Teddy Eva Scents was formed in the latter part of December 2019, but to say our story started there would be wrong.
What kicked started Teddy Eva Scents?
Back when Isabelle - our eldest daughter - was born I suffered with postnatal depression.
I’ll be super honest on this one. It was horrible. I genuinely felt like I didn’t want to be a father, I had ZERO bond with Isabelle, and I thought everyone would be better off without me.
Luckily - if you can call it luck - I had several years of experience on and off with depression so I knew that sometimes the best thing you could do was to just try and plod along and keep moving forward.
I also knew that recovery was a LOT easier once you started talking - it only took me 6+ years when I first had depression, but we live and learn.
So I talked...
I didn’t just do the normal thing of talking to my wife, or talking to the doctor, I also wrote about it.
I felt that I had been quite blindsided by postnatal depression. I read quite a lot of parenting books before we had Isabelle - I had ALWAYS wanted to be a dad after all - so the fact that I barely ever read anything about PND meant that others might have missed it too and be silently suffering.
I thought that if I wrote about my experience with it then maybe I’d be able to give hope to other dads in a similar position. Make them feel that it’s normal, that it happens to others, and that it’s ok to seek help.
I sent my “article” to Green Parent magazine in the hopes that they would publish it, but in my restless ADHD style - the same ADHD impulsivity that made Teddy Eva Scents happen - I thought “screw it, I’ll start a blog!”
In August of 2017 Isablog was formed with a single blog post about postnatal depression.
Suddenly, a once private, introverted individual was openly talking about some deep stuff on the internet.
It’s kinda weird how life pans out. Had I not made that decision there and then to start the blog then I wouldn’t have started down the path that ultimately brought me right here, running Teddy Eva Scents and talking to you.
In some twisted turn of fate, postnatal depression is the reason all of this exists.
A big part of that might be because Wales Online picked up my “story” and sent us spiralling through almost every bloody news outlet on the internet.
Whilst I hated the “story” being online in that magnitude - the comment sections about me were horrific - I almost felt like I had some sort of duty to carry this story as far as possible to shine a light on it for other dads.
As much as I disliked reliving it constantly in my head, I reluctantly did what I could.
From doing This Morning to doing radio shows and countless guest posts across various other blogs and platforms. I’ve done stuff for Mind Charity, NCT, ITV, the Institute of Health Visiting, countless bloody news places, and god knows where else. If you just search “Ross Hunt postnatal depression” then you’ll probably be able to see how far it goes.
I even wrote for Funky Pigeon. I mean they do sodding cards, why was I writing for them!? 😂
Over the following two years...
I essentially started to use the blog - along with Instagram stories - as a form of cathartic release. On my long days with Isabelle whilst Rachel did a lovely 13 hours working for the NHS in A&E, I found rambling about it as a good way to “get through” the days.
Ironically I still use that rambling “skill” a lot today. Case in point, this blog post.
I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was learning the ropes of video making whilst growing a following of people that liked listening to me. There was something about making videos that made people laugh that I really enjoyed.
Ok, I did some weird stuff alright 😂
Having a LONG history with depression has meant that I’ve almost always struggled to find genuine happiness.
So being able to bring some sort of moment of escapism or joy to someone else’s life just seemed to resonate with me.
This entire business is founded on the idea of bringing people little moments of happiness, whether that’s with a scented candle or a silly video.
When I say “find your calm in the chaos” I genuinely mean it.
Side note: if you want the cringiest time of your life, just search @isabloguk on Instagram. Yep. I struggle to watch them now 😂
Around 95% of people who order from us actually discover us from social media, so chances are, you’ve already seen something silly.
Towards the latter part of 2019 I started getting more and more restless about my job with Royal Mail.
Finally, I had found something I was passionate about that I wanted to pursue, only I didn’t really know how to turn “silly videos” and aimless rambles into a job.
At times I considered going down the influencer route. Back in the day once you hit 10k on Instagram you usually started getting "those" sorts of emails, but brands quickly walked away as soon as they saw me swear or say something inappropriate.
Let's be real, I don't really have the "influencer" vibe to me, do I?
Besides, I never really liked the idea of reading some pre-written, brand approved script about some product I’m only talking about because someone has paid me to do so. It’s a very icky business at times if I’m honest.
We wanted something that was OURS.
Something we could feel proud of, that we could pour our heart and soul into. Something that could benefit other people, and where I could say "Betty Big Bollocks” and not get told off for it.
Not that I WANT to say it. I just want to be able to.
Do you know how cool it is getting to write things like “We’re Teddy Eva Scents and we bring pleasure to your bumhole.”
It’s a joyful freedom! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and we totally lose people for it, but that’s what’s wonderful about it.
I knew Rachel wasn’t really fussed on being a nurse either. It constantly meant that she was missing out on time with the kids - in October 2019 we had our second, Archie - and I knew she had a creative itch that wasn’t being scratched.
Side Note: Teddy Eva Scents is actually named after the middle names of Archie and Isabelle - pictured above. Although we now have a third child called Teddy.
So I stood there, out on delivery for Royal Mail on a cold December morning in 2019 with my phone in my hand and my mind racing.
I then sent Rachel a very simple but life changing text of “Fuck it, let’s start a wax melt business.”
And rest, as they say, is history!
If you want to see part two, then simply hit the "Story of Teddy Eva Scents" link.
