Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kim Morrow. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kim , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

We have created a Non-toxic “hand poured” custom brand using 100% Soy wax, ECO wicks primed in “vegetable wax” and all of our scents are Phthalate Free, essential oil infused. Our products are free of paraffin, lead and dyes. We are also sustainable as we refill our vessels at a discounted price. Our customers have their choice of scent for the refill, over and over again. We offer refills to both local customers as well as those living across the map! We currently have refill customers across the U.S. as well as in 7 countries. Customers either bring their empty vessels to a local Farmers Market or send them in through the website. We clean, sanitize and refill the vessels and return them to the customer. We also offer a Subscription program for those that are interested.

These ingredients are crucial for the health and wellbeing of humans as well as their pets and our sustainability program helps to keep vessels out of local landfills, protecting our environment.

The conventional/storebought candle is made primarily of Paraffin wax which is a derivative of petroleum, coal or oil shale. Our main concern BTEX which is a group of chemicals that includes benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene, some of which are carcinogens. All of these chemicals are known to cause various health issues; headaches, fatigue, dizziness, pulmonary edema, birth defects to name a few. Why are these ingredients used, because they are cheap!

We believe health is worth paying for.!

Kim , 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?

My husband Tony and I lost our jobs on the same day, March 15, 2020. Like everyone we sat around for a couple of months wondering what the future would look like for us. I come from a healthcare background and Tony was in fitness and sales industries. We made the decision to start a business that we were passionate about, which is health and wellness as well as our love for candles! We eat a vegan diet and pay very close attention to our overall health. We live a very “green” lifestyle, hence the name of our company!

I suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2011, leaving me with chronic migraines as well as other neurological issues. The migraines prevented me from burning store bought candles ever since. Keep in mind, I had no idea how toxic conventional candles were at that time, so actually a blessing in disguise!

We decided to work on creating a non-toxic candle that is also sustainable (refillable). After a few months of researching and testing, we sent a few out to family and friends for their feedback. We then made some minor adjustments and were pleased with our final result. Green Living Candles was born!

We also offer a subscription service for those interested. We are also looking to expand our wholesale accounts. We are currently featured at the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, CA, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan, FL, Bernardo Winery Rancho Bernardo, CA and Barely There Beauty Bar San Diego, CA

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When we decided to start this business, we were both on unemployment due to the pandemic. We made the decision to go all in, using every cent of the savings we had, which wasn’t a whole lot. Purchasing of equipment and supplies began, all the while living on a very small amount of unemployment. We literally made hundreds of candles and began to apply to be a vendor at some local Farmers Markets. Within a week of submitting applications, all of the markets shut down. We now were sitting looking at our savings that was sitting on shelves, with nowhere to sell them.

We then began working on creating a website, hoping for on-line sales, which didn’t happen initially. We believed in our brand enough to sacrifice what we had to until such time we had places to sell them.

A few months later we received an email from one of the local markets, inviting us to be a vendor. We were so excited and just hoping to sell one candle! When we arrived to set up, the local news was there and featured our candles. A short time later, a lady came to our booth and said she saw our candles on the news! She was looking for very special gifts for an event and said when she saw them, she knew that’s what she wanted! Our first sale ever was $673.00!

We are extremely blessed to have our own business but it isn’t without challenges. We joke and call ourselves “professional pivoters”! The ups and downs of the economy are rough and it has actually “encouraged” us to grow our wholesale side of the business.

We have received zero outside funding for this business….we have grown it, one candle at a time!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

First and foremost….our honesty. Tony and I spend a great deal of time with customers, educating them on the difference between our candles and the conventional/store bought candles.

We were unaware of the level of toxins in conventional candles, so it is our mission to make sure consumers have the information they need.

Our customers, both near and far have become family to us! We tell people all the time, “you don’t have to buy our candles, just do your research on conventional/store bought candles.

We had a couple come to our booth and Tony was explaining the difference between our candles and store bought with regard to ingredients. The husband with arms crossed, looked at Tony as if he were giving a really good sales pitch! They didn’t purchase that day, however came back the next week, apologized to Tony and purchased a candle! The husband said that he did some research as Tony had encouraged him to do and was disgusted with what he read. They have been coming back consistently for refills!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.greenlivingcandles.com
• Instagram: greenlivingcandlessd

Image Credits
Savanah Remington