My Small Candle Business: Origin Story

She may not even remember this, but my friend of more than twenty years (wow) and I used to talk about owning a business together. We considered both soaps and candles but never

actually followed through on real plans, much less the desire to research a new skill. We were still in school and constantly thinking of ways we could make extra money. Actually, the main desire I think was to be able to work for ourselves, as neither of us had glowing recommendations about our workplaces thus far. So, the idea blew away on the breeze of our youth. Dramatic, right?

Me, on my lunch break working overnight at a sporting goods store. I worked there way too long.

Before Making Candles – The Pandemic 

The pandemic was a difficult time for everyone, regardless of how they felt about what was happening in the world. I was pregnant with my second child, a daughter named Josephine, and planning her baby shower in March of 2020. I had the shower as planned, though there were a few of my grandparents that were already not going out in public.

Me, March 2020 pregnant with Josephine

It was during this time of me being pregnant and then postpartum with a toddler (my son, John) that I turned to YouTube. I was scrolling on Facebook and saw a video of a woman making the most beautiful bar soap I had ever seen. The video  (I searched while writing this for the original link and couldn’t find it, but here is the video she posted after the original video got some traction) was posted by George Takei and was showcasing her amazing work. Her name is Katie Carson, and she owns a small body product business called Royalty Soaps that she started when she was sixteen years old. Turns out, Katie lives in Texas very close to me and I was excited to find a local small brand to support PLUS there was the added bonus that I could actually see her and her family and watch how much love and care she put into each batch of her homemade soap.  From there, I began following other soap makers as I really enjoyed watching the creative (and scientific!) process behind their products. Ophelia's Soapery is another creator that I still watch today, especially if my kids or I need something soothing to watch. I actually have a playlist on YouTube titled "Josie's Pre-Nap Videos" with a few of her favorite soap videos. Little did I know, these videos and amazing creators would lead me down a creative path I never thought I could actually walk.

The Rabbit Hole – Learning More About the Craft

Fast forward a few months and I began a deep-dive into a craft I had always wanted to know more about: candle making! So began the learning and note-taking phase. I joined a candle group on Facebook (so much drama) and learned a lot about the process of making candles and starting a business. From there I was led to several candle business creators (linked below) that helped immensely with the planning, buying, and testing processes. I remember it was so difficult for me to finally make my first business related purchase. I finally had to get real with myself: if I wasn’t going to pull the trigger and start creating, then I needed to just stop what I was doing. So I finally decided what my first purchases would be and placed an order with Lone Star Candle Supply in Keller, TX. I also bought supplies from the hardware store and finally had a small set up in a dining/office/workspace room in my home. Here is a list of items I purchased to FINALLY start making candles:

·  a box of soy wax flakes

·  12 oz salsa jars

·  lids (separate, of course)

·  a few bottles of fragrance oils

·  a bag of ECO 14 wicks

·  wick bars

·  wick stickers

·  a silicone spatula

·  warning labels

·  a scale that measures in grams

·  a Chandler & Me

·  a pouring pot

·  snips

·  infrared thermometer

·  heat gun

·  respirator

I had an old work table that my husband and I got secondhand and I started.

Chandler & Me warming wax for a single candle. These things are no longer this clean and nice looking...

I did not know what I was getting into. (Future post?)

Needless to say, I have a lot more equipment now and there are some things on the list above I no longer use. I am always perfecting my craft and experimenting with new products, so I am definitely never bored!

The Name - Planted Wish Candle

Hopes and dreams are amazing things to have, but they only get you so far. Anyone who knows me knows I always say talk is cheap. It's an idiom you grow up hearing, such as be careful what you wish for or what goes around comes around. You've heard it, you know it, but how often do you think about it now? As a mother who desperately wants to raise kind, functional adults, the idea that talk is cheap is something I talk to my kids about often. I tell them "I don't want to hear apologies, I want to see changed behavior." With this in mind, I really had to kick myself into gear and decide to finally pursue my own business. Meaning I had to actually DO things. Make a plan, yes, I am ALL about a plan. But to actually begin putting money into it? That was the part that hurt. But it had to be done and I have no regrets.

Hopes and dreams are amazing. Like seeds of thought, they must be "planted" - your wishes for the future need to be nurtured and cared for to come to fruition and become a benefit to your life and the lives of others. This company is my planted wish, the dream I am working on and working toward.

My husband, Jeff, and I at a vendor event in Austin, TX. This was taken by our son and yes, I have ironed that cloth since then! XD

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LINKS

 (I searched while writing this for the original link and couldn’t find it, but here is the video she posted after the original video got some traction.)

Katie Carson - Royalty Soaps

One of the first Royalty Soap videos I watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YECNHgttBqA

Julie Fain - Ophelia's Soapery

Kevin Fischer - Armatage Candle Co

Erica Marie Morris - Memory Box Candle Co

Ashley Fathergill - Upside Goods Co

Lone Start Candle Supply