Candles, Another Trade Show, and an Upscale Shopping Center

Spiral Light Candle Corporation will be at The Westin Galleria Houston in November. Not the Houston Galleria - that's the whacking great shopping center across the street. I put links that might be useful, under "Hotel, shopping, and stuff," at the end of this post.

I won't be going along this time: which is probably just as well. I've just gotten over the last trade show, in Pennsylvania. It was a wonderful experience, by I'm not a 40-year-old kid any more. Posts about my experience in Pennsylvania are linked on "Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show."

Spiral Light Candle: in Houston November 18-19

View Larger Map

The "A" on that map points to the Westin Galleria hotel. There seems to be a skyway/overhead walkway from the hotel to The Galleria shopping center across the street.

I think Mall of America, a couple hours' drive southeast of here, does a better job with its website: and that's another topic.

Where was I? Candles. Trade show. Houston. Right.

Spiral Light Candle will have a booth at the Christians In Action Trade Show, Friday and Saturday, November 18 and 19. Here's part of what the CATS folks say about the event:

"...The Christians In Action Trade Show is a Business Expo that brings together hundreds of businesses, entrepreneurs and ministries to network and promote their goods and services. The event is a great networking experience, packed with a lot of....

"...Over 200 exhibitors and 3,000 participants from various states and countries are expected to participate in the show....

"...innovative ideas that will motivate the participants....

"...and a concert featuring well-known gospel artists on Saturday 19th, 2011...."
("Welcome to the Houston Trade Show," Christian Trade Show and Business Expo)

Add up the exhibitors and participants, and you've got about 3/4 as many folks attending, as live here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Looks like it's going to be a lively event.

Not-entirely-unrelated posts:

• "First Full-Time Employee, and a Busy Monday"
  (September 12, 2011)
• "Families, Vacations, Catholic Marketing Network's 15th Annual Trade Show, Schedules, and a Candle"
  (August 1, 2011)
• "Working From Home: Kids and Computers, Utopia and Reality"
  (February 1, 2008)
• "Family, Business, and Focus"
  (November 30, 2007)
• "Hiring Relatives and the Chinese Business Model"
  (June 5, 2007)

Hotel, shopping, and stuff:

• Houston, TX - Hotels, Events, Things to Do - Official Vacation Info
  Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Hotel:
  • The Westin Galleria Houston
    5060 West Alabama
    Houston, TX 77056
    United States: phone (713) 960-8100/Toll-Free (800) 937-8461
• Shopping center:
  • The Galleria (Houston)
    Wikipedia
  • "Houston Galleria"
    Houston Outside
  • "About Houston Galleria®"
    • Simon Property Group
• Spiral Light Candle Corporation
  • Spiral Light Candle
    Video: A Candle With a Twist
• Christian Trade Show and Business Expo
  • "Welcome to the Houston Trade Show"
    Christian Trade Show and Business Expo
• Catholic Marketing Network

First Full-Time Employee, and a Busy Monday

Spiral Light Candle Corporation (spirallightcandle.com), my son-in-law's latest venture, has a full-time employee, as of Friday. Last Friday, that is, not the one coming up.

So why am I spending part of today, getting Spiral Light Candle Corp's Amazon.com account ready? I've got about 20 years' experience in marketing, which makes me a pretty good choice for the task. I'll get back to that in a bit.

Now, some blatant, shameless self-promotion. Almost. Actually, it's part of what I'm preparing for Spiral Light Candle Corp's Amazon account:

About Us

Spiral Light candle all started with a simple question: "Why does a candle only burn straight down?" With this in mind and his interest in motion and video, inventor and entrepreneur Aaron McWilliams had made the world's first spiral burning, self-filling prayer candle.

Following his love of the Catholic faith, Aaron's first venture into the Catholic market came when he opened a Catholic book and gift store in central Louisiana with his late wife Kelly. After she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Aaron and Kelly decided to document this difficult journey in an effort to share their experience.

Later Aaron and his new wife, Sara, founded Oasis Productions and completed the documentary entitled: "The Art of Serenity, A Journey of Faith."

Today, Spiral Light Candle Corporation is the McWilliam's newest venture as they stay close to their faith, and strove to provide new and compelling product lines for the market they love.

How Does It Work?

Spiral Light self-filling candles are a new twist on an old staple. The self-filling candle is first lit, using the horizontal wick on the upper edge. The candle burns around the hollow center with the wooden wick allowing the wax to drain inward, filling the center.

The horizontal spiraling wick self extinguishes when the inside wax level reaches the top of the spiral, to prevent any spilling. This creates a solid pillar candle.

By writing your prayer intention on the wooden wick before inserting it in the candle's center, you start bringing your prayer and the candle together. As the spiraling wick burns, a pillar candle forms around your written intention: to remind you that God never forgets.

Back to Me

About four years ago, I posted about the 'Chinese business model:' hiring relatives as a way to get motivated, loyal employees. It's the way quite a few folks in the Far East operate. Here in the West, we've had bad experiences with bosses who hired their idiot brother-in-law: so we call it nepotism, and pay more for the skills of occasionally-excellent non-relatives.

I think it's a cultural thing. This family works pretty well together, which isn't the case for everybody.

I've spent part of today working for my brother-in-law - at zero cost to the Spiral Light Candle Corp. - because he's family, I'd probably think the product is a good one, no matter what. Or at least say so. Also because I'm a part-owner of the company. If we succeed, I'll get paid - indirectly.

But so many stores have ordered Spiral Light's candles - and then ordered more - that it's not just my opinion. These things have a wide appeal.

And, no matter what happens, I've gotten a good review in graphic design and marketing.

Now, it's time for a coffee break and my daily exercises.

Related posts:

• "Catholic Bookstores, Choices, and Reasons"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (August 3, 2011)
  Particularly
  • Why Run a Catholic Bookstore?
  • Evangelizing, Not Annoying
  • Sour-Faced Saints?
    • Not the best role models, I think
• "Trade Show Preparation: Is Work Important?"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (August 1, 2011)
  • Depends on what you mean by "work"
    • And "important"
• "Families, Vacations, Catholic Marketing Network's 15th Annual Trade Show, Schedules, and a Candle"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (August 1, 2011)
• "I'm Not a Forty-Year-Old Kid Any More: Time, Organization, Energy, and Priorities"
  (July 20, 2008)
• "Hiring Relatives and the Chinese Business Model"
  (June 5, 2007)