Alex & Jack Co. offers candles, gifts, inspiration
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Nestled in the downtown business district of Jersey Shore, Alex & Jack Co., 521 Allegheny Street, offers not just handcrafted candles and other gifts, but also an example of turning adversity into inspiration, owner and operator Taylor Martin told the Sun-Gazette.
The genesis of the business came with the birth of her first son, Rory, in April 2020, followed by her second, Connor, just over a year later in May 2021, when Martin would leave her then-current employer due to raising her two young children as her husband, Jake, worked nights.
"I had a very difficult postpartum depression after my second, and one day I just decided to look up therapeutic hobbies, and candle making was one of them," she explained.
As luck would have it, Martin had just received candle-making materials from her good friend, Kate, who she said was a big supporter of hers during her depression.
"The actual making itself is very simple and easy, and I feel like it's a lost craft too. It's a very old craft, but you don't really hear that much about people doing it by hand anymore," she said.
Martin said that not only did candle-making give her something to do with her hands during her alone time or while her kids slept, it also helped her to slow down at times.
"I'm not a patient person at all, so the great thing about candle making, but the hardest part for me was that it's a slow process that can't be rushed, which was actually a very good thing for me," she said.
Martin set up shop in the couple's third floor semi-finished attic space, converting one room into an office and the other into a candle-making space.
Though she was selling out of 14 different locations, operating a storefront was not initially in the cards, after Martin's Facebook page took off, a vacant property in Jersey Shore kept drawing her attention.
"I just kept passing this space, and it was empty, and I just kept thinking that it would be the cutest little spot, and it's two minutes from my house, and right by my kids' school," she said.
At the time the space was just being used for storage, but Martin said the landlords couldn't have been nicer or more supportive.
"It's honestly been a blessing, and I'm definitely a person of faith, so to me, it was all God's timing," she said.
"I was scared to do it because I'm really afraid of failing, which is something I think a lot of people struggle with, but I think it's a good example too to show my kids, 'just try something new, and if it doesn't work out, that's okay. It's just another lesson in life,'" Martin said.
Her sons would also serve as inspiration as the business's namesake, as it comes from their respective middle names.
"I was literally just at my house one day doing dishes, and I'm like, 'Alex and Jack would be a cool business name,'" she explained.
Though she was doing drop-offs and deliveries, Martin said the storefront has allowed her to make a deeper connection with her customers.
"It's been really great to connect with people and put faces to them," she said, adding that the community as a whole.
"It was really important for me to be in Jersey Shore. I was born and raised, and I lived there. My kids are going to school there, and we need to care about our little town," Martin said.
"You need human interaction and you need community, and I think we're still rebuilding from it before COVID," she said.
"People matter and human interaction matters so much. I'm really a big believer that we're not meant to be on Earth alone," Martin said.
An aspect of her products important to Martin is that her candles are made with an all natural soy wax.
"I do not cut my wax with anything, and I'm very picky about the fragrance oil I do. It's phthalate free and paraben free, so it's really important to me not to cut the quality," she said.
"For a lot of people, scents are very nostalgic. Somebody might smell something and it reminds them of their childhood or a loved one that they lost or something like that, so it seems like candles are so simple, but you would be shocked at how personal they can be too," Martin said.
Alex & Jack Co. carries a variety of scents, including apple, maple bourbon, blueberry cheesecake, banana nut bread and mountain pine, which Martin refers to as "staples."
"I also switch it up in the seasons with fall and summer scents," she said.
In addition to candles, shoppers can find a number of general gift options at Alex & Jack Co.
"I want people to be able to come and find a gift for somebody for any little occasion. We have a lot of faith-based things and devotionals and things like that," she said.
"With my postpartum journey, I'm a huge believer in going to therapy, and journaling and really diving into your faith, and whatever that means to you," Martin said.
"For some people, it's hiking, but everybody's different. I'm a huge book lover and I love to read fantasy stuff, so there's different niches and creative sides that people have, whether they love plants or they're a teacher, or a nurse, you can find something that speaks to them and fits them," she said.
"Another thing with COVID is, I think people miss going somewhere and shopping, so I just wanted to create a little space that people genuinely want to come to," Martin said.
Despite the challenges that come with operating a small business, Martin the support of the community has been nothing short of astounding.
"It's amazing how many people have supported me that I don't know from anywhere else. They'll just support me because they want to, and that part for me is really humbling," Martin said, stressing the importance of shopping small when possible.
"Our one son did end up getting an autism diagnosis, which has been a journey for our family, but my business has allowed me to be flexible with my kids. I get to do all of those drop-offs, pickups and be a sports mom," she said.
"I've also gotten to meet other people who are going through having their child diagnosed with autism diagnosis, and heard how it affects their family, and no person has the same journey, so that's also been a huge blessing to me," Martin said.
"There's been so many things that I'm like, 'okay, that's not just a coincidence.' So you're really supporting way more than you ever think you are when you support a small business," she said.
"It is so much more than from the outside looking in, and I tell people, it's like my other baby," Martin said.
Martin also hopes that the candor with which she shares her postpartum depression story can shine a light on an experience far too many women go through.
"I've had a lot of people reach out to me, and if it helps one person, to me, it's worth it," she said.
"This is a topic we do need to be open about and normalize because a lot of people do suffer in silence, and the tough thing about postpartum is you don't know you're going through it when you're in it," Martin said.
"It's easy to look back at it, but that's the scary part. So, if one more person can open up about it, that's a win for me," she said.
For more information on Alex & Jack Co., please visit their website at www.alexandjackco.com or across social media.