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

Lauren, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Chicago Wick Stop was born out of a moment of both necessity and life changing experiences. As a hair stylist for many years, I was able to meet many kinds of people from all over the city (and country). Many of these people have inspired my jokes and I needed something to make me smile through a life changing medical diagnosis during a pandemic. Previously used as a client gift during the holidays, I dove into candle making as a way to distract myself as well as potentially help make money during a time that I was unable to perform my regular job duties.
The process of getting quality materials and spending time making each candle individually is a very important part of the process for me. I think it is important to have the “cleanest” possible candles while using recycled ingredients, untreated wooden wicks, phthalate free fragrances, and additive free 100% natural soy wax.
The best part of each candle, in my opinion, is the jokes that come with. Each candle is representative of a Chicago neighborhood and the things we love (and hate) about them. The unique niches of the city make for amazing joke material for the smart *ss in all of us. The candle market is clearly over saturated at the moment but I feel the quality, care, and individuality help set Chicago Wick Stop apart. I hope to continue to expand on more comedic luxury candles with ‘life events’ lines for bridesmaids proposals, wedding gifts, baby showers, office favors, client gifts, birthdays and really anywhere a little laugh is appreciated.

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 am a hairstylist by trade for the last 14 years, and have been creating products for my clients as holiday gifts for years. I started with facial scrubs and bath products to candles. Once the pandemic hit, I was forced into a whole new life essentially. I had been having hands on contact as my main source of income for so long, and we all had to find a way to adjust. In the middle of a pandemic, I realized I had been working so hard to build my business as a stylist that I was ignoring signs of my health issues. I was then diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and my life changed dramatically in an instant. I could no longer work my job normally and had to turn to other means of income while maneuvering my new way of life.
The process of candle making became therapeutic for me and simultaneously my new means of supporting myself.

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

I feel like I covered a lot of this already, but candle making was a pivotal part of my healing journey emotionally after my diagnosis. It helped me to slow down and appreciate myself and my resilience and ability to shift my life through the pain and anxiety.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

While I am still a working hairstylist, Chicago Wick Stop has become a main stream of income and the larger of my two businesses. It’s taken itself from a hobby to gift to my clients, friends, and family to my main source of income and inspiration.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chicagowickstop.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/chicagowickstop
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Chicagowickstop