Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in candle-making but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Yemi Adedoja, founder of The Pink Capricorn Candle Co., located in Brampton, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I’m Yemi Adedoja, the owner and founder of The Pink Capricorn Candle Co. Our company is an all-natural soy wax scented candle company whose focus is on helping candle lovers with their self-care routine by providing clean-burning candles for ambiance. We believe our candles evoke happy memories and lift the mood and are great to give as gifts!
We hand-pour all our candles in small batches to preserve quality, our fragrance oils are phthalate and paraben-free, and we use premium cotton wicks.
Tell us about yourself
For as long as I can remember, I’d always loved collecting candles; however, a few years ago, I developed a sudden severe allergy to artificial scents and had to stop buying candles. I would get instant headaches and itchy eyes whenever I got close to scents. Now, this wasn’t going to stop me from my love of candles, so I researched, bought a soy wax candle-making kit, and started making my own. This happened around the pandemic lockdown, so I had plenty of time! I did a ton of testing; there were a lot of fails, more testing (still testing… it never ends!), I gave out candles to family and friends, and the feedback was great and Voila, from a hobby, The Pink Capricorn Candle Co., was born! I’m a proud mama to an amazing daughter and an adorable labradoodle. I’m a Capricorn too, and I love the color Pink haha!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is seeing my vision come to life – from thinking of the concept of making scented candles to hand-producing them and turning them into an actual business with actual customers. Having customers love my products and recommend them to other people is awesome!
In addition, having my daughter watch her mum be an entrepreneur and learn the things that go into running a business, being able to pass down the spirit of entrepreneurship as my mum passed to me, is amazing! Legacy is important to me, and I would love for entrepreneurship to be passed down to generations to come.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It’s a full-time job, and the amount of time and effort that goes into it is enormous because you wear many hats, from being the social media manager to the shipper to sourcing supplies to e-commerce, customer service, and the list goes on. On the flip side, you’re doing what you love, so it makes it all worthwhile!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Make sure it’s something you really love doing!
- There are days you will hit your sales target or sell out, and some days it’ll be crickets…you’ll sell nada! Be patient. Growth takes time.
- Research the industry extensively and, do a lot of testing, network with other candle makers for help and resources.
- Go for your dreams, don’t let anyone talk you out of it! Only you know what’s best for you.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thepinkcapricorncandle.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepinkcapricorncandleco/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePinkCapri
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.
