You know we love bringing you the wisdom of successful entrepreneurs who have - so to speak - already made it, but we also think there is so much value in learning from entrepreneurs who are actively working in the trenches to build their business. I recently got to chat with my sweet friend, Lauren Strain, a 29 year old single mom and founder of newly launched company, “Pollumination", a collection of eco-chic candles + ceramics. 

Lauren actually created a few custom tumblers for me before, and besides the fact that her products and packaging are so beautifully made, she also has a huge heart for giving back. A portion of all her proceeds goes to the Pollinator Partnership in San Francisco, California to support bee conservation. 

Lauren shares with us the hardest parts of transitioning from a service based business as a photographer to now a products based business, why she chose to make giving back a key element of her business model from the beginning,...