We recently connected with Kia Cooper and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kia , thanks for joining us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

Customers are the second heart to any business, so it’s very important for me to show my appreciation, especially to recurring and loyal customers. Typically, I always include additional samples for products whether it be a home fragrance item or a sweet treat. When I know that my customers are celebrating special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, ect, I try to include a card and handwritten message. While it may not seem trivial, these small gestures mean a lot to customers and it shows that I not only am grateful for them supporting my business but value them as a person. I also like to include shouts and testimonials on my social media platforms when provided by customers to let them know I value their feedback.

Moreover, I genuinely believe that to be seen is to be loved, which is why I also put a lot of thought into my packaging and presentation. When my customers receive their orders, I want them to feel important and loved and I believe that quality and aesthetically pleasing packaging makes a difference in the experience for the customer. Regardless if the order is for themselves, a friend, big or small, I want customers to feel excited when opening their package from CTC! Not to mention, I’ve received great feedback from my customers regarding the consistency across branding and the usefulness of small additions like the candle and bakery cards included with every order which explains how to use/care for their candles and store their baked goods for maximum freshness.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi there! My name is Kia Cooper and I am the owner of CTC – Candle and Bakery Bar located in Jacksonville, Florida. We offer home fragrances such as candles, wax melts, and room sprays and we specialize in dessert candles. Additionally, we have a micro bakery where we make a variety of delicious delectables including cookies, cakes, brownies and more. Everything is either hand poured or home baked to order by me! While there are candle bakeries, which exclusively create candles inspired by baked goods or even bakeries which sell food inspired candles, CTC takes a very unique approach to merging the bakery and candle industries by offering hyper realistic candles that pleasantly pairs with their edible treats as the main selling point.

I established Coop To Candle in 2021 during the height of COVID, a time where the country was confined to our homes involuntarily. Even as a homebody, I was frustrated with the inability to experience the luxuries of the outside world and so I dabbled into a new craft, candle making. Within a couple years of testing and research, I was able to launch CTC and provide 100% soy wax candles to homes across the country. Candles are relaxing, they create ambiance; some fragrances even trigger memories. I was so happy to offer a product that added happiness into homes of family, friends, and strangers.

Nearly two years after launching, in 2023, I came across a Facebook page dedicated to dessert candles and fell completely in love with the process and how realistic the candles looked! As someone who’s a foodie and enjoys both cooking and baking, I just knew I had to take on the challenge of creating such unique candles and after trial, errors, delays, and plenty of testing, I launched my first dessert candles to my collections in 2024.

Recently, CTC expanded our business by including the bakery bar as of December 2025, making CTC – Candle and Bakery Bar official. This comes after two years of testing recipes, revamping the website, and ensuring my concept was strong and cohesive. I believe the bakery bar has been the perfect addition as I was missing that unique spark that sets businesses apart from one another. Now, I’m able to pour into my passions in more ways than one and get to bring joy into the world through a variety of senses.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

As a communications major, I can tell you the oldest form of marketing comes through word of mouth. People want to hear the experiences and feedback of other people who they trust and know. While the rise of social media and the internet has created a space where people can share their experiences with the click of a button; receiving information face to face from someone you know personally still makes a significant impact. I am always trying to implement new ways to market CTC outside of the virtual space whether it be vending at a market, doing a giveaway or providing free samples with business cards. Majority of my new customers still come through word of mouth. A customer is satisfied with their products and shares with their community, which makes others more inclined to shop and support. Not only is this organic reach, word of mouth recommendations builds trust with potential new customers as they are getting information without any middle medium, thus the recommendation is very authentic. Plus, it’s always wonderful to learn that a customer was recommended by another customer!

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

During the early stages of my entrepreneurial journey I did extensive research on various Ecommerce platforms but ultimately opted for Shopify. As someone who did not have prior experience building a website or selling online, Shopify made it very easy to set up a website, utilize a POS system, connect with social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, ect. Additionally, they offer other useful information such as sales analytics, give you insights to your finances and report your business taxes on your behalf. I also have the ability to run different campaigns and there are a plethora of apps and other add-ons available so that you can curate your brand to meet the needs of your product/services and audience. Shopify regularly offer courses or presentations regarding market trends and how to prep for holidays and more. One of the only cons I have experienced with Shopify would be the inability to transfer designs if you wish to change your website template from one theme to the next.

Future state, I would love to have CTC’s products available on other Ecommerce platforms and retailers like Amazon. My long term goal is to expand into a brick and mortar in the heart of Jacksonville where my delicious delectables and fragrances can be on display and available for in-store purchase.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cooptocandle.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cooptocandle
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cooptocandle
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cooptocandle

  Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cooptocandle