FAST FORWARD: Catching Up With Sophie & Izzy, Founders of SOZY

FAST FORWARD is the sister series to our GIRLS WHO SHINE spotlight, where we catch up with the young entrepreneurs, activists, innovators, & other amazing girls we’ve featured!

We love spotlighting passionate girls doing incredible things in our GIRLS WHO SHINE spotlight, but what we love even more? Watching them succeed and getting to hear all about it! That’s why we’re starting a GIRLS WHO SHINE sister series, FAST FORWARD – to catch up with the incredible entrepreneurs, activists, & innovators we’ve chatted with and give them a space to share what they’ve been up to!

We’re kicking off this new mini-series with Sophie and Izzy, the Founders of SOZY. We last chatted with these twin entrepreneurs in 2020, when they told us all about starting their company and their helpful study tool, The Annotator. (A pencil & highlighter in one!) Two years later, the girls are taking things to the next level and recently launched a new product, the Study Candle, specially crafted with scents that enhance mood and focus.

In addition to launching their Study Candle, Sophie and Izzy have been busy hitting up trade shows and connecting with retailers on a journey to get their products in as many stores as possible. Their next goal? To release at least one new product each year to help students make the most of their study sessions. They also told us how they’ve been giving back: “Every summer for the last two years, we dedicate one week of our time and volunteer at Friendship Circle, an organization/camp designed for Special Needs kids. We love helping the team out and being buddies, friends, and mentors for the Special Needs students.”

Outside of SOZY, Sophie and Izzy love playing tennis and have both made their varsity tennis team and have been recognized as MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Athlete of the Month!

Catch up with Sophie and Izzy as they share the inspo behind their Study Candle, what they see for the future of SOZY, and their best study tips!

FAST FORWARD with Sophie & Izzy, Founders of SOZY:

It’s been almost three years since we last chatted! Catch us up on what’s new with SOZY!

IZZY & SOPHIE: Since our last interview, we launched a metallic line of our hero product, The Annotator, and most recently, The Study Candle.

We debuted our Metallic line at The Noted Trade Show in San Francisco and have earned placement in another ten stores Nationwide. We were also recognized by The Gift Shop + Stationery Trends Magazine as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Designers to watch in 2023!

Also, SOZY products are now on a few wholesale and direct-to-consumer sites, such as Faire.com and Wish.com, and we have been able to get more exposure to retailers and consumers across the Nation!

Tell us the inspiration behind your newest product, The Study Candle! What sparked the idea, and what went into creating it?

IZZY & SOPHIE: It really happened so organically. When the pandemic was tapering off and events started to open back up, we were looking for things to do. One of the things we found (on top of Escape Rooms) was a candle-making class. So, we went and were just excited to get out and do something fun!

In the class, we had fun blending and mixing scents that appealed to us and came home with a handful of new candles. We started to use them while doing homework and made it into a ritual – especially when studying for tests.

We decided to do some research on scents that help with focus and develop a Study Candle to help others focus since that is exactly what we were using it for!

You may look alike, but we know sisters are always different! What do you each bring to the table as business partners?

IZZY & SOPHIE: We do look alike, but we think and approach life differently. 

Izzy brings a more thoughtful perspective, and Sophie brings more creativity with design and detail elements, so we complement each other. We both share a strong drive to achieve!

What do you see for the future of SOZY? Where are you hoping to take the brand?

IZZY & SOPHIE: We would love more students and retailers to carry our products. It’s our goal to launch one new, unique product each year to help students.

As the creators of such great study tools, do you have any study tips you can share with our readers?

IZZY & SOPHIE: Yes, we do!

Tip #1: Be proactive with your homework, and don’t procrastinate. 

Tip #2: Process articles/reading materials by annotating them first and then completing the writing assignments. We find that spending the time upfront reading, understanding, and processing speeds us along when writing a summary. 

Tip #3: Traditional flash cards work, as we process information when writing them out (versus online flashcards) and always quiz each other.

Tip #4: Imagine you are going to teach the material/subject matter to someone else to ensure that you really understand it and can explain it.

EVEN MORE INSPO:

✨CANDLE MAKING: Get to know candlemaker & entrepreneur Lily, Founder of Lily Lou’s Aromas!
💖ACTING ASPIRATIONS: Actress Lacey Caroline shared her tips for aspiring actors – CLICK HERE!
✨SHINE BRIGHT: Catch up with Avatar actress & singer-songwriter Trinity Jo-Li Bliss!