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

Stacie, 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?

I founded You Glow Girl Candle Co., LLC. in 2020 in the midst of a statewide stay-at-home order during the Covid 19 global pandemic. Learning the art of candle making was a way to keep me busy and occupied during this time. The process was also therapeutic in itself as it helped take my mind off of what the world was experiencing at the time with the rapid spread of covid. With an obsession for home fragrance, I always wanted to learn how to make candles and potentially start a business. I thought to myself “everyone loves candles, so this is has to work!” People all over the world were being forced to stay indoors due to the rise of covid cases. My goal was to help create relaxing, stress-free environments by offering quality, hand poured, eco-friendly candles.

I decided upon using a coconut soy wax blend for my candles. Coconut soy wax burns slower and longer than other waxes. It is also a clean burning wax as it is both toxin and phthalate free. During my research, I learned that other waxes commonly used by a lot of major candle retailers oftentimes contain harmful ingredients that causes adverse side effects when the candle is lit. In fact, quite a few friends and family members had expressed to me that they couldn’t burn certain retail candles because they would get bad headaches and/or severe sinus and allergy symptoms. After hearing these types of stories, I immediately wanted to eliminate this issue right off the bat by creating a clean burning and good smelling candle that everyone can enjoy without the fear of experiencing any adverse reactions.

After several months of extensive research and testing and building my website, You Glow Girl Candle Co., LLC. was born! I launched my website on October 7, 2020.

Stacie, 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 name is Stacie Refeld, CEO/Founder of You Glow Girl Candle Co., LLC. I reside in Long Beach, CA. I got into the candle business in 2020 when California was placed on a statewide stay-at-home order during the covid 19 pandemic. During this time, I decided to research and learn the art of candle making which was something I always wanted to do.

I researched and tested for approximately seven months before I felt confident enough to launch my candles. I started out with two candle collections. I created an instagram account for my candles when I first started doing my research and testing. I would post behind the scenes pictures and videos of myself testing and making candles. Through my instagram posts, I was able to build up my followers anticipation of my candles until the official launch date of my website on October 7, 2020. Launch day was a total success as my followers had been watching my journey all along and were eagerly waiting to go online and purchase my candles.

I now have over 8 different candle collections ranging in price from $8-$40. I also make wax melts, room sprays, and reed diffusers which are all flameless options for those who don’t want or can’t have an open flame in their home or space.

The main things I want people to know about my brand is that all of my products are organic due to the natural ingredients used. The wax and fragrance oils used in my products are free of harmful toxins that can cause adverse side effects. I use coconut soy wax in my candles which is a clean, slow burning wax. This allows my candles to last longer with an average burn time of 40 hours or more. My candles also give off a strong scent throw.

What I am most proud of, is the fact that my candles are currently being sold in the largest fragrance store in the world at Candle Delirium in West Hollywood, CA alongside many other major retail candle brands. If you are in or near southern California, be sure to stop by Candle Delirium and purchase from our Zodiac Candle Collection.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is through social media. I gain majority of my sales from instagram and facebook. I run ads through those platforms and also post content using reels.

I also participate in local vending events where I am able to sell my products in person and engage face to face with potential customers. They are not only able to see and smell my products but they are also able to make immediate purchases that they can take home versus having to go online to place an order and wait for it to be shipped. These vendor events have also been effective in growing my clientele because some of my repeat customers have come from these events.

I also send marketing emails whenever I launch new products or run a sale. These emails are effective because the recipients can go purchase the new products or shop the sale by simply clicking on a link in the marketing email.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of mouth has been the best source of new clients because my customers tell their friends and family members about my candles. A vast majority of my candles are purchased and given as gifts. Those gift recipients often turn into customers.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.youglowgirlcandleco.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/youglowgirlcandleco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youglowgirlcandleco?mibextid=AEUHqQ