We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rae Thomas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rae below.

Hi Rae, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The birth of Burning Ambition Candle Company came from the deep, dark depths of boredom and depression. I was stuck in a dead-end job with no passion involved whatsoever. I was really struggling with ways to keep myself out of my slump, so in a conversation with my now fiancé, he suggested I find myself a hobby. I had absolutely no idea where to start. I wanted to find something that would spark my creativity and keep me engaged at the same time. I tried really hard to think of something I was passionate about, and I landed on Interior Design. I’ve always wanted to have my own home décor boutique, but never knew where to start. That’s when I realized that I could have a hobby that led me to my dream. That left me with which area of the home I wanted to start. I looked around my own home, and saw the stacks of candles I had laying around.

That was my lightbulb moment.

I loved candles, but I didn’t like the exorbitant amount of money I spent on them. I thought to myself, why not just use the money I’d spend buying candles to make my own? And thus, the basic idea was born.

I knew this would be a worthwhile endeavor when I found vendors that I loved, made testers, and my friends and I tested them out! We loved the fragrances I picked out, and we especially loved that the oils I used didn’t have any harsh chemicals to burn! I decided to start selling my candles after finding the right combination of waxes, wicks, and oils that worked well together. I decided to use 100% soy wax since it burns cleaner than lots of waxes out there. What makes me most excited about this endeavor is being able to bring a little coziness into my customers’ homes without having to worry about any harsh chemicals or items in my product making them sick. It’s a win/win for all of us!

Rae, 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?

Hi there! My name is Rae Thomas, and I’m the Owner and Operator of Burning Ambition Candle Company! We’ve been making candles and wax melts since June 2021! We use 100% soy wax, and all of our fragrance oils have no phthalates or toxins in them, so they burn clean! We’re still an incredibly small business, but my hope for the future of my business is to be able to provide candles to fit any home aesthetic. I want to make your house feel more like home!

I can’t really determine what sets me apart from others. There are lots of amazing candle makers out here, and I try not to let that discourage me from doing what I love. I know the people who are meant to find me will come to me. I’m just here to spread al the love and positivity that I can. I know one day I’ll get to where I want to be, but I’m proud of myself for getting to where I am now. I know I’ll get there, one step at a time.

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

My most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been going to shows and being in the presence of people. My business is currently web-based, so it’s so great to get out and meet new customers! I love interacting with them and learning about them based off of their likes and dislikes. My career background is customer service centered, so I have many years of experience engaging with people.

Learning how to create good marketing on social media has also been really helpful. Social media is an incredibly powerful tool when you know how to use it. Anytime I create an ad for my Instagram and Facebook pages, my website views almost double. It’s really fun to see my notification bar light up with site views!

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

I do manufacture my own product! I currently make my candles out of my home with the hopes of one day having a warehouse to work in. I originally started by using the double-boiler method on my stove to melt my wax. After my business came a little bit off the ground, I invested in a warming pot that holds melted wax for me at the temp I want. (This purchase was a game changer!) I knew there were companies that made candles that I could just slap my name on and sell, but I wanted to know what was going into my products. I’ve learned a lot about what kind of fragrance oils to use, what waxes work best for my container candles and my wax melts, (spoiler alert: all waxes are NOT equal,) wick sizing. and overall candle care. If I’ve learned anything about manufacturing my own product, it would be that research and testing are so important. This prevents errors and safety issues in the long run. Always do your research first!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.burningambitioncandles.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/burningambitioncandles
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/burningambitioncandles