Hi! My name is John Wilkinson, and I’m based out of Austin, TX. After graduating college in 2014 with a Bachelors in Mass Communications and a minor in Art and Design, I found myself unsure of what I was going to do with my new degree and the path that it would take me. I had really fallen in love with a couple of candle companies that people I knew had created, and I wanted to try it as well. I wanted to take my favorite parts of different candle lines and combine them to make something I was truly proud of. The next year Classy Smashed was born. Starting with 8oz jars and 10  different scents, I’ve since added 4oz tines, multiple new scents, and a line of kpop themed candles and tshirts to the lineup.

Early Beginnings
Ever since I was a 12 year old on Neopets, I knew that I wanted to be a graphic designer. I was a computer nerd, but not in the coding or gaming sort of way. I loved using Photoshop to combine all different kinds of elements to create something that was new and interesting. Through Neopets guilds, I found a community online that loved graphic design as well that helped cement my career path. 

Flash forward nearly two decades, and I’m still doing what I love, and have expanded into other mediums to continue creating and growing.

In 2006, when YouTube was still brand new, I created a channel so I could make videos, tell some jokes, and share my point of view with the world. 

Kpop Life
About 10 years ago, I found Kpop and fell in love with the genre. I made a second YouTube channel dedicated solely to making reactions videos, a type of video where you record yourself watching a new music video for the first time and giving your review. At the time, there weren’t many channels doing this, but I hoped that by sharing what I love it would find an audience.