My sons completed my home office at school. We planned it together and that was all part of the excitement and fun. I would of never in my wildest dreams thought that my sons would be building me a home office when they grew up.  It just proves to me again that anything is possible and the sky is not the limit, it is only the beginning.

Rich is a sophomore. He loves football and track, he's told me that running sets his mind and body free. Each morning at 6:00am he rises and heads out for his morning run. This I cannot relate to just because I have never been a runner. Art did a lot of running in his high school days so he relates totally.

Rich is also big into music and plays trumpet, piano and sings in the choir. He impresses me with his love of music. He is working on his vocal skills along with the piano and trumpet. Another ritual he has. A goal of his is to learn guitar and violin. He participated in the National Catholic Youth Choir the summers of 2007 and 2008 he is excited to participate for a final year again this coming summer 2009.  Rich was chosen as an All State Choir member. This is a high honor, he competed for his spot with all other high school students in the state of Minnesota.  He will be performing at orchestra hall in Minneapolis, MN as well as several other performances throughout his Senior year. He uses his gifts and talents to his best ability. We get to benefit by hearing him practice.

I have been married to my partner for 24 years.
Yes, He is my Night in shining Armour! 

 
My husband and I started our custom cabinet business in 1989. We've formed our business from the bottom up, starting with a small shop and growing into a new, bigger building as we received more customers. Our customer base was small when we first started our business.

Since then, our base has grown and returns the same customers to us time and again because they know we are honest and we have built relationships with them founded in trust and integrity. Visit us here at: http://www.wpscustomcabinets.com/

In our efforts to make our business the best it can be, we have taken classes in small business management.

We meet with our customers on a regular basis to find out their opinions, building a relationship with each one as we cater to their wants and needs.

Networking was part of our continual growth in 1990. We worked with a company that enhanced our customer growth in our cabinet business. The reason being was the good educational tools such as books and audiotapes on personal growth and development.

What we learned there was priceless! A positive attitude is a must with any business.

We now know that what you put into your business returns to you in the long run. We continue to read good books written by authors such as Zig Ziglar, Neopolean Hill, Brian Brio, Brain Tracy and Robert T. Kiyosaki. We learned many skills that we can now use as we grow our business with Mia Bella Candles.

We believe that no matter what walk of life a person is from, they need and deserve to be treated with respect and value.

We have been told by customer referrals, "these people have money, you can charge what you want." Our response was the same then as it is now, "that doesn't matter, everyone is charged the same rate."

We need to live by my values and morals and no amount of money can change that! At the same time, I realize that each person has their own set of values and needs to be respected for that, not judged because they might not match ours.

Above everything else, God comes first in our life. 

After that comes our family and then business. We believe that our lives need an order to make our priorities fall in line. When our lives have this order, everything comes together and works in harmony.

My country's freedoms are important to me, I'm so thankful for the men and women that keep our country free. I choke up every time I sing "God Bless America." He truly does.

Another one of my core values is honesty. I always tell my children that they might as well tell me the truth because the hurt only gets deeper when we live a lie. I like to shoot from the hip and tell others how I feel.

I pledge to help you with your business to the best of my abilities. If I'm not sure how to handle something there is always someone to ask or someone to send you to in order to get the right answer.

I picked this business not only because I love candles, but also because I can see how this business can help people grow and get what they need to expand their horizons. My mission statement contains the thought that we can make a difference one person at a time. I truly believe that.

The Candle Business reminds me of the cabinet shop that my husband and I own. When I went to Wilkes-Barrie PA to attend my first Fall Fling, over 31/2 yrs ago, I visited the old warehouse. When I first got there I found the owners of the company hard at work. What a wonderful surprise that was! I guess that really sold me on the business...being there was just like walking into my office at home. Nothing fancy, just very operational.

Our Company impressed me because they too started at the bottom and are building a business that matches my values. They have integrity and honesty built into this business. Another positive aspect is they have people in place to handle the expected growth of the business, which, to me, means they are stable. We moved into the 100,000 square ft building a few years ago and are now getting ready to upsize again. How exciting is that!

The fundraising aspect of this business got me really excited. I could see that it was in place to help organizations make money. Instead of only making a dollar on a product, they offer six to eight dollars profit for each candle. Now that's a good value for an organization! They've come up with a fundraiser that you actually make money with, instead of just paying for the gas to drive your children around!

My goal is to reach as many people as possible so I can help them grow and be the best that they can be! I like this business because the company reflects my personal and business values.

I believe that because we work together as a team, we will succeed together.