Candice Crane, Founder & CEO of Petal, a delicious rose-flavored water. She is supermom to her two rosy-cheeked girls, wife to her soulmate, and lady-boss in the workplace. Candice is a visionary and a botanical alchemist that honors all the florals in the “queendom.” Candice was born in South Africa and then later raised in Chicago. She studied production and design at Indiana University. After college, Candice went on to work at the Game Show Network and then worked in the marketing department at her family business ARPAC, LLC, an end-of-line packaging manufacturer.
I love featuring women in my Shine On series who had an idea, ran with it, and started their own business. Not only did Candace do that, but she’s continually working day in and day out to grow her brand from coast to coast. Check out our interview below to get to know Candace and find out how Petal came about!
KN: Thanks again for being a part of the series, Candace! Can you share your story and how you got to be where you are today with Petal? How did you get the idea to start your business?
Candice Crane: The idea for Petal blossomed as a young girl. I used to have teatime every afternoon with my grandmother and she would always sprinkle rose petals into her tea. As I saw floral flavors starting to trend in the beauty industry, I thought this was my time to introduce an ancient elixir like rose water to consumers.
KN: I love that!! What a great idea of your grandmother’s! What would you say is unique about Petal?
CC: Petal honors the magic of floral flavors and botanicals. We took an ancient elixir and modernized it by adding sparkles and delivering a clean, organic beverage. Rose oil vibrates at the highest frequency, so rose water actually elevates your mood and is said to aid in digestion. Petal is filled with antioxidants and hydrates skin and hair from the inside out. It truly is good for the body and soul!
KN: Wow, I did not know that. How cool! So tell me, what excites you about Petal?
CC: The Petal brand is so uplifting, empowering and contagious. It is an honor to deliver such a beautiful drink in a beautiful can. We recently launched Petal on Amazon, and I am so excited to introduce Ms. Petal to the West Coast in 2019.
KN: Congratulations on Amazon – that’s so great! What would you say has been your best decision in life to date?
CC: Wow! Tough question. My best decision was taking my vision and building out a proof of concept plan. My personal best decision was to marry my husband, Aaron, who has been my number one fan and supporter all the way.
KN: Having someone in your corner supporting you along the way is crucial! So glad your husband has been that person for you! Can I ask what has been the biggest challenge or failure with your business or your life? How did you push through it?
CC: Our trademark was suspended for our initial name. It was a sad day, but I woke up the next day and the name ‘Petal’ blossomed. It ultimately is the best name for my vision and so fitting for our botanical beverage.
KN: I love that you didn’t let the suspension of your original trademark deter you or get you down. I love the name Petal. Switching gears a bit, how do you manage stress being a businessowner?
CC: I personally love getting an early morning workout in, and I love rose petal bubble baths!
KN: You are all about the roses – I love it! It’s definitely one of my favorite flowers too. What would you credit your success to?
CC: The support from my family and the drive to be successful.
KN: And what does a typical day look like for you?
CC: Every day is an adventure in a different area of the city. I usually wake up around 5am to get a morning workout in and then come home to my two kids lying in bed with my husband. On school days, we rush to get ready for school, blast some music in the car and then I am off to deliver Petal to the people. I am so fortunate to live in a time where I can shift from carpool mom to CEO. I absolutely love finding new retailers that I haven’t been to before and chatting to new Petal customers. By the end of the day, I always make it a priority to tuck my girls into bed.
KN: You are superwoman! That’s quite the busy day. With being a CEO and a mom, how do you balance life and entrepreneurial responsibilities?
CC: Every now and then I smile to myself about the chaos. I am actually grateful for it. I feel like I am on the best adventure. I compare it to a newborn baby because Petal is my third child. I believe it’s important to have a solid tribe. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and Petal is no different. I have a strong support system at work and at home. My husband and family have really stepped in to help me with home life. I also have a rock-star Petal team. I make sure to get my workout in bright and early, which allows me to feel great all day and spend my extra time with my family at night.
KN: Having people you can count on truly does help! So, this series is all about showcasing inspiring women but I always like to ask the women I’m interviewing who they are inspired by. Who is your inspiration?
CC: My grandmother and parents have all been incredible role models as entrepreneurs and as people. Their positive attitudes have been encouraging and contagious.
KN: Amazing! As we wrap up, if you had one general piece of advice for women starting their own business, what would it be?
CC: Stick to your gut, believe in yourself and conquer those goals, girl!! Plan, plan, plan, and then take the plunge. Confidence is contagious!
KN: Taking the plunge is what it’s about. Thank you so much again, Candace!
If you’d like to follow along with the Petal brand, you can head to Instagram!
Kelly Nash is a Chicago-based writer, career coach, speaker and founder of Lipstick & Ink®. She also works full-time in technology as a Role Strategy and Employee Engagement Manager at Salesforce and has over 12 years of digital marketing experience. Kelly has been featured in Thrive Global, Chicago Tribune, International Association of Women, General Assembly, Salesforce, and SheFactor. She’s fueled by black coffee, sunshine, a good ink pen, and a bold lip.
Thanks for the beautiful post!
You are so welcome, Candice! It was an honor to have you a part of this series!