Helen Duhaney always wished she could dance.

Though this dream has not come true, it  hasn’t stopped this Hillsong fan from pursuing another passion in the creative field.

Duhaney, a Financial Advisor attached to the Belmont Duke Branch, who is fresh off the heels of completing her Health Coaching certification in January, has added entrepreneur to her list of titles. She owns and operates TessaMae Soy Candles – an eco-friendly home décor and candle making company.  

Legacy for Her Son 
The line, which started in 2018, offers scented candles and reed diffusers available in all Fontana Pharmacies, Discount Pharmacy, Liguanea Lane Pharmacy and Lee’s Red Hills Road.

For Helen who cites her best friend as her role model, starting a business came from a combination of her love for creating things that are loved by the user, her love for scented candles and the way they  can positively alter an atmosphere whenever they are lit.  The business was inspired by her mom.

When asked what’s the end goal of the business, the mother of one replied, “(I want) to create a legacy for my son”.

The Sagicor Difference 
As any mother would note during last year’s pandemic, Duhaney dug in her heels to push forward despite the challenges. She credits the ability to do this based on her work at Sagicor.

“Sagicor is one of those companies that I believe supports and encourages employee development in so many ways. One of the famous saying from our Executive Vice President (Mark Chisholm) is never to leave anything on the table and to always make use of a crisis. Before COVID, the business was more of a DIY obsession that was slowly evolving into a profit-making venture. With COVID and all the changes it brought on, I saw it as an opportunity to grow and expand the business,” she recalls.

Competitive Advantage
But what makes her business stand out among the rest?

She believes that her competitive advantage is understanding what the customer wants when they make that purchase. “For me, the goal is not to just make a sale. My desire is to ensure that with each purchase my customers will have a good experience using my products.”

Not a novice to entrepreneurship, Helen notes that her client base is varied inclusive of persons shopping for gifts, decorating their space, wishing to relax after a stressful day and those looking to enhance or elevate their space with a beautiful fragrance.

The candle and home fragrances company has more products  n the pipeline and promises to continue to expand its line of products. 

To learn more about TessaMae and to make an order, visit bit.ly/TryTessaMae 

All month long we’re celebrating women entrepreneurs doing their thing! Every Monday another Sagicor woman in business will grace the cover for “My World Monday”

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