Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in candle-making but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stephen Michlits, co-founder of VIGYL, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We felt we had something provocative to contribute to this sea of candle creativity. That's why we created VIGYL. We wanted to create a candle line for the customer that cares about pop culture, fashion, and unique sensory experiences—it's our modern take on contemporary 'self-care' in a sea of me-too 'wellness' candle brands. It's okay to indulge as you relax, to pamper yourself at home with a home fragrance YOU truly enjoy. We use the terms' independent thinkers' and 'sensible progressives' in our brand language because our customer operates from a place of curiosity and curates their lifestyle around what brings them joy and speaks to their sense of style. Our products tick the boxes of eco-friendly, clean-burning, and reusable like most of our competitors, but when it comes to scent profiles, we like to colour outside the box.

Tell us about yourself

First and foremost, we are candle lovers. We have always been intrigued by the dynamic and vast landscape of the home fragrance market, which we think is one of the most creative and inspiring categories to shop for as a consumer. From the scents to the vessels and packaging, the attention to detail and storytelling that brands and designers are producing can be a sensory overload —but in the best way. We'd been collecting fragrance inspirations for years, both as developers and in our own brand aspirations.

Our introductory line is the product of years worth of fragrance inspirations we have been collecting. Some of them are more literal, and some are very aspirational. We viewed the fragrance development as we would any art project— pulling inspiration from different ingredients, locations, art, and music. Our intention was for the scents to be abstract and progressive, referencing a story more than a singular recognizable note. We worked closely with our fragrance house and candle producer to perfect that story.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Firstly, launching VIGYL in 2021 during the pandemic was a huge accomplishment for us. We faced many delays and cost increases along the way that created unexpected hurdles—but we managed to overcome them. Our partners have been incredibly supportive, and we couldn't have done it without their collaboration.

Secondly, I am most proud of launching with our limited edition Hanlan's x Rainbow Railroad candle, which has $5 of each sale going directly to supporting the Rainbow Railroads' important mission of protecting and supporting LGBTQ+ individuals in escaping state-sponsored violence worldwide. As a queer-owned business, being able to contribute to our community like this has been extremely rewarding.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

If I am honest, finding the resources to grow and support the brand has been a challenge, but one that we knew would present itself. Brands, in general, can take years to get to a healthy revenue. When you're competing in a space like candles that has many successful brands thriving, you feel the pressure to 'keep up with the quality of content they put out. This can be extremely expensive, so we have focused on creating authentic content within our means—zoning in on what we love and hope customers love about the brand VIGYL. We're proud of what we have put out into the world so far!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Focus on the quality of your product and what makes it unique first. If you build it well and are able to narrate a story around it that connects with your target consumers, you will gain a following of loyal customers. If these two things aren't in sync, good luck!
  2. When starting out, try not to compare yourself to other brands in your space. Remember where you started and where you want to go. It's fine to look for inspiration, but the comparison is the thief of joy. Until you have the budget and team to compete with the big guys- focus on telling authentic stories and working within your means.
  3. Collaborate! Be open to ideas and leverage the talents in your community. We have found collaborating with a variety of photographers, designers, artists, and copywriters (and beyond) allows us to expand our storytelling and keep us inspired as creatives as well if you can turn those collaborations into products that give back to your community, like our Hanlan's X Rainbow Railroad candle, even better! Community is not just who follows your brand; it's how your brand engages in return; that's something we believe strongly.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We are just super humbled and gracious that our brand VIGYL has been positively received by consumers and the industry in general. Getting messages from customers that they love the product or the packaging feels like Christmas morning. It inspires us to keep pushing forward and creating cool candles!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.vigyl.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VIGYL-Candles-103631258951732
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_vigyl/

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.

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