We were lucky to catch up with Brenda Carlson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brenda , appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
Ever since I was young, I always loved a good smelling space, which was my bedroom at the time. When I would have extra money, I would buy the glade plug ins for my bedroom. When I started driving, I always had the tree air fresheners in my car and my locker at school. It wasn’t until I went to my first home catalog candle party that I fell in love with candles. You know the parties where they pass around the new candle scents, and you get to ohhh and ahh and then circle what you liked in the book and when you placed your order, you were then asked if you wanted to host the next party for a certain percentage off or free candles. Yes, I was hooked. My sister and I were always going to those catalog parties. When I was older and had my own home, I became a consultant for a popular catalog company and sold candles for a while. That ended when life got busy, and I just started to buy them at big box stores. I burned candles all the time.
One cold, snowy, winter day here in Minnesota, I started to ponder the question, “How do you make candles?” So, I hopped on the computer to find out the answers to my fiery questions. I was amazed at all the small business stories I was reading. Most people started out in their home kitchen! I decided to purchase all the items needed to give this a go. What better way to pass the cold winter days in Minnesota and save money by making my own?
In my research I discovered that most candles contain a lot of toxic ingredients which can cause headaches etc. I knew that I wanted to have a clean burning wax. I started out working with soy wax. I tested a few candles here and there and I just wasn’t’ sold on it. It wasn’t the type of candle I wanted to be making, so I went back to the drawing board. I researched different kinds of waxes and then I discovered coconut wax. This wax was new in the candle makers world and had rave reviews.
I poured my first candle with coconut wax, and it was a cologne like scent. The first thing I noticed is how soft this wax was and how much creamier it was. It seemed so much easier to work with. I lit that cologne smelling candle up and within minutes the hot throw knocked my socks off! I knew at that time that coconut wax was going to be my wax! I tested so many candles in 2019, and I finally figured out a recipe that was working perfect for me. I made candles for gifts that Christmas and after that, I was getting great feedback, and everyone started to ask for more and more candles.
After a lot of research, license, insurance, stocking supplies etc., I decided to make this a business in the spring of 2020. Welcome White Spruce Candles. I had a small local pop-up event and invited all my closest family and friends to come smell & shop candles. It was a great beginning for me. The world shut down a week after that pop up, but it didn’t stop anyone from buying my candles! I opened an Etsy shop that summer and sold to local family and friends through word of mouth.
With the shutdown came a lot of roadblocks. I was running smooth until I could no longer get the coconut wax I was getting from my supplier. In the fall of 2020, I was left with starting back at square one. I went back to the drawing board and started to test again with different kinds of coconut wax blends. Every test candle I made, was not giving me the results I was looking for. I decided to try and find another supplier that carried my tried and true coconut wax. I was able to find another company that had plenty of the wax I loved in stock! I made candles just in time for the Christmas rush and I had an amazing Christmas season of 2020.
Here I am entering my third Christmas season. I have made over 43 different scents, added wax melts and room sprays to my shop, participated in local vendor shows, launched my very own website, and I am now in a local store!
Brenda , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi! I am Brenda and I make coconut wax candles, wax melts and room sprays. All the things to make your space smell amazing. I hand pour your candles and wax melts in small batches to monitor quality and consistency. If you are looking to add a cozy vibe to your home, choose White Spruce Candles, you will not be disappointed.
In addition to having your space smell great, you can also be a part of giving back to our community. I donate 10% of each Asher’s Melts wax melt purchase to our local animal shelter, Great River Rescue. Giving back has always been a big part of my mission as a business, and customers love to be a part of this as well.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
When you shop White Spruce Candles you are purchasing products that have been hand crafted from start to finish in my candle studio in the heart of Northern Minnesota. I pride myself on clean burning, long lasting candles and wax melts. When you place an order with White Spruce Candles, you will always receive it wrapped and ready to gift. I want my customers to feel special when they are opening their order, or it is ready to gift as is!
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What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
I love to be a part of local vendor events. I really enjoy meeting new people and seeing which scents they love. There are people that come to every event I am a part of to smell what is new and pop in to say hello.
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