We were lucky to catch up with Murphey Iradukunda recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, MURPHEY thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I love to read and I found a way to connect with readers through a niche market. Book-inspired candles! Like many people, I fell in love with reading when I met Edward Cullen in Forks, Washington. I fell back into love with reading when I met Tamlin in the spring court.
Readers are the best community. They support each other. They escape into new worlds and invite you along for the ride.
I used to teach. I found out quickly that this job was not for me. I loved my kids. I became a single mom to Hannah Grace back in 2019. I moved home to live with my sweet parents in 2020 right before the pandemic hit. I wanted to cultivate a product that others could enjoy. I was already a part of the bookish community for about a year. There wasn’t a ton for people to do in the pandemic, but read and take pictures of books!
I learned how to make candles. I also got to enjoy being at home with my daughter for her first three years of life. I slowly made candles my full time job. The unique circumstances I had made the perfect storm to start this business. The divorce, moving home, pandemic, and an ex teacher with a goal. These things combined with a lot of prayer and hard work made it where I could eventually open my own storefront! I’m a very blessed individual. I get to interact with so many automatic friends because we are both readers. What an amazing day to day!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a reader first. Single mom second. I gratefully get to also be a business owner/candle maker. It’s such a privilege. I create book inspired candles. They are all wood wick and glittered on top. They are perfect for bookstagram (the bookish corner of Instagram). They are also the perfect pairing for reading.
I love having a storefront. I get to connect with my community. I love collaborating with influencers online. My business is built on the kindness and talent of reps/influencers and prayer.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I won a giveaway on Instagram! I think it was Krista Horten. I can’t remember. But six influencers were doing a giveaway and I won $5,000! I used this money to start making candles and selling them on Etsy.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Being a business owner is like being a teacher. You are constantly having to learn and reteach yourself to reflect on your successes and failures. I changed my wick three times before I felt comfortable with one. I tested products and thought it was great. I had to humble myself and listen to the Etsy reviews when they said the burn wasn’t meeting the edge on some of the candle sizes. I had to go back to the drawing boards. Retesting and more reviews came in. I felt like the wick I landed on was a perfect fit for Novel Wicks. I also stand on prayer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://novelwicks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novelwicks/
• Facebook: Novel Wicks