MP recently chatted with Jesse and Tamara, the husband-and-wife founders behind Everlasting Candle Co. Their love story began in Australia, where they attended college. They had completely different careers - Tamara is a doctor with a Ph.D. in public health, and Jesse is an entrepreneur with a commerce and marketing degree. After moving to Canada, where Jesse's side of the family is located, they would set their table for dinner parties with their self-made oil-burning candle. This candle became such a hit in their inner circle that it became clear to them that they had something unique. From their humble beginnings in their garage and a whole lot of passion, excitement, and determination later, Everlasting Candle Co. has since grown into a multimillion-dollar candle company that can be found in over 350 independent boutiques across Canada and the US.Â
Everlasting Candle Co. is an innovative company redefining ambiance with a clean, burning, reusable candle that never melts. We always admired the warmth a candle brought to space and loved the aesthetics of a tapered candle but didnât love the soot or waxy mess it leaves behind. This sparked the idea of the Everlasting Candle - a candlestick made from steel that you can light repeatedly. Its minimalistic design delivers a real flame by using Pristine OilÂź, which is natural, biodegradable, and clean, providing a smoke-free, scent-free experience. So whether you are a person who appreciates stunning decor or looking for a clean, reusable option - we have created a suitable product for everyone.
We are a company that believes in bringing people together, sparking conversations, and creating the perfect ambiance when entertaining or relaxing at home. We genuinely care about providing value to people's lives, which is why we created a more sustainable and long-lasting candle. We know our candles are unique products that offer an experience like no other.
There is no candle like ours on the market. It reimagines the candle experience and has a diverse appeal. It's an aesthetically beautiful, functional candle that suits any decor style. Most importantly, this candle is reusable. We love that people can continue to create magic in their homes every night with the Everlasting Candle.
Launching a business takes grit, determination, and long hours. So first, commit yourself to the core business goals and the learning process, continuing to learn and sharpen skills. No one will be more committed to the success of your business than you, so youâll know early on that the part of being successful is demonstrating that commitment throughout your journey.
Take time in all decision-making to look at it from the outside perspective - across what avenues does this decision lie? So often, especially at the beginning, you can get so excited by an opportunity (and rightly so). Still, weâve found itâs imperative to consider every single repercussion and every scenario that may or may not happen and plan proactively instead of defensively. One missed line in a contract, considering global changes such as those affecting freight times or not recognizing underperforming business partnerships early enough are just a few examples where weâve learned this the hard way.
A clear direction for your business is easy to miss in the early stages, especially if youâve already hit the ground running. Still, having these mapped out is essential as itâs hard to steer a ship without a compass. Of course, along the way, there will be changes, but from the start, itâs great to have a business plan, to know the overall direction of the company, its goals, and how you ideally want to achieve those.
We bootstrapped our company from the ground up and made conscious decisions to grow in a way that would be sustainable. These decisions included not going into large wholesale markets, not expanding physically beyond Canada for the first two years, not giving away equity, not signing on sales representatives, and keeping our operations in-house until we outgrow each phase. With this strategy, we could organically grow our strengths and knowledge in all business areas and organically grow our team. These benefits of organic growth ended up being pivotal to our success.
Make decisions aligned with who you are and what you stand for. Otherwise, you wonât be able to maintain consistency or experience longevity. Weâve never hidden behind our company; we are a family business, and we take great pride in our humble beginnings and where weâve been able to take this company because of it.
The âto-do listâ will never be complete, nor will the list of goals be incomplete. You must prioritize tasks each day, week, and month. Without great organization, youâll become distracted, bogged down, and take up too much valuable time on low-priority tasks.Â
Failure is inevitable, and it's critical not to allow this fear to stop you from taking chances to expand your company. But itâs not as simple as it sounds - be strategic with your decisions and take calculated risks. How will this affect your business in the short and long term? Whatâs the return on investment? Does this get you closer to your end goal? Is this in line with the business you envision creating? If this goes wrong, will we be able to pivot to recover? Learn from your good and bad decisions, and you'll have the confidence to realize that failure is simply a path to growth.
Not having the correct answer and hitting the invisible ceiling of knowledge but still having to make decisions is a real fear. In these situations, weâve spent countless hours researching, using online resources at our disposal, and seeking out experts. Even though you may possess the initial skills to get started, know itâs an ongoing journey of learning, and weâve already learned more than we could have imagined along the way; SEO and website development, supply chain and inventory management, how to launch a new product, photography, order fulfillment, business accounting, product regulation, the list goes on and on. Above all, know that a lack of knowledge isnât a sign of weakness, and itâs ok if you donât know everything. Harness your persistence and confidence in yourself and your company, and be open for discussion, learning, and growth.
Will people keep buying, listening, and investing in our brand? Itâs vital as a business owner to adapt, pivot to trends and global changes, ask for feedback from your customers, and then respond accordingly to that feedback. Itâs essential for brands to stay relevant, so building that into your strategy is vital for the longevity of your company, and keeping this fear at arm's length will help achieve that.
We have found that no one has sung our brand's praises more than a boutique owner who believes in our products enough to sell them in their stores. Theyâve invested in our company and possess the same passion and drive for entrepreneurship, so they also understand the benefit of a successful relationship. Staying directly connected with our boutiques has always been a top priority; from this, weâve been blessed with many friendships. We can attest that they are pivotal to our success, especially in our first year launching a never seen product - having them stand behind our brand boosted the confidence of many of our customers and significantly impacted their willingness to try something new.
From the get-go, weâve wanted to create a product that shouldnât only be kept for special occasions, which is why we created a reusable candle that never melts so that you can make every moment special. In addition to creating a long-lasting product and marketing those unique benefits, weâve never wanted to pigeonhole our brand into a specific design style. Everlasting Candle is a luxurious and elegant product that suits any decor style. We love to see all the different and creative ways our customers style their candles, and this is portrayed through our Instagram feed, where our customers take 80% of the photos. So weâve created a luxurious product that everyone can enjoy, a broad brand strategy that has been a critical success factor.
Itâs essential that your customers feel connected, valued, and heard. Word of mouth shouldnât be undervalued, especially for our business. A happy customer will speak highly of your brand, share it in their circles through social media, and come back to purchase again for themselves or gifts. So ask for their feedback, interact with them as much as possible, and above all else, make them feel special. After all, you wouldnât be in business without them!
People want to be around passionate, forward-thinking and optimistic people. Weâve found that passion has boosted team morale and energy on some tough work days. But, of course, the best part of passion is that it's contagious.Â
Having a clear path and knowing where you want to take your company will inspire your team to work hard to help achieve those goals and visions.Â
An influential leader is knowing your strengths and weaknesses and realizing you canât achieve success alone. Focus on building open communication with your team, asking for their input, delegating authority, and providing constructive and positive feedback to foster growth.
Weâve found it extremely important to set short and long-term goals that are obtainable yet still push yourself out of your comfort zone.
Every one of them, regardless of how small. The goal and to-do list will never be complete, so donât wait until then to celebrate.
Itâs hard to release control but delegating is the only way to grow your business. You are only one person with limitations, so build a strong team around you to lean into.
When things are getting tough, we have a mantra that we say to push through: âWe can, we must, we will.â Things will go wrong, trust us, it happens. The packaging has a mistake. The shipment is stuck at the port. The wrong sized product is sent. Itâs not you. It's just part of learning and the small business journey. So keep fighting for your vision and hold front and center the reason you started your business. Hold on to that passion with two hands and never let it go.
We love the small business community and connecting, so please feel free to reach out. Weâre always up for a chat!
Cover photo courtesy of Everlasting Candle Co.
