Reaching out: Local artisan uses contest win to give back to her community

Published 12:00 am Saturday, August 19, 2023

Growing a business from her roots at the Athens Farmers Market, one Athens small business owner is moving to a storefront of her own — and it all happened because of a dream.

“I don’t even know; she’s got only two feet, but if I walked through the living room right now there’s two pair,” Athens resident Sherry Jefferson joked, speaking of one of her daughters’ love for shoes that led Jefferson to information on a life-changing competition. “(This location) was in her line of fire.”

The owner of Flirty Flame Candle Co. is referencing the empty store in the Decatur Mall that will soon serve as her dream-come-true storefront.

Starting in October, the Limestone County resident will have a 3-month presence in the Decatur mall, due to a contest hosted by American Dream Project, a part of Hull Property Management out of Dalton, Ga. The contest was for space in either the Foley, Auburn, Florence or Decatur mall, and the winner would be given 3 months of free storefront space, access to some of the group’s marketing tools — such as vinyl wall decor and the signage currently seen out front.

Since ordering her first candle kit with the intention of honoring her family’s tradition of birthday-cake-related items, Jefferson always wanted her business to have a physical presence. With her win and the presence of a candle shop already in her other application at Florence, the organizers set Flirty Flame up with a Decatur shop to make her dreams come true.

“My ultimate goal is to have a Candle Bar … have a little fun, and have something to take home to remember their special event,” Jefferson said in an interview with The News Courier in early 2023, about a month before entering the competition.

After Flirty Flame Candle Co. opens in the Decatur mall, Jefferson will be using her space to create experiences for her customers to do just that, whether it’s a planned bachelorette party or someone who stumbles across her shop.

“With this particular place, I decided I would do walk-ins and do appointments or reservations. … Right now it looks like we’re going to be able to seat anywhere from 20 to 24. I may space it out more, but there’s space to do whatever we want to do,” Jefferson said of the location.

While Flirty Flame is all about candles, Jefferson doesn’t want the 1,200-square-foot space to go just to creating candles. She plans to foster a sense of community in her space, inviting an online clothes boutique ran by her goddaughter as well as vendors she finds along the way that fill a gap in her community.

“I don’t make soap,” she said. “So, you know, if I wanted to sell soap in there, I could reach out to somebody I know who does make soap and say, ‘Hey, would you like to put a few bars (in my shop). I’ve never had anyone that I’ve asked for anything say no yet.”

In a way, Jefferson is passing on the platform that she was able to create in Limestone County. She is a regular at the Farmers Markets on Green Street. And, from a ribbon cutting at the Chamber of Commerce office for the social-media based business to a partnership and display at Athens Florist, Jefferson was able to partner with other local establishments and build a strong Limestone County business.

“We are so proud of Sherry and her recent win with securing a storefront in the Decatur Mall. We’ve watched Flirty Flame continue to grow from conception and with her recent win, we can’t wait to see what’s next for her business model of creating the best fragrances for candles, oils, and room sprays,” said Pammie Jimmar, president of the Athens-Limestone Chamber of Commerce.

While this storefront isn’t local to Limestone County, the support of Jefferson’s Limestone friends and customers is a blessing — and she doesn’t expect the distance to Decatur to change.

“I honestly believe the community will come with me,” she said. “The people here in Limestone County are loyal. They come back to you; they reach out to you.”

Flirty Flame Candle Co. will have a ribbon cutting on Sept. 26 at 1 p.m. and will have its official grand opening on Oct. 1 at 12 p.m.

“If we fail, we fail, but … they’ve already issued me a lease, (should I choose to sign it), because they said ‘You know, we really think it’s going to work out for you.’” Jefferson said.