but there was a story before the… it became a hobby story, and that's… I thought that was so fascinating.

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Maddox: Sarah, of course, is married, and she…

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Sarah Lents: Oh, I know what you're talking about.

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Maddox: I just love candles. All my life, I've just loved candles, and your husband had kind of a negative reaction to that, so I'll let you tell it from there, but I love this because, you know.

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Maddox: With a lot of our lives, we searched and searched and searched, and then we chose some form of creativity that we wanted to do.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Maddox: And then there's some of us, like Sarah, who… the form of creativity chose her.

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Maddox: You know? I mean, truly, the way it unfolded, it… who could have known, you know?

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Maddox: And here you are, so I'll let you tell that story, because this was so endearing, and just so human, and I just loved it.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah, so it really started because I love candles. Like, I have a whole…

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Sarah Lents: closet filled with candles that I don't know what to do with, because, you know, they're all non-toxic. But my husband, he made this joke saying, hey, like, you should, you know, start making them yourself, because, you know, you're spending a lot of money, Sarah. And I'm like, you know.

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Sarah Lents: you're not wrong. So, I got the bright idea, let's try this, you know, let's see what we can do. And I started just doing it, and… poor Victor, I'm spending more money than I was buying the candles, but it's okay, because we're now making money, so it's okay! It's fine.

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Maddox: Finally okay, right? In the very beginning, not so much, but finally okay, you're recovering.

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Maddox: Yeah, I love that. He did not know what he was getting into when he said, why don't you just make them? It'll be cheaper than buying them.

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Sarah Lents: Boy, was he wrong.

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Maddox: Was he wrong? Yes.

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Maddox: But he's hung with you, hadn't he?

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Sarah Lents: He has, and he is now, like, my helper with everything. All the vendor events, he's up there putting the tents up and hanging everything up for me, he loves it.

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Dwight: Oh, that's great. I'll bet he had no idea what he was getting into. No.

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Sarah Lents: No idea. Not at all.

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Maddox: Today, he said, why don't you make them yourself? Change both of your lives.

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Sarah Lents: Amen, it really did.

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Dwight: Now, you have… you mentioned that you were from Chicago, and I imagine that going to markets, you get to travel quite a bit. Do you get a chance to revisit home now and then?

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Sarah Lents: So, I haven't done a market in Chicago yet, but I am definitely looking into it, and I think maybe next year sometime, that'll be… that we get to do that. But as of right now, oh my gosh, I want to go back home, like, every day.

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Dwight: Aww.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Dwight: Yes.

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Maddox: Sarah, how many markets do you tend to do in a year's period of time?

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Sarah Lents: In a year, let's see… Just roughly. I do about two a month, one at Clyde Warren and one at Richardson City Line, over by the State Farm Building.

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Sarah Lents: So, I take off between June and August, because it's really hot, and my candles will literally melt. I made that mistake one time. And so I would say I do about… let's see, 2, 4, 6…

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Sarah Lents: Maybe 12 to 13 a year, give or take. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

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Dwight: And you do private events as well, right?

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Sarah Lents: I sure do, yeah, so I'll do birthday parties, if you want to have a girl's night out, I can bring everything to you. I also have, some of my candles in store, at my friend, ironically, her name is Sarah, we're just the duo. But it's Sarah Fimms Floral in Frisco.

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Sarah Lents: And she has all of my candles, and I make her custom ones as well. And we do candle classes at her shop as well.

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Dwight: That's amazing. And it's nice to have…

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Sarah Lents: So much fun.

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Dwight: It's nice to have people that you can lean on to help with something. I mean, you had no idea how big this was going to get.

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Sarah Lents: Not at all. Like, thinking about it now, like, I literally just thought it was just gonna be me making candles for myself, you know, for my house, and now it's like, I'm making them for everybody else, and it's awesome. Especially to see, like, the feedback that I get. Everyone, like… because I suffer from migraines, and that's another reason why I started this, because a lot of candles would give me headaches. Maybe not a migraine, but it would definitely give me a headache.

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Sarah Lents: And so, I've had customers come up to me and tell me that they've burned my entire candle and didn't get one headache, and that, to me, is just everything. That's another reason why I'm just so happy that it became what it is.

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Dwight: That's a beautiful thing. Well, and speaking of becoming, I know that, Sarah, you had to be someone completely different before you fell into this.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Dwight: When you look at where you were then, before you had any idea you'd be doing this, and how you got here now.

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Dwight: My goodness, like, what hope does that put in you for where you could be in the next 5-10 years?

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Sarah Lents: Oh, it's everything. I mean, the fact that if I put something to my mind and, like, I do it, like, what I have done so far proves that I could do anything. Because who would have thought that this is what my life would be? You know, I thought I was gonna be a doctor somewhere at some point, and boy, did that take a turn. But, I mean, I'm so happy, you know, where I'm at in life, and…

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Sarah Lents: I just see so much growth in the next couple of years, and I'm just really excited.

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Dwight: It is…

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Maddox: Oh, good, right?

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Dwight: I was just really taken with how you were able to

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Dwight: dive into something so specific as candle making, and I know that at one time, that was something that would have been more common.

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Dwight: But I think that in a lot of ways, it's a lost art.

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Dwight: How… how did you even know where to begin?

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Sarah Lents: oh gosh, I didn't. I just… I mean, honestly, I just dove really hard into the internet, and how to make candles, and what different waxes served what purpose, and, you know.

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Sarah Lents: just a lot of research. Like I said, it took me 2 years to really perfect my formula, and that was burning candles non-stop every day, trying to figure out what wick

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Sarah Lents: is right for the circumference, and I'm not very good at math or science, and that's literally what this whole thing is, but you know what? It's great. We're getting there, we're figuring it out, we got the formula, and we're just making it, you know?

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Maddox: You know, the thing that really caught my eye and stopped me when we walked into your booth, because there were several people selling candles out there.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Maddox: Go ahead.

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Maddox: several, but there was something unique about yours visually right off the bat, you know? And then as we started to talk to you, and you shared your story about… it wasn't you just melted some wax and dropped a wick in it, you know, sprinkled some fragrance in it.

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Maddox: two years you worked on this formula. Now, that was the wax formula, I'm assuming, but you also make a broad variety of scents, and you have had to formulate all of your scents as well, is that correct? Correct.

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Sarah Lents: That is correct.

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Maddox: So, I mean, you're doing chemistry here, basically.

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Sarah Lents: Yes!

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Maddox: Aside from the math and the, you know, all that, you're doing chemistry as well, and then you took it a step farther, because if I remember correctly, and I may be saying this wrong, but your… all your candles mostly are all in glass jars, correct? Yep.

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Sarah Lents: Correct?

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Maddox: And the glass jars are… are edged. They're black, they're kind of a matte black, if I remember.

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Sarah Lents: Yep, and you were so.

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Maddox: So they're not shiny, they're matte black, and the glass is etched.

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Maddox: with words and sayings on the sides of them, inspirational things. Yes. And…

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Maddox: when they're etched, it removes the black part from the glass, so as the candle burns down, your light shines through the lettering on the side of the glass. Just hadn't seen anything like it, and they… they had…

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Maddox: a very… Simple elegance about them, in my opinion.

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Sarah Lents: Thank you.

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Maddox: You know, they just stood out. A lot of that stuff looks so crafty.

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Sarah Lents: Thank you.

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Maddox: And yours looked like it could sit on…

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Maddox: You know, the counters of, of any, large corporation, you know?

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Dwight: Or they could be gifted in such a way as to leave a lasting impression.

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Maddox: Yes.

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Maddox: Yes, yes, or could Grace, you know, the coffee tables of some of the

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Maddox: Richest homes in… in the city, you know?

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Sarah Lents: Thank you, yes.

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Maddox: they just had an elegance to them. I, I guess… how… I mean…

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Maddox: So I know there was figuring out the fragrance parts, and figuring out the wax.

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Maddox: But you went way beyond that. How did you figure out how to do the glassware? I mean, do you… are the glasses already matte black when you buy them?

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Sarah Lents: Yes, so I…

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Maddox: They don't have to figure that part out.

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Sarah Lents: Thank God, because, whew, that would be a whole nother… you'd have to, like, spray paint it, and, like, do all these things to it, and I'm like, - I'm not doing that. I have enough to do with the candles themselves, I'm not adding more work. So, my husband actually came up with that idea to do the laser, because…

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Sarah Lents: I was getting so frustrated with my stickers and the labels, because I'm a perfectionist, like, everything has to be perfect for me, and I couldn't get them perfectly straight, or there was, like, a little crease in there, and I would get so mad. And my husband did some research, and he's like, I've never seen somebody laser engrave a jar. And I was like.

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Sarah Lents: you're so right. Like, where have you been my whole life? Like, you are the smartest man I've ever seen in my life. And we did research on it, on how to do it, and…

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Sarah Lents: It's literally the easiest thing, like, and…

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Sarah Lents: it's so much fun because, like, I can customize it to whatever you like. And I actually had a friend whose sister passed away, and she had opened up a studio for, like, photography, and at her open house, she asked me if I could make her some candles, and on the candle at the top, I put, like, in loving memory of her sister and her name.

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Sarah Lents: And so when it glows, it's all at the top, so it glows the entire time all the way down. And she just cried, and I was like, you know what? Like, that is exactly what I was looking for in laser etching the label. Like, it just… it brings so much ambiance to it, and I just… I love it. It's amazing. And I'm so thankful for my husband for thinking of it.

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Maddox: Well, and it's so personal, I mean…

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Sarah Lents: is.

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Maddox: You know, you can buy some cool stuff out there, but yours are… you're able to custom make things for people, etching things into them that are only for them, or the loved one that they're giving it to.

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Sarah Lents: Right.

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Maddox: You, you guys have just really…

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Maddox: gone the extra mile. You said something a minute ago that I'm gonna toss out on the table. This is gonna divert us into a different

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Maddox: part of the conversation, I'm gonna… I'm gonna put it out there, and then I'm gonna step back and let Dwight kind of take over, because this is his… his forte, but you said, I'm a perfectionist.

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Sarah Lents: And we…

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Maddox: We have studied this whole perfection thing at length because we deal with nothing but creatives. And this conversation comes up a lot, and so I kind of want to spend a little bit of time on

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Maddox: on this perfection thing, because every listener probably will get value out of this. I will get value out of this, so… Love it.

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Sarah Lents: quit.

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Maddox: Let's just see where you and Dwight take this. Dwight, go.

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Dwight: Yeah, well, so, leaning into that… that perfectionism, is it… do you feel like you're just compelled to…

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Dwight: to keep…

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Dwight: Going after, you know, the perfect placement, the, you know, getting everything exactly right, perfectly smooth, removing any kind of flaws or bubbles.

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Dwight: Like, what drives you to do it?

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Sarah Lents: Honestly, it's my brain. I can't shut my brain off. Like, for whatever reason, once I, like, see something, like, it has to get done, and it has to be perfect. Like.

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Sarah Lents: I honestly don't really know where it stems from, because nobody in my family… well, I mean, my mom is pretty, like, you know, perfectionist, but, like, I take it to the next level, and I don't know where I picked it up from, but…

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Sarah Lents: I honestly think it just stems from me not being able to shut my brain off, and it just goes. And so I'm thinking of, like, the littlest things that don't even matter to, like.

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Sarah Lents: 20% of people, and I'm, like, just sitting there perfecting it, you know? And it's weird, but I think that it's just that I can't shut my brain off.

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Dwight: Yeah, and how does that affect your energy? Because it seems like it would be exhausting.

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Sarah Lents: I got lots and lots of tea and coffee to keep me going, because without that, I would be tired. Very, very tired.

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Dwight: Well, it's great that you were able to find a solution through your husband's research, but doesn't it kind of shine a light on other areas where you might be spinning your wheels?

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Sarah Lents: Yeah, because I'm now thinking of, like, what more products can I etch, and what more products can I add to my lines? You know, can I do… I just brought out room sprays, you know, and I'm sitting here thinking, how can I get a glass bottle and etch that out? Because, you know, they really just come in plastic bottles, but I've been researching, trying to find those bottles, and I cannot find them. But I will, don't worry.

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Dwight: Yeah, that's great. Well, I'm delighted that you actually went in a different direction from where I was pointing, because my concern was, if you have this level of obsessing over the placement of these labels, are there other things where you're just as stuck.

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Sarah Lents: Hmm.

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Sarah Lents: I don't know!

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Sarah Lents: I don't really think I get that stuck, because I always will figure it out one way or another. And I know that sounds crazy, like, that's, like, unreal, but, like, honestly, like, I just put my mind to it, and I just go. Like, I just don't stop. Right.

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Dwight: Well, and you know, as you pointed out, with having this… the laser etching be the solution, it's magical that your mind immediately went to the place, well, what else can we laser etch? Because this was the answer.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Sarah Lents: Absolutely. I mean, I'm engraving my phone, like, I've engraved literally probably everything I own, because I'm just obsessed.

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Maddox: Sarah, do you ever have a time…

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Maddox: When you kind of feel like, okay, if I can't do it perfectly, I just won't do it at all?

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Sarah Lents: Yes

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Sarah Lents: I get very frustrated if I cannot do it, and like… I mean, it's happened, I'm human, you know, that happens probably more often than I'd like to admit, but…

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Sarah Lents: I mean, yeah, I definitely get to a point where I'm like, you know what, screw it, I'm done, I'm not doing it anymore. But then I'll always eventually pick it back up, and it might be a year later, a month later, a week, you know, but I'll always eventually circle back around to that, and just take a different approach at it, and usually I…

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Sarah Lents: Figure it out, but sometimes it just takes me some time.

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Sarah Lents: And frustration.

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Maddox: There's a whole conversation that's going on out there, because we read it everywhere we look, we're part of the conversation.

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Maddox: Especially when it comes to creativity and art, because your things are handmade.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Maddox: And… the conversation… there's a two-fold conversation. One of the conversations is…

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Maddox: Learning to embrace the beauty of the imperfections.

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Maddox: And that's… so that's a whole thing. And the other thing is, you know, now we're… now we've got a world where AI is coming in and taking over everything. And the one way that we know that something is handmade, rather than made by AI or machine.

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Maddox: is that it has flaws, it's not perfect. How does… when you think about that, how does that land for you? Does that… how does that land for you?

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Sarah Lents: oh, it makes me want to fix it. It makes me want to, like, go in, like, I see so many AI, like, commercials and, like, ads and stuff like that, like, all over my TikToks and Facebook, and…

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Sarah Lents: oh, it drives me bonkers. Like, I literally just… I can't stand it, because, you know, there'll be, like, a hand that is not supposed to be there, or, you know, they have, like, an extra nose on their forehead or something, and it's like.

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Sarah Lents: How does that happen?

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Maddox: But we're very quickly evolving to a point where

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Maddox: the stuff that AI is cranking out looks

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Maddox: perfect, you know? The people that it cranks out, their features are just perfect, there's just beauty, there's not a flaw anywhere, and so it's…

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Maddox: you know, the conversation is shifting to, okay, now we went from AI, where they had more fingers than they needed, and their eyes looked really, really weird, and their teeth looked really, really weird, to now something that's so perfect.

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Maddox: AI is writing and creating all kinds of things. Music, poetry, stories, And…

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Maddox: Now the focus has shifted for us, that the way that somebody will know that our art is handmade.

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Maddox: Is that it is not perfect.

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Sarah Lents: Right.

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Maddox: Is that it has flaws, And I'm just wondering, is that making sense?

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Sarah Lents: Yeah, no, absolutely.

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Maddox: That's the part I'm curious, is how, as we…

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Maddox: As we tend to… it seems like we're moving away from humanity, for humans making things as perfect as possible.

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Maddox: To intentionally having some humanity in those things.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Maddox: so people know that it's actually really art, and not just some AI slop, as it's called these days. That's the part I'm curious, is knowing how that's affecting your process, or do you see value in… in…

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Maddox: You know, for me, I'm a recovering perfectionist.

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Sarah Lents: So… I love that.

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Maddox: I used to be like you, where if I couldn't do it perfect, I wouldn't fucking do it at all.

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Sarah Lents: Literally.

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Maddox: or I would get into it, and I would just obsess and make myself completely miserable.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Maddox: I've moved away from that, thankfully, because it was just chewing me up and spitting me out.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Maddox: moved away from that, and now I look for excellence.

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Maddox: you know, I want my work to be quality work if I'm gonna put my name on it.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Maddox: But I… I have… have let go of that every little detail. You know, sometimes if it's just…

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Maddox: I don't know, embrace the flaws. Yeah. That's where I am right now.

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Dwight: Holy c.

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Sarah Lents: stream.

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Dwight: There's a Japanese aesthetic, wabi-sabi.

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Dwight: That has to do with leaning into

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Dwight: The richness that comes from something that's aged, and something that has scars, and something that has actually been in the world.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Dwight: And I think that it's going to be enjoying a moment, because people are going to get tired of things that are too polished, and too perfect, and just unattainable.

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Sarah Lents: Right, yeah.

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Maddox: Well, I mean, it's the reason we do this podcast the way we do this podcast. There's no scripts, there's no… we don't rehearse any of this.

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Sarah Lents: No.

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Maddox: We… we intend it to be…

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Maddox: very organic, and obviously, just… it just comes together magically on its own. We don't force it at all. And there's just…

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Sarah Lents: These are.

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Maddox: It's beautiful that emerges when you can do that, but I get it. As a recovering perfectionist, I know how hard it is to make that transition away from the

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Maddox: Perfection, but there is a point where

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Maddox: It will suck the life completely out of you.

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Maddox: To get that?

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Sarah Lents: made it to that point yet. I'm sure I will, but I have not made it to that point yet.

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Dwight: When you made the leap to doing the laser etching.

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Dwight: Was this something that… that your husband initiated? Like, was he… was he the one that actually…

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Dwight: Came to you with the idea for finding a different way.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah, he actually was. It was… I can't take any credit for it. It was all him. He was looking, actually, for a hobby for himself, and he…

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Sarah Lents: fumbled upon a laser etching system, and he just sparked the idea of, hey, why don't you try doing this? You know, it'll save you time, you won't have to buy paper and labels and all of that, and, you know, it'll be perfect, because it's a computer system that does it. And I'm like, you know.

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Sarah Lents: You are very smart. I like the way you think.

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Dwight: Wonderful.

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Sarah Lents: Definitely, yes, he… he brought that up to me.

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Maddox: So, so the lasering isn't hand lasering.

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Sarah Lents: No, it is all computer. That is definitely all computer.

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Maddox: you know, I could… I think what you're doing is great, but I also, as you start doing more custom stuff.

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Maddox: I could totally see the value in… free… freeform…

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Sarah Lents: Oh, yeah.

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Maddox: engraving.

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Sarah Lents: That'd be awesome to get to that point.

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Maddox: You know, and there are tools out there. I bought a tool recently that I have… it's still in the box, I haven't played with it, but it will… it will engrave

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Maddox: almost any hard subject. It, you know… Not subject…

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Sarah Lents: No, I knew exactly what…

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Maddox: whatever, surface. You can use it on metal, you can use it on glass, you can use it on wood, plastic.

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Maddox: And it's a… it's like a pen, it's a handheld thing… Wow. With a little thing, and it has different… all kinds of different bits on the end of it for the different surfaces and things. Yeah. And you can draw with it, you can write hand lettering, you can do all kinds, and it takes… you have to do a little bit of practice to get good at it.

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Sarah Lents: Definitely, because I write like a little boy.

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Maddox: But, that would be… wow.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Maddox: Wow, wow, wow.

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Sarah Lents: Great idea. I'm gonna…

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Maddox: And, and…

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Sarah Lents: Put it in there.

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Maddox: It would be something that… Because the glass

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Maddox: I mean, glass is forever, unless you break it, you know? Whether they burn their candles out and they use them as drinking glasses.

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Sarah Lents: Yes!

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Maddox: turn the candles out and use them as little bud vases. Yes. Or they store things in them, like buttons, or…

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Maddox: I don't know, fun packs, whatever.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah!

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Maddox: You could, if you're making, you know, one-of-a-kind hand-done designs, those pieces could be… Pricey.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Maddox: You know, you could, you could…

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Sarah Lents: Great idea.

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Maddox: those.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Sarah Lents: I think that's great. I'm definitely gonna look into that and see what I can do with that, because that's authentic. That would be awesome if I can add that to my line.

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Maddox: Yeah, even if it was doing most of it with the computer, and then just putting some simple little touches around.

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Sarah Lents: Good!

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Maddox: or something.

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Sarah Lents: I love that.

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Maddox: Hybrid, yeah.

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Maddox: Yeah.

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Sarah Lents: That's a great idea. Thank you. I'm definitely gonna use that, for sure.

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Dwight: And do you provide the option to refill, to, like, recharge the candles?

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Sarah Lents: I sure do. Absolutely. I'm all about sustainability. If you want to bring it back, I'll make it again.

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Dwight: Nice.

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Sarah Lents: Yes. I prefer that, honestly, because it's… it's awesome, because I get to, you know, see the customers, you know, if they're local to me, then we can go pick up, you know, the candle and chit-chat a little bit, and then, you know, send it back to them, or if you're not from this area, you can ship it to me, and I'll ship it right back.

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Dwight: That's beautiful.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Dwight: And…

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Maddox: Well, let's take the conversation in a little bit different direction. I kind of want to talk about… I mean, right now it all sounds like, you know, everything's just been perfect, but we all know that's not the case with any of our journeys, so let's kind of go back through some of this and look at what some of the

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Maddox: Perhaps bigger challenges were, the things that…

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Maddox: You had to identify as a challenge, and then, you know, our conversation about becoming, you had to become a different person to surmount that challenge.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Maddox: And that covers, you know, two parts of what we really like to talk about here, which is, you know.

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Maddox: The creative aspect and the becoming and challenges are a big part of that.

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Maddox: Tell us a little bit about the part of the journey that wasn't so smooth and easy, and

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Maddox: You know, and how you manage to get from point A to point B.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah, there's actually lots of parts that kind of fell apart, and the first one would probably be trying to find the formula. That was very frustrating, because going into it, I thought, it's so easy! You put wax and, you know, some scent in there, and melt it, and pour it in, and light it, and…

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Sarah Lents: Bon voyage, that's it, but that is not the case at all. And so, actually having to find the exact gram, like, down to the gram of wax versus essential oils versus fragrance oils, they're all different, and every scent is different. So, for each scent that I offer, I have to do, like, at least 3 or 4 burn tests.

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Sarah Lents: Because I have 3 different jars.

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Sarah Lents: And so, that was very frustrating to me, because it's very time-consuming, and I'm the type of person that I'm like, let's go, you know, like, I want to get it out as fast as I can, and that was very challenging for me, because I actually had to, like.

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Sarah Lents: sit down, relax, and be like, okay, Sarah, you need to sit in your spot for an hour and figure this out, or it's never gonna happen, you know? And…

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Sarah Lents: So I kind of just sat back and was like, you know what? I can do this, I can figure it out, it might have taken me 2 years, but I figured it out. But it was very challenging to try to get to that point, because I can't tell you how many times I wanted to give up.

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Sarah Lents: But I had my support system, thank God, with my husband and my family and my friends, to be like, Sarah, you know what you're doing, you're gonna get this, do it. And I'm like, you know what?

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Sarah Lents: Fuck it, let's do it. And I did, and then that led me to more obstacles, which… trying to figure out what supplier I want to use, and what type of wax I want to use, because there's…

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Sarah Lents: millions of different soy wax blends that you can use, and I personally wanted 100% soy wax. I didn't want anything else in there. No paraffin, no beeswax, nothing, just 100% soy. And there's only one company that I can find where it says 100% soy.

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Sarah Lents: And so, it took me…

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Sarah Lents: probably 3 or 4 months to find them, because, I mean, there's so many suppliers out there, all around the world, and I don't want to go to just, like, the most popular one, because everybody uses it. I want to use different stuff, and I want to bring, you know, a different ambiance to it, which…

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Sarah Lents: I feel like I have accomplished, finally, but it took a while, you know? It took…

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Sarah Lents: a lot of challenges in trying to figure out what to use and how to use it. And also, another really big, challenge was working with your brother.

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Dwight: That…

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Sarah Lents: That was very hard, and… because me and my brother, we butt heads. We're, like, the same person. I love him to death, don't get me wrong, but we just were not on the same level, and so we had a candle company that me and him started called Jay & Co.

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Sarah Lents: And that's where all of this started, but we got to a point where

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Sarah Lents: we're fighting, we're screaming at each other, we're calling each other horrible names, like, we're just acting like children, pretty much, and…

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Sarah Lents: it got to a point where I was like, look, this isn't worth losing, like, my family over, so I'm just gonna go on my own. You go your separate way, you know, we'll talk in a month and figure it out.

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Sarah Lents: But that was very challenging to have to break off that, like, business-family relationship, because it caused a lot of ruckus in our family, because, you know, we're a very close family, and…

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Sarah Lents: when we fight, everybody fights. So, for a while, it was challenging. It was, like, I didn't want to do it, you know? I was kind of just like, this isn't working, like, I don't want to do this anymore.

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Sarah Lents: But then I really thought about it, and I was like, you know, this is something that I really have a lot of passion in, and have a lot of just…

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Sarah Lents: growth. Like, I could just see myself just taking this so far, and I was like, I'm just gonna do this on my own, and we're just gonna figure it out. And I'm still figuring it out, you know, because I just started it by myself in January of this year.

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Sarah Lents: So, it's very… I haven't really ran into much challenge yet, because I've kind of figured out, you know, what to do.

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Sarah Lents: But I'm sure I'll run into something at some point. I always do.

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Dwight: I gotta sing your praises for dealing with the… well, having the maturity to recognize that you were spiraling into more reactivity, and mirroring all the wrong stuff with your brother.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Dwight: And being able to save your sanity and give you both peace.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Sarah Lents: Thank you.

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Dwight: It's amazing.

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Maddox: level now? Are you guys good now?

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Sarah Lents: Oh, yeah, we're great. He was just over… I just celebrated my 30th birthday last week, and he was here partying it up with us.

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Dwight: Aww.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah, we're great now. And honestly, I think that if we didn't split up, I think we would be in a very different place. So I'm very thankful that we did.

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Maddox: Yeah, things have a way sometimes of working out the way they're supposed to.

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Dwight: You said something that really sparked my curiosity. You mentioned being very specific about your sourcing and your suppliers, the supply chain, and you also… another reason that my ears perked up was because when you mentioned that it was 100% soy.

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Dwight: I, too, have a sensitivity to sense… well, to everything, basically.

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Dwight: And I also, live a vegan lifestyle.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Dwight: And so, when you said 100% soy.

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Dwight: I… I was just curious about the sourcing all down the line, so… and you also said some things that made me think that it was important to be careful stewards and, you know, not harm animals.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Dwight: So, is there… would, strict vegans

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Dwight: Feel good about, enjoying what you offer?

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Sarah Lents: Absolutely. My wax is vegan, cruelty-free, and non-toxic, so it covers all of that. And that was something that was really important to me, because without all of that, you are getting all the toxins, and to be honest, you don't really know what you're getting in, because you can buy something that has, you know, a list of ingredients, and they're all named different, and it's like.

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Sarah Lents: I don't know what that is, you know? Like, I'm not gonna try to research that and try to figure it out. I just want…

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Sarah Lents: 100% authentic, real, stuff, and… That… absolutely, that is very important to me.

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Maddox: It's rare to find things that aren't just chock-full of chemicals.

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Sarah Lents: Yes, it's crazy! Like, I never would have thought that looking at a Bath & Body Works candle, how many toxins are in them. It's just… it's crazy.

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Maddox: That is crazy.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Maddox: So, Sarah.

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Maddox: you said, you know, I'm in a good place, not going through too many struggles since I started over.

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Maddox: I suspect that…

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Maddox: perhaps somewhere along the way, you're going to be forced, or not forced, but faced with scaling. Oh, yeah, that's right. Scaling the business, which means, you know, most likely more help.

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Maddox: You know, there's gonna be a point where you won't be able to do it yourself.

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Maddox: and grow, you know, you won't be able to do it yourself and make the kind of money that you probably need to make and want to make to keep that passion rolling. You know, we don't want it to sound like it's about money, but at some point, there is an aspect of it that is about money. You know, we gotta eat.

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Sarah Lents: Absolutely. Yes.

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Sarah Lents: You're so right.

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Maddox: But you're not there right now, are you? You're not to the point where you're really having to focus on

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Maddox: Scaling.

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Sarah Lents: Not yet, but to be honest, it's kind of getting to that point, because I do have a 9-to-5 job, I do work from home.

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Sarah Lents: And there are some days where I'm…

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Sarah Lents: I hope my boss isn't watching this, but I, you know, make candles in between working from home. So, some days it does, like, if I get, like, a really big order of, you know, 400 candles, I'm locked and loaded for, like, the next week of just making candles.

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Sarah Lents: And so, I definitely see if I get, you know, a couple more people that want those big orders. I could definitely make this, like, a full-time thing and open up an actual storefront, which is the goal, but I am just, as of right now, I am not there yet.

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Dwight: Well, you put the word out in things like these podcasts, and…

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Sarah Lents: You might…

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Dwight: Have it coming sooner than you think.

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Sarah Lents: Yay!

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Maddox: Well, and you know, it's about putting the word out and just into the universe in general, you know, which is an energetic thing.

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Maddox: you know, it's… the universe responds to us when we really clear… clearly… when we have clarity on what we want, and we put it out there, oftentimes the balls start to roll to move us in that direction.

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Maddox: You know, a brick-and-mortar space storefront is a big undertaking because of the overhead.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Maddox: Have you ever… have you ever considered, and this is just me thinking out loud, have you ever considered…

347
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Maddox: Really scaling and building up the online aspect of it so you can keep your overhead low.

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Sarah Lents: Oh yeah, I strive to do that every day. I mean, I'm… I like to think I'm an influencer, but I am so far from an influencer, trying to make these TikToks and keep up with everybody. But the online aspect of it… oh, go ahead.

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Maddox: Oh, I was gonna say, I just think sometimes that we get eager to have that storefront. I've done it myself, you know, and we put ourselves in an overhead that then ends up, like, compromising our business to a degree, or making us go under.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Maddox: You know, as long as you stay online, you can keep your costs really, really low and still…

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Maddox: Like, really provide for your following, your customers.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Maddox: Store… Storefront sounds really glamorous, but when you get in there, you'll find…

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Sarah Lents: Not always.

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Maddox: It is not.

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Sarah Lents: No, and I've learned that through, I mentioned earlier, the girl Sarah, that she has my candles at her storefront, and I've talked to her about, you know, maybe going half on a place, and I think that would be, like, a good

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Sarah Lents: once I get to that point, to kind of, you know, wet my feet a little bit and see how it is before I fully go by myself, because…

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Sarah Lents: I don't know, like, that's just… that's scary, you know, like, thinking about it.

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Dwight: Oh my goodness.

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Sarah Lents: done in a second, you know? Something could happen tomorrow, and it goes down, but I can't think like that, you know? I gotta be positive.

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Maddox: I've owned several salons, and it's a massive undertaking.

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Dwight: Yeah, to turn it.

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Maddox: a place, a brick-and-mortar place that… where you have overhead, you have rent, or, you know, a mortgage payment. If you bought the building, you have your

365
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Maddox: And your taxes, and…

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Dwight: Inspections.

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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Dwight: and insurance.

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Sarah Lents: Yes, all that! Oh, gosh. I wish.

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Maddox: I'd think… That rather than having your own storefront.

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Maddox: Wholesaling your product into other storefronts that… where you don't manage it, they sell it for you, would be… Yes.

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Maddox: Far more lucrative and easier to do, and you still control your time.

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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

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Maddox: You're not locked into, oh, my store's open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. every day, and I have to be there.

375
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Sarah Lents: Right. No, you're absolutely right. And I have… I have about 5 people right now that I do the wholesale for, so definitely that's something that I'm very interested in, and I would love more customers for that.

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Sarah Lents: I literally go around, like, all the downtowns, like, little small towns around where I live, and, you know, give them my cards, or, like, give them a little sample candle, and be like, hey, you know, if you want, I can bring you, make you a custom scent, whatever you'd like, and you'd be surprised by how many people I actually get by doing that, because I'm very uncomfortable when it comes to stuff like that.

377
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Dwight: Yeah, I… I definitely see your offerings being right at home in the Uncommon Goods catalog.

378
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Sarah Lents: Yes, thank you. I love it. I love making candles and what I do, it's… it literally just strives me to be better, like, it just… I don't know. I can't put my thumb on it, but it's great.

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Maddox: You know, I want you to hear, I know you just said, I'm really uncomfortable doing that, but I want you to hear that you don't come across as being uncomfortable doing that.

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Sarah Lents: Thank the Lord, because I feel like I'm, like, sitting here sweating.

381
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Maddox: The fact that you actually go do it, though.

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Maddox: That says a lot, Sarah.

383
00:44:16.920 --> 00:44:19.459
Sarah Lents: I have to. If I don't, who's going to?

384
00:44:19.600 --> 00:44:20.829
Sarah Lents: Exactly. You know?

385
00:44:21.310 --> 00:44:25.639
Maddox: Exactly. Now, at some point, you'll be able to map that… form that out.

386
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Sarah Lents: Yes, your mouth to God's ears.

387
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Maddox: But right now, you know, in the early years, you are the face of the business.

388
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Sarah Lents: Yes.

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Maddox: You know, you are the brand, and people need to know you by name, and by face, and that kindness, and that spirit that you bring into their place of business when you go in to talk to them about carrying your candles in their store.

390
00:44:49.210 --> 00:44:49.580
Sarah Lents: It's.

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Maddox: It's… it's big.

392
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Sarah Lents: Thank you. I… it's definitely…

393
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Sarah Lents: it's fun. I like it a lot. It's taken me out of this shell that I have put myself in. I don't know if it's just because of COVID or, you know, what, but ever since then, I've struggled with anxiety. Like, I can't bring myself to do things, and here lately, I'm just like…

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Sarah Lents: Sarah, go do it. If you don't do it, nobody else is gonna do it for you. And so, I've just kind of stuck that mentality in my head, and just do it, no matter if I have to pop a Xanax, you know, to chill out, I'll do it. But other than that…

395
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Maddox: Well, you, you are talking about becoming here. Yeah. So that, that very scared, like, anxiety-ridden person.

396
00:45:39.690 --> 00:45:43.700
Maddox: What had to shift inside of you for you to be able to call on those businesses?

397
00:45:44.190 --> 00:45:48.669
Maddox: But who did you have to become? Did that inner part, not what did you have to do.

398
00:45:48.670 --> 00:45:49.110
Sarah Lents: Yeah.

399
00:45:49.110 --> 00:45:53.450
Maddox: To become in here to be able to walk into those businesses.

400
00:45:53.970 --> 00:45:56.370
Maddox: And share what you bring to the world.

401
00:45:56.610 --> 00:46:06.899
Sarah Lents: I just had to become that girl. I had to just… I mean, picture, you know, the perfect scenario in my head and just go and do it, you know, and just…

402
00:46:07.740 --> 00:46:10.420
Sarah Lents: No, that's a very good question, like, I just…

403
00:46:10.420 --> 00:46:13.690
Maddox: Any limiting beliefs you had to let go of it?

404
00:46:14.560 --> 00:46:22.600
Sarah Lents: Probably that not everybody is gonna like me, or like my product, and for whatever reason, that's so hard for me to swallow.

405
00:46:22.840 --> 00:46:23.300
Dwight: vineyards.

406
00:46:23.300 --> 00:46:37.490
Sarah Lents: real, you know? Like, there's people out there that aren't gonna like candles, you know, that don't like certain colors, you know, don't like black, you know? Like, they want colorful, but that is not me. I am very black. That is just my color.

407
00:46:37.490 --> 00:46:38.130
Dwight: Good for you.

408
00:46:39.230 --> 00:46:49.260
Maddox: You know, there's always, in any situation, gonna be those people that like us and those people that don't like us, and I know for me, it's taken me half of a lifetime to figure it out, if not more.

409
00:46:49.260 --> 00:46:49.830
Sarah Lents: Yes.

410
00:46:49.830 --> 00:46:52.139
Maddox: I just focus on the ones that like me, and…

411
00:46:52.420 --> 00:46:54.659
Maddox: Don't pay any attention to the ones that don't.

412
00:46:54.850 --> 00:46:56.430
Sarah Lents: No, that's great advice.

413
00:46:56.430 --> 00:47:05.910
Maddox: So you focus on the people who like black, you focus on the people who like your scents, you focus on the people that like you and want to carry your product in their stores, and the rest of them…

414
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Maddox: You bless them and release them, as the saying goes.

415
00:47:09.800 --> 00:47:14.050
Sarah Lents: I love it. Amen.

416
00:47:15.220 --> 00:47:19.939
Maddox: I love… you know, you're 30 years old, you're young, and you are…

417
00:47:20.090 --> 00:47:24.050
Maddox: You know, the old Texas saying was, you're just filled with piss and vinegar.

418
00:47:24.050 --> 00:47:25.810
Sarah Lents: Yeah? You know?

419
00:47:26.670 --> 00:47:33.130
Maddox: I love that saying. I haven't had to say that in a long time. Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to say that. I love it.

420
00:47:33.130 --> 00:47:35.930
Sarah Lents: You're so welcome.

421
00:47:35.930 --> 00:47:41.850
Maddox: So, you, you just, you, you come across as being fearless.

422
00:47:42.560 --> 00:47:49.719
Sarah Lents: Thank you. That makes me feel really good, because sometimes I don't feel like I'm fearless, and I needed to hear that, I like that. Thank you.

423
00:47:49.720 --> 00:47:55.559
Maddox: But, you know, the truth of the matter is, all of the other people that come across as fearless.

424
00:47:55.870 --> 00:47:58.900
Maddox: They're experiencing exactly what you're experiencing.

425
00:47:58.900 --> 00:48:00.389
Sarah Lents: Yes, you're right.

426
00:48:00.530 --> 00:48:02.230
Sarah Lents: You're so right. You know?

427
00:48:02.810 --> 00:48:03.490
Sarah Lents: Yeah.

428
00:48:03.870 --> 00:48:06.500
Maddox: We're all afraid, in some way or another.

429
00:48:06.500 --> 00:48:07.270
Sarah Lents: Oh, yes.

430
00:48:07.270 --> 00:48:09.780
Maddox: But you step through the fear.

431
00:48:10.240 --> 00:48:11.209
Sarah Lents: You got to.

432
00:48:11.530 --> 00:48:17.810
Maddox: So there's an element that we always talk about that we haven't talked about even at all right now, and that is…

433
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Dwight: Hmm.

434
00:48:18.240 --> 00:48:19.280
Maddox: community.

435
00:48:19.600 --> 00:48:20.170
Maddox: how does.

436
00:48:20.170 --> 00:48:20.590
Dwight: Oh.

437
00:48:20.590 --> 00:48:24.180
Maddox: a player role in what Sarah does.

438
00:48:24.450 --> 00:48:40.249
Sarah Lents: a huge role. Without my community, I wouldn't be here. You know, I wouldn't have what I have. They are the ones that keep me going, that make me want to make a better product, or to be a better person. I mean, they make me who I am.

439
00:48:40.540 --> 00:48:43.430
Maddox: Dwight, did you have something you wanted to add? I thought I heard you a second ago.

440
00:48:43.430 --> 00:48:56.329
Dwight: I just wanted to step back to that piece about having to deal with the fact that you're not for everybody, and I'll just share a piece of wisdom that someone shared with me.

441
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Sarah Lents: Yeah.

442
00:48:57.930 --> 00:49:03.590
Dwight: you just have to bear this in mind in those situations. You're gonna make an offer, and…

443
00:49:03.840 --> 00:49:10.860
Dwight: there's the… the SWs. There's the some will, Some won't.

444
00:49:11.950 --> 00:49:13.310
Dwight: So what?

445
00:49:13.750 --> 00:49:15.860
Dwight: Someone's waiting.

446
00:49:15.860 --> 00:49:21.320
Sarah Lents: I love that! Stop it! That is… oh my gosh, that is my life motto right now.

447
00:49:22.070 --> 00:49:28.669
Sarah Lents: I love that. I'm gonna instill that in my brain, and I'm gonna use that every day. That is awesome.

448
00:49:28.670 --> 00:49:34.779
Maddox: Dwight, I want to make sure that our listeners really got that. Say… say those four SWs again.

449
00:49:34.780 --> 00:49:36.130
Dwight: Okay.

450
00:49:36.390 --> 00:49:40.180
Dwight: Some will, some won't.

451
00:49:40.670 --> 00:49:41.860
Dwight: So what?

452
00:49:42.110 --> 00:49:43.960
Dwight: Yeah. And someone's waiting.

453
00:49:43.960 --> 00:49:45.300
Sarah Lents: I love it.

454
00:49:45.300 --> 00:49:46.870
Maddox: Yeah, that's pretty powerful.

455
00:49:46.870 --> 00:49:47.529
Sarah Lents: That is.

456
00:49:47.530 --> 00:49:49.940
Maddox: Someone is waiting. Someone's always waiting for whatever.

457
00:49:49.940 --> 00:49:53.700
Sarah Lents: You gave me the goosies, like, literally, like, I love that.

458
00:49:55.550 --> 00:50:03.729
Maddox: We'll talk a little bit more about community. What does the community look like? When you think about that community that's helped you get where you are.

459
00:50:04.230 --> 00:50:06.679
Maddox: Draw a picture for us. What does it look like?

460
00:50:06.680 --> 00:50:13.840
Sarah Lents: Yeah, they're just so supportive. I mean, people that I don't even know have come up to me and just said that

461
00:50:14.120 --> 00:50:23.919
Sarah Lents: what I make is just beautiful, and everything to them, and that it brings them this type of ambiance that they don't feel every day, and…

462
00:50:23.920 --> 00:50:45.349
Sarah Lents: the sense of calmness, too, because this world is chaotic. Like, every day there's something new going on in the news, and the fact that some people can just light a candle, sit in a bathtub, and just relax, like, I'm so honored that I can actually fulfill that for people, and without my community, I wouldn't be able to do that.

463
00:50:45.350 --> 00:50:47.539
Maddox: Do you know why they do that, Sarah?

464
00:50:48.640 --> 00:50:50.040
Sarah Lents: No.

465
00:50:50.040 --> 00:50:51.070
Maddox: why they do that.

466
00:50:51.250 --> 00:50:52.020
Sarah Lents: Why?

467
00:50:53.220 --> 00:50:58.679
Maddox: You imbue Sarah energy in every candle you make.

468
00:50:58.680 --> 00:50:59.320
Sarah Lents: Three glass.

469
00:50:59.320 --> 00:51:00.480
Maddox: that you edge.

470
00:51:01.050 --> 00:51:11.669
Maddox: Thank you. All of that has your energy flowing into it. And the moment we walked into your booth, it's the reason we walked into your booth, your energy was spilling out of the booth.

471
00:51:12.140 --> 00:51:13.270
Sarah Lents: Literally.

472
00:51:13.270 --> 00:51:16.979
Maddox: We were going out of the booth, and we were just drawn in by your energy.

473
00:51:16.980 --> 00:51:19.369
Sarah Lents: Yeah, I love that. That means a lot.

474
00:51:19.780 --> 00:51:30.370
Maddox: People love your candles, and they buy your candles for a lot of reasons, but the subliminal, the reason that they're not even aware that's the reason they buy it.

475
00:51:30.710 --> 00:51:36.869
Maddox: Is because of the energy that you… energy and love and passion that you have put into each candle.

476
00:51:36.990 --> 00:51:42.540
Maddox: They think they buy it because the black is cool, or the etching is cool, or they love the scent.

477
00:51:42.650 --> 00:51:48.460
Maddox: Yeah. It's somewhere in there, They're buying a piece of your energy.

478
00:51:49.150 --> 00:51:51.979
Sarah Lents: Thank you, I like that. That's a good way to put it.

479
00:51:52.500 --> 00:52:00.510
Sarah Lents: That makes me feel a lot better, I like that. I needed this, man, you guys are awesome!

480
00:52:01.650 --> 00:52:18.420
Maddox: Well, you're blessed to have a family that supports you as much as they do. You're blessed to have a husband that is in the trenches with you, etching the glasses, filling them with wax, doing whatever he can, building the booths at every trade show.

481
00:52:18.420 --> 00:52:18.960
Sarah Lents: Yes.

482
00:52:18.960 --> 00:52:22.679
Maddox: You got a really great situation.

483
00:52:23.080 --> 00:52:30.239
Sarah Lents: Thank you. I'm very blessed, and I'm very thankful that I get to do it, and now show everybody what I do. It's exciting.

484
00:52:30.980 --> 00:52:37.729
Dwight: And I'm looking forward to seeing your candles offered in catalogs, and at every airport.

485
00:52:37.730 --> 00:52:39.159
Sarah Lents: Oh, thank you.

486
00:52:39.160 --> 00:52:43.279
Dwight: Whole Foods, and, you know, just natural grocers.

487
00:52:43.580 --> 00:52:44.550
Sarah Lents: Thank you.

488
00:52:44.970 --> 00:52:45.540
Maddox: Yeah.

489
00:52:45.540 --> 00:52:47.670
Sarah Lents: That's the goal. We're gonna get there.

490
00:52:47.670 --> 00:52:51.050
Maddox: You might want to approach… Whole Foods.

491
00:52:51.370 --> 00:53:09.690
Sarah Lents: I'm… I've thought about it. I've reached out to HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Bath &… or not Bath & Body Works, Bed Bath & Beyond, who else have I reached out to? Walmart, even. Probably shouldn't have done that, but you know, they're a big corporation. But I'm definitely going to look into Whole Foods, because that's a very good idea.

492
00:53:09.690 --> 00:53:13.619
Maddox: Walmart, you know, kind of gets a bad rap sometimes, but.

493
00:53:13.620 --> 00:53:14.030
Sarah Lents: Yeah.

494
00:53:14.030 --> 00:53:15.450
Maddox: Hopefully, they're… they're…

495
00:53:16.240 --> 00:53:21.819
Maddox: The way they operate their company and the way they treat their employees is… it's… they're on the good side.

496
00:53:21.820 --> 00:53:23.100
Sarah Lents: Yeah, absolutely.

497
00:53:23.100 --> 00:53:25.660
Maddox: You know, they were on the good side, and…

498
00:53:25.870 --> 00:53:38.489
Maddox: you know, I know that, I've never really checked into it, but I know that you can set up a store within Amazon, where you can sell your candles on Amazon.

499
00:53:38.490 --> 00:53:39.210
Sarah Lents: Yes?

500
00:53:39.640 --> 00:53:40.220
Maddox: I don't know how.

501
00:53:40.220 --> 00:53:52.249
Sarah Lents: into that, and it's actually pretty cool. The only difference is that you have to have, like, a little warehouse to bring every… to have the drop… what do they call it?

502
00:53:52.250 --> 00:53:52.700
Dwight: ship.

503
00:53:52.700 --> 00:53:59.529
Sarah Lents: Yeah, dropship, that's what it is. And I don't have that, I'm just working out of my home, so…

504
00:53:59.530 --> 00:54:07.880
Dwight: Well, if you were to speak a wish into being, and someone that was in a position to help you could hear it, what would you ask for?

505
00:54:08.500 --> 00:54:22.100
Sarah Lents: I would ask for a warehouse. I would ask for somewhere where I can really broaden my horizon and make a lot more, and do a lot more, and kind of take it to the next level, because that is ultimately the goal.

506
00:54:22.140 --> 00:54:24.679
Maddox: Sarah, do you live in a house or an apartment?

507
00:54:24.680 --> 00:54:27.290
Sarah Lents: I live in a house! We actually just bought our first house.

508
00:54:27.290 --> 00:54:27.850
Dwight: Congratulations.

509
00:54:27.850 --> 00:54:28.800
Maddox: Do you have a backyard?

510
00:54:28.800 --> 00:54:30.300
Sarah Lents: Thank you, I sure do.

511
00:54:31.220 --> 00:54:37.419
Maddox: You know, they didn't say what size that warehouse had to be. It could be a portable building in your backyard.

512
00:54:37.420 --> 00:54:40.499
Sarah Lents: You are right. I'm gonna look into that.

513
00:54:40.500 --> 00:54:45.469
Maddox: The other thing is, you know, unless they really stipulate, you could…

514
00:54:46.000 --> 00:54:50.610
Maddox: Rent storage space. I mean, candles don't take up a lot of space.

515
00:54:50.610 --> 00:54:55.380
Sarah Lents: No, you're so smart, why didn't… oh my gosh. See, everything happens…

516
00:54:55.380 --> 00:54:59.319
Maddox: where we have all the overflow from our house.

517
00:54:59.480 --> 00:55:00.150
Sarah Lents: Yeah.

518
00:55:00.150 --> 00:55:03.450
Maddox: Although, the rent's always going up, that's the bad thing about.

519
00:55:03.450 --> 00:55:04.200
Sarah Lents: Always.

520
00:55:04.200 --> 00:55:11.289
Maddox: It's always going up. Right. We have a 10 by 15 space. That would hold thousands of candles.

521
00:55:11.290 --> 00:55:14.510
Sarah Lents: Yeah, that's a good idea. I'm definitely gonna look into that, cause…

522
00:55:14.510 --> 00:55:20.780
Maddox: You know, and they just went up on our… what did they… what did I tell you? They went up to 250… 480…

523
00:55:20.780 --> 00:55:21.100
Dwight: Bring it.

524
00:55:21.100 --> 00:55:22.369
Maddox: $5 a month?

525
00:55:22.940 --> 00:55:23.739
Sarah Lents: Not at all.

526
00:55:23.740 --> 00:55:24.450
Maddox: No, not.

527
00:55:24.450 --> 00:55:24.890
Dwight: Well…

528
00:55:24.890 --> 00:55:30.280
Maddox: What if you're warehousing candles and making money as you drop to Amazon.

529
00:55:30.280 --> 00:55:37.060
Dwight: Right, if you're able to make use of every square inch, then yeah, I can see how that could be a great deal.

530
00:55:37.060 --> 00:55:40.310
Sarah Lents: Yeah, I'm look… I'm definitely gonna look into that.

531
00:55:40.640 --> 00:55:45.230
Dwight: The beautiful thing is they always will cut you a deal for being new.

532
00:55:45.230 --> 00:55:49.050
Sarah Lents: I like that. I like deals.

533
00:55:49.050 --> 00:56:01.580
Maddox: I'll tell you, there is so many options right now that we can't even know what they all are. We have more options to promote our products, to make our products, to sell our products, to…

534
00:56:03.270 --> 00:56:10.069
Maddox: And, you know, and now we have AI to help us figure out how to do all that. Are you using AI some?

535
00:56:10.070 --> 00:56:17.080
Sarah Lents: Oh, absolutely. I love AI. It's… I mean, it's scary, and, you know, to where it could go is really scary.

536
00:56:17.080 --> 00:56:17.730
Maddox: That he is.

537
00:56:17.730 --> 00:56:33.699
Sarah Lents: It's very helpful, honestly, because I may not, you know, put the best caption out there for a picture, and you go into ChatGPT and say, hey, give me a caption for this, and it brings you ideas, and I'm like, where have you been my whole life? I needed you in high school.

538
00:56:33.700 --> 00:56:39.359
Maddox: You know, there are things to not use it for, you know, because it's… You know.

539
00:56:39.800 --> 00:56:45.809
Maddox: you, once again, you're the face, and people are expecting your voice, you, not I.

540
00:56:46.060 --> 00:56:46.390
Sarah Lents: Right.

541
00:56:46.390 --> 00:56:51.999
Maddox: I don't let it write for me yet, but… but I will let it, like, Edit my writing.

542
00:56:52.000 --> 00:56:52.630
Sarah Lents: Yeah!

543
00:56:53.500 --> 00:57:02.850
Maddox: I want it to be in my stories, my voice, but I let it to tell me how I can word it a little warmer, a little friendlier, a little, you know.

544
00:57:02.850 --> 00:57:03.580
Sarah Lents: Yeah!

545
00:57:03.580 --> 00:57:05.500
Maddox: But, yeah.

546
00:57:05.750 --> 00:57:11.370
Maddox: Well, you know, what an amazing story. You are very inspiring.

547
00:57:11.580 --> 00:57:15.530
Sarah Lents: Thank you. Very inspiring. You guys inspire me!

548
00:57:16.570 --> 00:57:23.950
Maddox: There will, just so everybody listening knows, there will be a link to Sarah's website.

549
00:57:23.950 --> 00:57:24.390
Sarah Lents: Jay.

550
00:57:24.390 --> 00:57:28.369
Maddox: You can order candles directly off of our website, is that correct?

551
00:57:28.370 --> 00:57:30.730
Sarah Lents: That's… absolutely, you sure can.

552
00:57:30.730 --> 00:57:36.830
Maddox: Yeah. You know, silly question, but when somebody goes on your website, and

553
00:57:37.030 --> 00:57:49.899
Maddox: maybe the candles don't say vanilla or lavender, they have other names and other fragrances that aren't the most common things. How does someone determine what they might like and what they might not like?

554
00:57:49.930 --> 00:58:12.830
Sarah Lents: Yeah, so under the description of every scent, I have every essential oil and every fragrance oil that goes into it, and it kind of gives you, like, an ambiance of, like, what that scent kind of looks like, almost kind of like a woodsy, or like a forest, or, you know, a beach, or a lake, or, you know, whatever, but it kind of paints a picture of what that scent should be.

555
00:58:13.930 --> 00:58:19.269
Maddox: Wouldn't it be cool if you could create some type of a scratch and sniff thing?

556
00:58:19.270 --> 00:58:21.080
Sarah Lents: Yes, that would be so cool.

557
00:58:21.080 --> 00:58:27.399
Maddox: add a little bit of the fragrance on, or… or… yeah, I don't even know how that would work, but…

558
00:58:27.400 --> 00:58:29.370
Sarah Lents: But that's something to look into, that'd be cool.

559
00:58:29.370 --> 00:58:33.390
Maddox: That would be really cool if you could just, in a postcard, just.

560
00:58:33.390 --> 00:58:34.150
Sarah Lents: Yes?

561
00:58:34.150 --> 00:58:38.080
Maddox: It's low cost, send them something where they could have a little sample of the different.

562
00:58:38.360 --> 00:58:43.269
Sarah Lents: I love that. You're giving me all the good ideas, I love this!

563
00:58:43.270 --> 00:58:49.199
Maddox: You know, it's so much easier to come up for ideas for other people's businesses, as well as our own.

564
00:58:49.200 --> 00:58:54.530
Dwight: Well, it's just like I always say, you need a mirror to see your own face.

565
00:58:54.530 --> 00:58:56.960
Sarah Lents: Yes, 1000%.

566
00:58:57.380 --> 00:58:58.150
Maddox: Yeah.

567
00:58:58.290 --> 00:59:05.409
Maddox: Yeah, and I think what he's referring to right now is we're mirroring stuff to you, showing you who you are.

568
00:59:05.580 --> 00:59:17.179
Sarah Lents: I appreciate you guys so much. You have opened my eyes and just made me feel really good about where I'm at and where I'm going, and I can't thank you enough for this opportunity. It's amazing.

569
00:59:17.180 --> 00:59:18.549
Maddox: I think you're on fire.

570
00:59:18.550 --> 00:59:20.160
Dwight: Oh, thank you. Great stuff.

571
00:59:20.160 --> 00:59:25.970
Maddox: think you're on fire. Thank you. The only thing that you need to be aware of is that, you know.

572
00:59:26.130 --> 00:59:29.069
Maddox: When you're on fire, if you're not careful, you can burn out.

573
00:59:29.070 --> 00:59:31.549
Sarah Lents: Yes, and I don't want to do that.

574
00:59:31.550 --> 00:59:39.549
Maddox: You've got to manage that whole… whole thing, where it's… you still have to have a life away from candles, and…

575
00:59:39.550 --> 00:59:40.390
Sarah Lents: Absolutely.

576
00:59:40.390 --> 00:59:43.920
Maddox: There has to be self-care, and time for rest, and…

577
00:59:43.920 --> 00:59:44.380
Sarah Lents: Always.

578
00:59:44.380 --> 00:59:45.640
Maddox: It's easy to do.

579
00:59:45.640 --> 00:59:58.450
Sarah Lents: No, it's not. But I've told myself, since I've turned 30, I'm gonna be that girl, and I'm gonna try to work more on being girly, and being myself.

580
00:59:58.500 --> 01:00:06.080
Sarah Lents: And just being authentic, like, that's just, like, where I strive to be now, now that I'm 30. Gosh, I don't know what to do with my life.

581
01:00:06.080 --> 01:00:08.589
Maddox: You're so old! 30, oh my god.

582
01:00:08.590 --> 01:00:11.530
Sarah Lents: Oh, no, stop. No way.

583
01:00:11.530 --> 01:00:11.980
Dwight: We're not.

584
01:00:11.980 --> 01:00:15.250
Maddox: when… Back in my day…

585
01:00:15.250 --> 01:00:16.150
Sarah Lents: Oh, stop it.

586
01:00:16.150 --> 01:00:29.539
Maddox: when we turned 30, we didn't even think anything about that. We still felt like we were, like, 20, you know? Nowadays, I'm amazed when somebody said, oh my god, I'm really upset, I'm getting ready to turn 30, and I just want to bitch.

587
01:00:31.100 --> 01:00:39.490
Dwight: Well, on that happy note, we should put a bow on this to respect our listeners' time. They've given us an hour.

588
01:00:39.680 --> 01:00:40.120
Sarah Lents: Yes.

589
01:00:40.120 --> 01:00:40.710
Maddox: Damn.

590
01:00:40.710 --> 01:00:42.139
Sarah Lents: I could go on for days.

591
01:00:42.140 --> 01:00:44.110
Maddox: But we have had such a good time.

592
01:00:44.130 --> 01:00:47.459
Sarah Lents: Me too. Thank you so much for this opportunity.

593
01:00:47.460 --> 01:00:52.940
Maddox: Thank you for, yeah, coming on and sharing your life with us. We really appreciate it.

594
01:00:52.940 --> 01:00:56.430
Sarah Lents: Absolutely. It's been magical. Yes! It's been so much fun.