The Candle Pour is a unique custom candle experience. Our goal is to provide a wonderful guest experience with a premium product. In a world where life revolved around technology and online interaction, The Candle Pour creates a social and interactive, sensory experience that brings people together.

The Akers Alves Group was founded on the principals of the people making the difference between success and failure. We strive to help each individual employee and company perform at his or her full potential. My goal for our company is to provide every customer with a unique opportunity to be their best and perform at the height of their ability. I have always expected excellence from myself in my career, and I am dedicated to delivering nothing but excellence to each client. We have and work with businesses on the local, national and global level, and can assist with start-ups, turnarounds and existing companies to help increase performance and growth.

As The National Sales Director of Ideal Image, I was responsible for the sales and operations of nearly 60 centers in 30+ markets, along with a national call center that consisted of over 40 sales associates. Our team consistently exceeded set goals, and performed above standard. In late 2011, the company went public, upon the acquisition by Steiner Leisure for $175,000,000. Other companies owned by Steiner include Bliss, Elemis, and Mandara Spas. Ideal Image was honored to be recognized as a company that was worth this large investment, and quickly became the shareholders most focused division. Ideal Image provided an amazing experience & a strong business platform for me, as a young professional. It is a true honor and blessing to have worked with some of the most amazing mentors along the way; specifically Wes Harris, Dean Akers, Rick Mikles and Joe Acebal. All whom have very unique styles and strengths in business. No book or class would have ever allowed me to learn what I have gained from these highly respected and successful businessmen.

In 2007, I was offered a position at the Corporate office in Tampa, Florida, where I was responsible for all corporate-owned locations. At that time there were six locations. Over the next 18 months, we acquired over 40 franchise locations and began opening new locations to strengthen the corporate profile. I spent most of this time on the road developing these new locations, and learning the markets, while simultaneously identifying opportunities & implementing key changes necessary for successful growth and turn-arounds. A strong management team, sales force, and corporate team all were instrumental in the turn-around of underperforming locations/markets. In less than one year, the once struggling locations became the strongest performers in the company. Many of the performers in the bottom 10% of the company rose to the top 10% in sales. The key to this turn-around was developing and implementing a consistent operations plan, sales processes, training program, and maintaining a strong hiring strategy. Execution of the plan allowed steady growth and a rise in overall company performance. Due to the success and growth of the centers and company, I was promoted to a National Director in 2010, where my primary focus was the eastern part of the United States. This strategy allowed me to focus on individual markets & employees, while continuing to contribute to the company's success and growth vision when it began in 2001.

I began with Ideal Image in 2005 as a sales consultant, in Las Vegas, under the leadership of Wes Harris. He mentored me into becoming his Regional Manager over his 7 franchise Ideal Image locations in Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, and Utah.Our centers were recognized for consistency in performance, staffing, and uniform operations. In 2007, I was promoted to become the first Corporate Regional Director and transferred to the Corporate Office in Tampa, FL. My primary focus was to assist the underperforming corporate locations, and begin to grow the centers owned by Ideal Image.