Eco-Friendly Candles Produce Smoldering Profits

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[Music]

Welcome to a brand new week. So glad you're here. I've got a set of stories every single day all about somebody who's making extra money without quitting their day job. All about someone who is looking within themselves, perhaps looking around at a problem in search of a solution, but also looking at a skill that they have that can perhaps be adapted in a new way to make money in the new economy. That's what this is all about investing in yourself, empowerment, doing something for your future.

All right, now over here it is WDS week in Portland, world domination summit week. This is the ninth time I have hosted the event, put it together with my team. You can follow along if you'd like on my Instagram at 193 countries or along with other people as well with #WDS2019. That's if you're listening in real time. If not, well, that was WDS week.

Now let's talk about today's story. Did you know that wax candles were invented by the Egyptians around 3000 BC? They have since become so appealing that the candle market in the US alone is now worth over $3 billion a year. That's a lot of money, and the couple in today's story is responsible for some of that figure. After moving to the dark winters of Ohio, they stumble upon a bright idea, bright ideas to sell candles with reusable containers to grow plants.

It really is an ingenious eco-friendly concept that's currently profiting $15,000 to $20,000 a month. Yeah, big success, big story. Really fun here. Ohio couple lights up bank deposits with eco-friendly candles. I'm gonna wax lyrical on this story.

Not just blowing smoke, it's legit. In fact, I just know this story is the perfect match for someone out there. All right, stay tuned. It's coming up in about 30 seconds. [Music]

Cynthia and Chris Heilman met years ago during a job interview.

They both worked in sales, and Chris was interviewing Cynthia for a position at his company in Florida. They hit it off right away. And instead of just becoming coworkers, they ended up starting a relationship. A few years later, they got married and started a family. When their daughter came along, Cynthia decided to take a break from work and become a stay-at-home mom.

Chris kept his job, which by that time was as an account manager in the banking industry. They talked for a while about starting some kind of side business, but none of their talks led to anything fruitful, at least until they moved from Florida to Ohio, where they had their big idea. This idea was brought on by the weather. Cynthia in particular struggled with the shorter days and long winters of the North. It became such a battle that she suffered from a mild seasonal depression.

To counteract her down moods, she began researching how people lived in countries with similar climates. Denmark in particular had the same grueling winter conditions yet often topped the list of world's happiest countries. She soon came across the concept of hygge, a Danish word meaning to make yourself and your home comfortable. That idea resonated. So she began trying to make their home more cozy and warmly lit.

A big part of that was making frequent use of candles. It worked. And in short time, their environment was a happier place and winter became much more bearable. But it also came at a cost. They were using a lot of candles.

With all those candles came a lot of wasted candle containers. Before long, empty glass jars, ceramic containers, and porcelain pots were stacked all over the house. Both Cynthia and Chris, being environmentally conscious, didn't want to throw them all in a landfill. So Cynthia began planting flowers into them and then using them as potted plants. It was recycling in its best form, not just chucking them in the blue bin, but repurposing and reusing.

The process opened her eyes to a big problem. There must be millions of candle containers thrown away. What could be done to minimize that waste? When an unexpected gift arrived in the mail, she and Chris found their answer. Cynthia's friend sent her a seed-embedded card.

It's a greeting card that you can simply plant in soil, add water, and the seeds will sprout into a beautiful plant. Cynthia loved it, but it was Chris who originally saw it as a solution to the problem of candle container waste. They devised a plan to create their own candle brand using ceramic pots for the containers. And here's a key point that sets them apart. They would create a seed-embedded label.

So when the candle was finished, customers could simply fill the container with soil, plant the label, and have a beautiful plant to enjoy. The idea had sparked and they called the concept the growing candle. Chris and Cynthia started by making the candles in their own basement. You could say it just made sense. They also decided to produce 100% soy candles because they burn cleaner and fragrance can be added more easily.

They spent about $4,000 to create the first batch. They tried their luck at a small local craft show, but it didn't go very well. In fact, when it was all said and done, they barely made a couple of hundred dollars that first day. Still, they held onto a flicker of hope that this could grow into something big. And they were right because their second event lit a fire under them.

It was a music festival and the response was overwhelming. It was to show that it's not a good idea to make a judgment call after just one event. In fact, Cynthia and Chris suggest it's worth trying a few because you never know which crowd your product might resonate with. Over the next year, things continue to grow. Due to the unique nature of the product, they were able to stand out from the crowd in a saturated candle market.

There are literally thousands of people out there making candles, but no one else making them in a reusable pot that comes complete with its own plant. The idea alone opened a lot of doors for them, brought in customers and presented them with larger orders from suppliers. Throughout 2018, their seed carts weren't the only thing growing. The business did too, exceeding five figures per month in profit. The biggest problem at this stage is that Cynthia and Chris are burning the candle at both ends.

It's sometimes hard to not talk about the business at all times. They often need to remind themselves to talk about and focus on other things, like the freedom and time they both have in their lives, including more time spent on raising their daughter. They're working hard to grow the growing candle. In the words of Neil Young, "It's better to burn out than to fade away." [Music]

So pretty cool concept here. It definitely falls in the category of something new.

I often mention that you don't have to create something that's never been done before to be successful with the side hustle, but it is definitely advantageous when somebody comes across some kind of twist to an existing product. So obviously there are thousands of candle sellers. Obviously there are lots of people selling plants and seeds and pots for plants and all that kind of stuff, but it seems no one had put those things together in the way that the growing candle has done. So I took a look at the website as well, thegrowingcandle.com, and it's all really well done. Lots of great product photos.

Their environmental mission is front and center, but it's also product focused. So the environmental mission is there, but it's also like, "Hey, you're gonna get a great product." So I think it's really important because people wanna buy the product because it's a great product, and then also because it has an environmental benefit, not usually the other way around, they've got a great photo of themselves on the about page, which I think is always really important, telling their own story. And then another question I often have when I do these little audits of people's websites is how are they using their frequently asked questions page? Because that page should exist not only to answer common questions, but also to address potential objections. And here they've done a great job with that as well.

So I was looking on their page and they have questions like, is this a subsidiary of a large company or franchise? And they are like, "We are a small family business based in Toledo, Ohio." Now, I don't know if there's a lot of people out there actually asking that question. Are you a subsidiary of a large company? But they are just trying to highlight the fact that they are a small family owned business. The next question is, "I'm worried about receiving a candle that is too overpowering.

How strong or light is the scent?" And I kind of go on to answer that. When sending our candles, our goal is to mimic the scent of the desired herb or plant. We take every precaution to make sure it's appropriate, et cetera, et cetera. Next question is, "What if I don't like the scent when it's delivered?" I'm like, "Don't worry. We offer free exchanges on all our candles." And in reading these questions, their goal is for you to feel assured, a potential customer to feel assured and just go ahead and place that order.

So lots of good stuff. They're also selling them on Amazon where they have really good reviews as well. So no wonder they're doing so well. And I love this project. It's really great to see how someone has had a really good idea and then followed up on that idea.

So if you've got an idea, don't extinguish it. Let the flame burn bright. All right, my friends, inspiration is good, but inspiration with action is better. Today's show notes, including links to "The Growing Candle," anything else I mentioned in the episode, those are at sidehustleschool.com/905. Episode 905.

We've got a lot more coming up this week, so be sure you're subscribed. Tell your friends. It's completely free. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]

From the Onward Project.