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

Lisa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

My husband retired young, after a 30 year career in the fire department. We sold our home, gave most of our belongings away, and bought a sailboat with the intention of sailing around the world. Our first year sailing down the Mexican Pacific Coast, one afternoon I dinghied to shore alone in the tiny town of Barra de Navidad with the intention to pick up some fresh veggies at the farmers market before we pulled up anchor that evening and continued on our way. As I pulled up to shore behind a run-down hotel I could hear what I thought, was a child crying. It alarmed me enough that I searched around to find the source, and lo and behold I came across a lone spider monkey in a crumbling outdoor enclosure who was very surprised to see me and immediately reached his arm out to me through the layers of rusty old chain link. I was frightened as I know nothing about handling primates but I knew enough to go and find out who owned him and enquire about his care. Not speaking Spanish was a hindrance and I did not get very far with my concerns. Sadly we moved on and over the course of time I forgot about this poor monkey.
9 years later, now living a life on land in the beautiful Napa Valley, one night I have a dream about this monkey. When I awoke the next morning I googled, monkey in Barra de Navidad, and he was the first thing that came up! Seriously?! That poor monkey is still there we thought? And that is when my husband and I embarked on the challenging task of rescuing this monkey out of his current circumstance, possibly as long as 30 years in this terrible situation and move him to a proper sanctuary. After a long 6 months of working with the Mexican Government and a wildlife veterinarian we successfully obtained legal authority over Chacho and transported him to his new home at the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary, located near Cancun.
Upon our return to California, the COVID virus was taking hold, and I immediately lost my job in hospitality. Having just spent $30K+ on Chacho’s rescue I thought, “Uh-oh, what do I do now?” That was when the idea of learning to make candles and selling them locally to make up the money that we had spent sounded like a good idea. I love candles, good ones that is, and I felt with my passion I could learn to create the best! And that is how Bougie Napa was born!

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.

Being propelled by the satisfaction of doing something really good for Chacho the monkey, and continuing to pay monthly monkey support 😂, I really wanted Bougie Napa candles to be a success. What sets me apart from most candle makers is the quality of products that I use. My wax is a beautiful blend of coconut and apricot. This wax is sustainable in that they do not need to cut the coconut or apricot tree down to source the seed oil. Soy wax, on the other hand, is a one time crop and the majority of soy crops are owned by one company, and they are not known for their eco friendly ways. In addition, coconut apricot wax is vegan, cruelty free, prop 65 compliant, and phthalate and paraben free. The same goes for the plethora of fragrance oils I use from a handful of companies across the
United States that make gorgeous fragrances.

By selling at local Napa and Sonoma Valley farmers markets, and implementing a vessel return program for a discount to my clients, I get wonderful feedback on my product which has been very satisfying. It really makes me feel good when a client tells me that my candle is the first candle they have ever burned that does not make them feel sick.

A year ago we were given the opportunity to open a “pop-up” shop downtown Napa which has allowed me the space to teach candle making classes. It is truly a beautiful experience when someone gets to learn and create their very own fragranced candle.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Honestly, being a candle maker and manufacturing all of my own product, I am constantly having to pivot. From sourcing raw material, from candle vessels to wicks to discontinued fragrance oils, it always seems like just when I get comfortable there is a change. That can be particularly challenging if I have a wholesale contract where the client wants to be able to continually reorder the same product. But, I guess that is the beauty of something handmade and in small batch. We learn to appreciate what we have when we have it!

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

We, my husband Larry and I, have stood behind our product since day one. We are the ones personally selling at the farmers markets and in the store as well so our name and face is part of our candles. We tell our clients, with confidence, that if they do not like their candle or find it does not burn beautifully that we will happily refund them or let them pick out another product. In over 4’years of sales and 1000’s of candles later I believe we have had a return twice. It also helps that Larry is a retired firefighter and we test our candles to the highest of safety standards. Clients love that!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bougienapa.com/
• Instagram: @bougienapa

Image Credits

Lisa & Larry Anderson