Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Weisman.
Hi Samantha, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The origin of the Banana Menorah dates back to the early 2000s when I was visiting my non-Jewish boyfriend (now husband and co-founder) Zach over Hanukkah. I hadn’t brought a menorah with me, so we improvised using a banana and some birthday candles. After years of this quirky tradition, we decided we had flambeed enough bananas. In January 2022, we started toying with ideas that eventually turned into the Banana Menorah. Two years later, we’ve expanded past our original idea to travel menorahs, ornaments, and we’ve even started a jewelry line.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Overall, we’ve been lucky so far. It’s always been a dream of mine to start a business, and there haven’t been many roadblocks in my way once I put my mind to it. But there have definitely been challenges, especially with import logistics, supply chain, and quality issues. Over half of our inventory is unusable this year! But on most days, I feel like we are able to pivot and come up with creative solutions.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Banana Menorah was born out of sharing traditions. Our menorahs are beautiful, fun, and bring joy, which is what we think the holidays are all about. Our jewelry line, which currently features a banana charm, a challah charm, a pickle charm, and a bagel and lox charm, will expand to include many more foods from different cultures. We want people to wear them with pride, because what is more representative of culture than food!
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
This question made me think. We all spend so much time moving from task to task throughout today that it’s hard to stop and think, “What makes me happy?” I would say quality time with my husband and kids, hiking with friends, my cats, crossword puzzles, and baking are the things that sustain me and make me happy. All of these things fill my cup. Starting and running this business has also made me happy because I am proud to achieve a goal I set as a child (without knowing what running a business even meant!).
Contact Info:
- Website: bananamenorah.com
- Instagram: @bananamenorah
Image Credits
The Color Creatives
