Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Heidi Mueller. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Heidi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
I started out as The Vintage Pyro. I made candles on the kitchen stove and then moved into the basement as I expanded. My love for all vintage items, recycle/reuse and FIRE is how I came up with the name. After two years, I decided to rebrand to Excelsior Candle Company, as Excelsior is the town I started my business in. Excelsior is also Latin for “higher”, fitting my belief of always striving to move forward and upward. It also fits with our branding, as we produce elevated, high-quality candles.
Heidi, 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?
I was an accountant, jeweler, sewer and my family asked me to pick something. I decided to try my hand at candle making as I loved fire. The first reaction from them was a deep sigh and “You don’t do that”. I said I know, but I made a promise to them that if it didn’t have traction in the first year that I would just do my day job. Fast forward. This is all I do and I still love it! I also teach candle making classes for individuals, groups and corporate team building events.
Our Bottomless Candle Exchange Program solves the problem of “What do I do with my container”? Just bring the container to a pop-up event or studio and swap out for a new candle at half price. It’s a sustainable model that fits my belief of recycle/reuse.
We even have customers mail their used container in exchange for new ones.
I am very proud of the partnerships and collaborations we have had over the years. Jack Links, Cameron’s Coffee, Stacy’s Pita Chips. We produce candles for over 20 white label companies and are currently working closely with Wal-Mart.
We are a dedicated sponsor and partner to Emerge Twin Cities. This organization is near and dear to my heart. They offer services to empower single moms to create stability in their lives through programming, grants and counseling. A percentage of our candle sales go to this organization.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
I have been creating unique gifts and crafts for over 10 years, starting with jewelry and culminating with the Excelsior Candle Co. in 2016. Initially, I made special candles with customized scents for family and friends. Then I decided to sell a few on the side to continue funding my hobby. And from there, I listened to the call to become a maker. Within one year I quit my full time job in finance and went full time. My family is grateful as I had taken over the house with all my projects. My first candle company I started in 2014 and was called the Vintage Pyro. I used all vintage containers, tea-cups, mason jars and barware. My first scent was Clean Knickers, Ginger not Marianne, Blueberry Brown Betty. I poured the candles into pots on my kitchen stove. Within 2 years I had quit making jewelry and all the other craft projects and then it was time to rebrand. Since I had started the business in my home it made sense to call the new candle company Excelsior as that is the city we lived in. After the rebrand I went into our local grocery store during my lunch break and asked if they would sell my candles. They said yes and it was the first of many local stores to carry my candles.
Milestones:
2018 – I did a pop up downtown during the Super Bowl held in Minneapolis and was asked to make candles for Jack Links. I made a Dirty Sasquatch and a Jerky scented candle.
2018 – Was in the VIP gift lounge during Wango Tango
2021 – Was in Stacys Founded By Her box
2024 – Got a Golden Ticket from WalMart
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
When I first started I was doing 100 events a year while working full time. This was integral to building my business and being in front of my customers. Sometimes multiples times in one day. I would be at 3 different events and people would come up and say “ I just saw you this morning and now you’re here?” YUP, I get around. That built brand awareness quickly for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://excelsiorcandleco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excelsiorcandle/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excelsiorcandleco/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-mueller-ab52b76
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/excelsior-candle-company-minneapolis
Image Credits
James Perovich Eyebobs Camerons Coffee