As a women-owned business, we love supporting female artists and makers (find our latest stats about how we do so here). In celebration of International Women's day we are featuring a product category that we source entirely from women, Candles!
Read on to learn what being a female entrepreneur means to each of these women business owners, and support them by shopping their beautifully made candles.
PGH Candle
Kayla Heffernan runs PGH Candle, where you will find her popular Neighborhood candles that throw a heady spruce scent. We've also collaborated with her to create our exclusive Shimmering Darkness candle, which reminds us of warm Pittsburgh nights.
Kayla shares,
"Being a woman entrepreneur is something I take a lot of pride in. I am a huge advocate for women being independent and a firm believer in that no woman needs a man to be successful. Yes, some believe we live in a “Man’s World”, but times are changing and women coming to power is on the rise. Being that I love the artistic field of expression, working in this industry as a woman feels natural to me. I have also had the privilege to meet and collaborate with other women entrepreneurs. It is an awesome feeling to support and uplift one another within this industry. For me, it is most important to love the work I am putting out into the world. My goal is to not only be successful, but to inspire other young women to create, make a change and follow their dreams."
Soyil Candles
Greta, the creator of Soyil, is our Mount Washington neighbor. Her candles have a cult-like following. She makes a decadent Almond Cake candle that smells like walking into Prantl's Bakery, plus many other seasonal scents.
Greta shares,
"I come from a line of business owners so, for me starting a business was very natural. Now Being a female entrepreneur during a pandemic has really been a challenge....It’s changed the way I am running the business. With out childcare, I am juggling so much between running the business, motherhood and home life but the beauty of it is, that it’s all Working! It proves that women can have success everywhere. Yes, things will change. Yes, things take time to adjust. Yes, Something has to give but it has actually made me more on top of my “A Game”. You just make it work! That’s the beauty of a female entrepreneur. Females are amazing at multi tasking and I think that's why females are successful in business. The pandemic has thrown so many curve balls for females in business but I/we got this!💪🏻"
Borealis Candle Co
Norah Whitmore is the woman behind Borealis Candle Co. She creates dreamy scent pairings with a modern feel. My all-time favorite for invoking a spa-like scent is her Lavender & Sage. We carry her gold travel tins which makes it easy to stock up and try several scents.
Norah shares,
"I'd be remiss not to gratefully acknowledge that, as a millennial woman, my experience of being an entrepreneur does not feel directly informed by my gender. Of course I owe that particular privilege to generations of feminists and strong female leaders before me, without whom I would certainly be singing a different tune. That being said, the vast majority of candle makers are women, and I have been completely humbled by the supportive community of other women-owned candle (and other craft) businesses out there. Over the course of the last year, the women entrepreneurs I’ve connected with in some form or another have gone out of their way to offer words of encouragement, share helpful advice, and even drop trade secret or two. It is the warmest, friendliest, most inclusive club I have ever had the privilege of being a part of. So being a female entrepreneur, to me, means sharing in that spirit and doing my part to widen the circle: to reach out and support other current or aspiring women entrepreneurs in their pursuits."
North Ave Candles
Amanda Fenner is the creator of North Ave Candles. Her book-inspired candles are well known around Pittsburgh, and we love how banned novels inspired her scents. Amanda has partnered with us on several candle collabs, including the Pittsburgh Essential Candles, available in full size or a sample set.
Amanda shares,
"[North Ave] let me carve out my own little space in a world that I was having a hard time finding my place in."
Lit Soy Candles
Carly Butler is the woman behind Lit Soy Candles. We love the playful candle names that perfectly tie scents to feelings like "Self Care" and "Best Day Ever". We love featuring her candles in gift boxes that celebrate special occasions.
Carly shares,
"Being a female entrepreneur means everything to me. It is so empowering to be able to run my own business how I want to with my own brand/visions. Not to mention being able to accomplish this alongside many other amazing, local, small business owners makes it even better. I love seeing women lifting each other up & I feel like the community really thrives when we do so."