We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kenyatta White. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kenyatta below.

Hi Kenyatta, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Blue Fawn Candle Company started as an escape from depression in 2008. I was severely depressed after losing my mom to a car accident then experiencing a stillbirth at 7 months pregnant. Candle making was therapeutic because it required so much care and focus. It allowed me to take my mind off of pain and trauma. It was just me, wax and wick. Candle making allowed me to self-express and create something that showcased my personality. From the color of the wax to the scent that filled the air, the entire candle told a story.

I’m a self-taught candle maker, so there was a lot of trial and error. The process taught me patience and resilience. For the first year my candles were hit or miss. I had to learn the fundamentals and develop my own techniques. For years, I gave candles away free of charge with no strings attached. I wanted everyone around me to experience something that celebrated individuality.

In 2015, I decided to officially take my passion for candle making and turn it into a business. Honestly, I didn’t know if the idea would work. I didn’t think about failure because I don’t believe in failure, I believe in redirection. I believe that every failure or rejection is a redirection to something greater. If my candles are able to brighten at least one person’s day, then that is success for me.

Blue Fawn isn’t just a candle company, we believe every candle should tell a story and be sources of calm, self-love and self-expression. We want our customers to break free from the ordinary and embrace their quirks and celebrate self.

Our mission is rooted in igniting self-expression and nurturing self-care rituals, all through the power of candles. Each flicker becomes a reminder that you’re worth pampering, worth cherishing, and worth celebrating. Our candles are here to inspire a self-love story, help to showcase a radiant personality, one scent at a time. Everyone deserves a world as vibrant as they, illuminated by a warm and welcoming glow of a candle.

Kenyatta, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

We’re a bunch of dreamers, creators, and candle enthusiasts who decided to flip the script on ordinary candles. We asked ourselves, “Why should a candle be just a candle when it can be a reflection of your personality, your style, and your spirit?” And that’s when Blue Fawn Candle Company was conceived. Our journey began when a spark of inspiration ignited a passion for crafting candles that go beyond the ordinary.

Whether you’re a fierce go-getter, a free spirit, or somewhere in between, we’ve got a candle that speaks your language. Our candles are like personality translators, converting your vibes into wax and fragrance. We’re not just a candle company; we’re a rebellion against the ordinary. We’re the ones who believe that every candle should tell a story, whisper a secret, or shout from the rooftops. Our candles are more than just wax and wick; they’re little boosts of confidence, sources of calm, and expressions of self-love, all rolled into one. From quirky quotes that make you grin to designs that speak to your soul, these candles are your partners in creating a space that’s uniquely yours.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was all fragrances evoke the same emotion. I had to learn the power in aromatherapy and how smelling fragrances activates the part of the brain that processes feelings, emotions and memory (limbic system). Different fragrances evoke different emotions within people. An example is lavender. Lavender is a calming and soothing scent. Naturally when someone smells lavender, they become less anxious which tends to reduce stress and promote relaxation. Whereas peppermint is a fresh scent that stimulates alertness and improves concentration. By learning how the body responses to each scent, I’m able to make candles that better solve my customers’ problems. This took me years to understand because so many scents may go into 1 fragrance. I had to learn which scents played nice with each other, and which ones didn’t. Fragrances have notes (top, middle, and bottom). Top notes are the scents you smell first when you initially light a candle. This note will usually evaporate quickly and only linger for a few minutes. When blending fragrances, top notes are usually the lighter scents, such as citrus and floral scents. Then there are middle notes. Middle notes usually make up the majority of the fragrance. It helps to retain some of the top notes’ aroma. It lasts for hours. A good example of a middle note is cinnamon. Bottom notes last for the life of the fragrance. They are usually scents that may not smell so good on their own, but they are very strong scents that linger. An example would be musk or vanilla.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

My business has always been self-funded. I believe in my hustle. At one point, I worked 2 full-time jobs while still working in my business. I had a typical 9-5 job and a work from home job. While doing my work from home job, I would also work on my business. All the money from my work from home went toward my business and all the money from my 9-5 went toward my living expenses. I wanted a business that was free of debt and liabilities. I read about so many business owners who took out loans and sold off part of their company and ended eventually lost their entire company. I didn’t want that to be me, so opted to self-fund until Blue Fawn can sustain on her own. Slow and steady wins the race.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shopbluefawn.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/bluefawncandlecompany
• Facebook: facebook.com/bluefawncandlecompany
• Other: pinterest.com/bluefawncandlecompany