From Hobby to Hustle: Devon from Great Divide Candle Co.
Devon has always been into scents & fragrances! He first experienced candle making after receiving a kit as a Christmas gift. In conversation, a friend suggested to start making candles as a business & the rest is history!
Keep scrolling to read about the workshop & private events he hosts, where he seeks advice & his three pieces of advice to new makers!
how it started
"My cologne collection was extensive along with my candle collection. I was the person with the candle cabinet with hundreds of dollars worth of candles, that you go in and sift through to find which scent you felt like burning for the day. Well in 2019, for Christmas, I received a candle making kit off Amazon. The candle actually came out terrible but luckily for me this became my first time experimenting with candle making.
on building a business
"You know what’s funny, I was never supposed to start making candles. It kinda started as a joke between a friend and I. We were on the phone one day just brainstorming about the next chapter in our life and what was to come and he said, “hey, what if you started making candles?” I sort of laughed it off but after a few nights of thinking about it, I was like this could be something. I started researching relentlessly on different websites and YouTube primarily soaking up as much knowledge on candle making, different waxes and fragrances as possible.
Every two weeks when I would get paid from my job at the Pharmacy, I would buy some type of candle supplies whether it was wax, wicks or vessels, and by the top of the summer of 2020 I had a garage full of supplies that I had to do something with.
I continued to test and I launched my website August 28, 2020 (mid-pandemic crazy I know).
I released five scents in the 5oz metal tins, about 30 candles total & they all sold out within 5 hours of launching the site."
Since then, I've added more of a variety of sizes and scents to choose from, seasonal collections and limited edition items, such as our Pride candle that's only available in June.
Next month, I'll actually be celebrating 4 years in business! Like WOW! Where did all the time go? I'm super excited for what's to come next for Great Divide."
milestones
"One big milestone that I accomplished early on in my business was successfully hosting my first candle making workshop! The process was very overwhelming, but the turnout was great! Maybe about 30-32 people total.
It made me feel so full and just amazing that day. My mom was there, all of my really good friends, and we had a lot of new people sign up for the workshop. I was excited that people were actually showing up for me and supporting my business. I’ll never forget that day."
workshop wonders
"I absolutely love hosting the candle making workshops and private events. I enjoy bringing people into my world of candle making as they get to become the ultimate mixologist creating their own unique blend. They get to choose from over 20+ scents to mix and match anyway that they’d like. It’s always cool to see which scents people gravitate towards. I’ve seen and smelled some really incredible blends in a lot of the workshops where I may or may not have made a note to myself to keep around.
I’ve been doing the workshops now for 3 years. It was stressful in the beginning because I’m such a perfectionist and I want everything to be perfect, but as we got more events under our belt, It’s become like a piece of cake.
I have these events monthly in the Heights here in Houston and everything is promoted and marketed online through my website, on instagram and tik tok. I also do markets throughout the month where I’ll also promote in person which is really where I see a lot of the ticket sales come from.
The workshops were so successful that I started accepting bookings for private events where I’d bring all of the supplies to you if you have a group of 12 or more. So whether you want to have a girls day in, a Sunday Funday event or even a company team building event, this is a service we offer and you don’t even have to leave your house.
Jeff Stanley actually has a video on YouTube that covers everything that you can possibly need for a Candle Making workshop. He made it very seamless to get materials for that. I made a few tweaks and tailored it specifically for my business and it’s been a success ever since."
on taking the leap
"I was still working at my full-time job at the pharmacy, but as business picked up, I had to eventually shift down to part time. After being part time for maybe about 6 months or so, I realized I was too overwhelmed; I could no longer keep up with my business and continue to give 100% at my job. So in May of 2022, I made the very hard executive decision to leave my 9 to 5 to pursue my candle business full-time.
Although I felt confident in my decision, it was still very scary to leave what I known for the past seven years to focus on something new."
I just had to step out on faith and put trust in God that he would see me through whatever was to happen and ultimately believe that my business was going to be a success.
It felt scary, but also very liberating. Like I have this candle business and I sell a product that people absolutely love. I was gaining new customers, I had a ton of recurring customers who placed orders multiple times throughout the month, while also starting to scale with bigger wholesale and private label orders. It all happened so fast but I’m happy I made the decision. It felt amazing the next day, waking up and not having to get in my car and clock into work. Probably one of my proudest moments was the last day that I worked at the Pharmacy."
on standing out
"Our products are unique because each candle tells a different story. I love watching the joy on someone’s face after they smell one of our candles. Some scents are nostalgic to childhood memories, a familiar smell from years ago or reminiscent of the holiday season. We also have the cutest minimalistic, sleek packaging and branding that we receive so many compliments over.
Our classic collection, which are our year-round scents, produces a ton of best sellers like Cactus Flower + Jade and Southern Peach. I also enjoy being able to play around with different scents throughout the year as the seasons roll. Everybody loves our Autumn and Winter Collections, it’s our busiest time of the year.
I’ve learned that you can make it whatever you want it to be; you don’t have to be boxed into one specific thing. So I’ve been incorporating products other than candles like our wax melts, car diffusers and candle care accessories, that are being well received by the public. I hope to add room sprays and candle making kits to our website before the upcoming holiday season."
retail reach
"My first retail experience was really cool. It was in 2021, a new black owned coffee shop in downtown Houston reached out to me to feature my candles in their shop. Money was steady each month & I gained so many new followers and long term customers because of it. Fast forward a few years later, now we're in multiple stores in Houston, Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles and most recently, Virginia Beach."
on making mistakes...or not
"One mistake I made in my business early on was not doing enough research on markets in the summertime! Big no no! I live in Texas. Texas is HOT. My candles went from sweating to a full melt pool right in front of my eyes at the table. Although I had planned, had a cooler with dry ice and other measures in place, it wasn’t enough. The Houston heat was just too much to bare. I made the conscious decision to pack up early that day at the market and instead walked around with free wax melt samples for anyone who followed us on Instagram or signed up for our email list. In business you have to learn to be able to work under pressure and must be able to pivot quickly!
on getting advice
"YouTube is probably my number one source for everything. Online is also a great source for just getting information that you may need. I also have other friends and colleagues who have businesses as well, that I can depend on for advice, so we usually converse about business things or and bounce ideas back-and-forth off of each other. Also, a few of the Facebook groups like BCMC are really big on community and are always open to lend advice or expertise when needed."
on where to invest
"I buy a lot of our supplies in bulk so wax, wicks vessels are probably our biggest investment monthly. I like to keep my bestsellers and really all of my products in stock and readily available for my customers.
As far as marketing, I haven’t spent a lot of money on marketing. A lot of word of mouth, emails and connecting with people at markets go a long way. You never know who you’re talking to. I’ve met so many longtime customers early on that are still with me and have been with me since the beginning. Like a realtor client who’s been with me since 2022 and has placed over 20+ orders totaling over 15k. Insane I know, I’m still shocked.
on finding inspiration
"It’s very easy to get discouraged or sidetracked from your ultimate goal. I’m a very strong willed person, so I keep myself motivated because I know what I want my future to look like and I know what the end goal is for me and I just want to work hard and see it through.
When you put in the work and you get the results, so yeah, of course some days are challenging. You may not want to post content or you may not want to do anything and that’s fine, that comes with entrepreneurship but I also remember this is my baby. This is my full-time gig so it’s either all or nothing and I just keep that mindset, and I keep pushing, keep promoting my business, marketing myself and shooting for the stars! One day there will be a warehouse and/or storefront, who knows maybe sooner than we think!
advice for makers
"Test and research thoroughly! Try to soak up as much knowledge in your field as you possibly can. That way if a problem arises, you’ll be knowledgeable and it can easily be fixed.
Never stop learning! There’s always a way to improve. Whether it’s from other makers or something new you want to try. If this is something that you’re passionate about and want to do full-time, invest time in making it the best that it can be. Always bet on yourself!
Don’t be afraid to make changes along the way! We tend to be our own biggest critics and we put this unrealistic pressure on ourselves to think that everything needs to be perfect but it doesn’t. You can make small changes as you go to improve them for the better."
You can keep up with Devon and Great Divide Candle Co. on Instagram or via his website!
