11 Candle Business Success Stories & Examples [2023]

Hello! My name is D’Shawn Russell and I am the founder and CEO of Southern Elegance Candle Company. I started the company 4 years ago as a side hustle to make some extra money on the weekends and to get me out of the house. But it quickly grew to much more than I expected.

You can check out our brand story video here: Southern Elegance: Candles Crafted In The South

Hello! My name is Lauren Costanza, and I recently started a candle business called Bluminary. I was born and raised in Texas but spent a year in the Netherlands, earning my Master’s degree. While there, I spent my weekends traveling throughout Europe, crossing different locations off my bucket list. I photographed every moment, and it will forever be a favorite time in my life.

Bluminary started in early September, and while there have been challenges and hurdles to overcome, I am proud to say we are slowly starting to earn back our initial investment of $3,000. Over the Christmas holidays in December, we generated $1,292.86 in sales. From September 2019 - today, we’ve made $2878.99 in sales.

I’m Dianna, the founder of TERRA. Inspired by nature and the seasons, I sell eco-friendly candles that are hand-poured by myself in my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.

I started this business by myself with less than $100 and now, only 8 months later, I’ve made a name for myself and my brand in St. Louis, I’ve sold my candles to dream companies like Greetabl and Kinder Beauty, and am celebrating win after win. The most recent being that I had my first month of $5,000 in revenue.

My name is Kevin Gillespie, and along with Garrett Le’ Tourneau, we created Wax & Wick, the 100% soy candles with wood wicks.

Some notable differentiation between Wax & Wick and traditional candles is that our branding is simple, the style of the candle will fit with any decor, and we use only 100% soy wax and Fsc-Certified wood wicks. Our impact on the environment is intentionally small.

Hi there! My name is Elise Phillips and I am the owner of Coco & Bubbles Candle Company. As the name suggests, we make and sell candles, specifically, soy wax candles which are our flagship products.

Wholesale has become the biggest opportunity got us, right now. Currently, we primarily use Faire.com and Tundra.com. In 2021, I plan to do more direct advertising in B2B trade publications, such as Gift Shop Magazine and Smart Retailer, as well as attending trade shows, such as The Atlanta Markets.

Hello! My name is Brittany Taylor, and I’m the owner and Chief Candle Designer of Black Luxe Candle Co. I started Black Luxe Candle Co. almost two years ago, in April of 2019. Currently, I run Black Luxe with my husband Julius, but when the business first started, it was just me! I always tell anyone I encounter that “ I didn’t choose this candle life; it chose me!”

In my first year in business, we made a total of $4,800 in the year 2020; during a pandemic, we made a total of $40,000; we also netted $12,000 in sales in November to close out our holiday season.

Hi! My name is Adam and I run Vintage Vegan Candle Co. We make homemade soy candles and diffusers from our home in London, England. All our products are fully recyclable, sustainable, and sourced from materials which we buy from small independent businesses who follow a similar ethos to us.

What initially started as a bit of a hobby and an aim to make £5000 in our first year has led to a fast-growing business which has generated £15000 in the first 10 months.

I’m Nicky Story, I’m 30 years old and went from having a side hustle business in my garage to a multi-million-pound business empire! I am the CEO of Supplies For Candles, The Soap Kitchen and Glassprints Ltd – this b2b empire, is the go-to for candle and soap making ingredients and products.

It’s always been a dream of mine to own and run my own business and after graduating, I started and initially failed – I was miserable. People look at me today and talk about overnight success. I’m a millionaire before the age of 30, but I don’t believe there is such a thing as overnight success. It’s just that most people don’t see what it costs you and how many times you’ve had to adapt and change as you learn the ropes. That’s why I’m so open about my challenges and how I overcame them. I want to encourage and assist as many entrepreneurs as I can so that they don’t give up!