We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melissa Knieriem a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Melissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about family businesses.

Frankfort Candle Co. and now Heirloom was founded as a result of Covid and the need for a hobby to get us through a challenging time. From the beginning it’s been myself and my 4 girls (ages 15, 14, 12, and 8) plus my husband, all playing different roles in the growth of this business. Initially it was a bonding experience for the girls and I, quality time spent together making high quality vintage, refillable candles, first in the garage and now in our brand new store front, that extends the vintage experience beyond candles into furniture, artwork and unique home decor.

Family business is demanding, yet rewarding. It’s time consuming but can allow for quality pockets of time as a family, say hunting for the vintage vessels we use, time we may not have together if we were in a traditional corporate job. One of the biggest challenges I face, is finding that balance between knowing when to invest in my business and when to devote adequate and quality time wearing my mom hat. It’s a constant push and pull.

On any given weekend, you can find my girls helping out in the shop, everything from checking people out to vacuuming at the end of the day. Teaching them responsibility offers a glimpse of ownership and pride as well as a bit of grit, entrepreneurship comes with many ups and downs and is a great dose of the real world for their young minds.

My hope is that chasing a dream, that being owning and operating a female small business, will encourage my daughters to dream big and aim high. To use that grit they learn to be able to pivot and reinvent as need be to reach their own goals someday.

Melissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Melissa Knieriem is the founder of Frankfort Candle Co., a vintage candle company that celebrates the significance of family heirlooms and cherished memories. As a mom of four girls with a passion for vintage style and an interior design background, her signature sustainable clean-burning candles are curated with luxe fragrances and wooden wicks, all of which can be continually refilled or repurposed. Inspired by her nostalgia for the ways that her grandmothers cultivated their homes, Frankfort Candle Co. candles are made from one-of-a-kind vintage vessels that are handpicked and hand-poured by Melissa, with a focus on supporting Chicagoland local charitable causes through donating a portion of proceeds back to the community.

We are also excited to announce our newest adventure, Heirloom in Frankfort, Illinois. Not only is Heirloom, the new home for Frankfort Candle Company with a beautiful space for our candle workshops, it’s also a destination for vintage heirlooms, where you’ll find ever-changing vintage home decor, furniture, and artwork.

Through connecting with like-minded vintage and home decor lovers, I’ve learned how clients are seeking ways to decorate their homes that are not only stunning in appearance, but sustainable and functional, too.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

There are so many things that go into building a strong brand and reputation, consistency, versatility, and hard work just to name a few.

However, I think the biggest asset for me has been building relationships with my clients, taking the time to really getting to know them. People desire to be seen and heard. There is nothing I enjoy more than when someone takes the time to share the nostalgia or family story as it relates to the vintage piece they bring in to have made into a candle. Or when they walk through the store and relive family memories as they come across a vintage item that used to reside in the home they grew up in.

My hope is that our new store becomes a destination for fostering community through our workshops, and the reason to return often, as inventory will always change based on what we come across during our vintage hunting. We are fortunate enough to be a part of a dynamic small town, that still believes strongly in enjoying and fostering relationships.

In my opinion, the value of strong and authentic relationships is a lost virtue in our fast, paced virtual world.

Maya Angelou said it best, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

It’s no secret that the candle market is wide, deep and crowded. As I was growing my business, other candle places began to pop up in surrounding communities and I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t a concern. Instead of operating from a place of fear, I decided to double down and expand our vision beyond vintage candles and curated a space that is a vintage experience from the minute you walk in the door, whether you’re looking for vintage candles or beyond, we truly have something for everyone.

The leap was scary but the landing has been so rewarding and thus far successful. We continue to stick to the basics, fostering strong relationships and hand pouring the best refillable candle around, and so far the formula is exceeding our expectations.

Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right. For me, the pivot was priceless. Beyond the fear is the freedom!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.frankfortcandlecompany.com and www.heirloomfrankfort.com
• Instagram: @frankfortcandlecompany and @heirloomfrankfort
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankfortcandlecompany and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555657935252