From hobby to hustle: The Phoenix Candles
There are brands built for the market, and then there are brands built from the marrow of a life fully lived. The Phoenix Candles is the latter. Founded by Shay Brooks, a solo entrepreneur, mother, and corporate professional based in West Caldwell, NJ, this woman-owned, minority-owned small-batch aromachology candle brand is equal parts science and soul. What started as a quiet creative outlet has become a purposeful business that is changing the way women think about self-care. We sat down with Shay to hear the story behind the flame.
how it all began
"I grew up under very challenging circumstances that required a significant amount of healing, self-love, and acceptance. As I moved through that journey, I began to understand just how deeply those early experiences had shaped my mindset into adulthood and into motherhood. But I also began to realize something that shifted everything for me: I was not alone. So many women carry the same quiet weight, and nobody is talking about it.
That realization planted a seed. I wanted to create something intentional, something that could reach those women in their most private moments and remind them they are seen, they are worthy, and they are not alone."
from hobby to hustle
"I have always been a creative person, but for a long time I never found my 'thing.' Candle making changed that. It became a form of therapy. A space that was entirely mine, not defined by what I needed to do for anyone else in my household. Just me, the wax, the scent, and the stillness.
After I started sharing my creations with loved ones and the feedback kept coming back so positive, something clicked. I thought: if this is making the people closest to me feel this way, maybe it can do the same for women I haven't even met yet. That was the tipping point. I decided to share it with the world."
the why behind the brand and who she makes for
"Many millennial women carry the weight of invisible struggles beneath a surface that appears flawlessly composed. They are balancing family, career, and societal expectations that silently demand they be both unshakably strong and endlessly giving. That exhausting duality breeds a quiet loneliness and self-doubt, amplified by the relentless comparison culture of social media.
Conventional self-care has failed these women. It feels shallow and transactional, and it does not reach the places that actually hurt. The Phoenix Candles exists to offer something different: intentional, science-rooted rituals that honor the full complexity of what these women carry.
The name comes from the mythology of the Phoenix. No matter how many times it falls, it rises. That story belongs to every woman who has ever felt like she had nothing left and found a way to begin again. She is the woman who holds everything together. The one whose strength is so visible to everyone else that nobody thinks to ask how she is doing. She is overwhelmed, underloved by herself, and quietly longing for a space that is entirely her own. My products are made for her. And I hope that when she lights one of these candles, she feels, even for a few minutes, that she is enough exactly as she is."
what she makes and why she loves it
"Every candle in The Phoenix Candles line is designed with a specific intention. I work exclusively with 100% soy wax, natural crackling wood wicks, and functional fragrance oils sourced from Makesy. Each candle in the PHOENIX collection is paired with a hand-selected crystal, and the vessel color is chosen for its psychological impact on the specific emotion I am trying to support. Scent, color, and crystal energy work together to create a fully multisensory ritual anchored in both science and intention.
The collection itself spells out the name: Perseverance, Hope, Optimism, Empowerment, Nurture, Intuition, and Xenacious. Each pillar represents an emotional state, and each candle is built to anchor a woman in the feeling she most needs. The line is also Made Better certified by Makesy, a recognition I am proud to carry.
What inspires all of it is the story of the Phoenix itself. That image of rising from the ashes, of transformation after hardship, of choosing to begin again. That story was made for the overextended woman who is doing the invisible work of holding herself together while holding everyone else up."
products and process
"The classics collection is the foundation of everything. Those original candles started this journey and continue to anchor the brand.
Beyond the classics, I occasionally launch limited editions tied to something meaningful. Earlier this year I released the Year of the fire Horse Candle, which featured an exclusive engraving on the vessel. I also carry what I call The Lab collection, which grew out of my commitment to sustainability. Rather than discard fragrances that do not quite fit the main line after testing, I still make the candle and release it under The Lab. Nothing goes to waste.
Every new candle starts with a question: who is this for, and what do they need? From there I build deliberately. I select the fragrance based on its aromachological properties, which is the science of how scent influences mood, behavior, and emotional wellbeing. I choose the aura vessel color based on color psychology to reinforce the intended emotional experience. Then I hand-select a crystal to layer in one final dimension of intention. Because the line is multisensory, the development process is not just about creating something that smells beautiful. It is about building something that works.
All raw materials are sourced from small businesses, and whenever possible from woman-owned suppliers."
a day in the life
"My mornings start with getting the kids ready and out the door. Once the school run is done, I shift into my corporate job, which is a full-time commitment. During lunch I carve out time for the business, whether that is product development, content, emails, or order planning. Evenings after the kids are settled are when I get into the deeper work. Dinner prep, laundry, and grocery shopping all live somewhere in between.
It is a lot of juggling. But I am intentional about protecting the quality of what I make, which is why I produce a limited number of candles per month. This business has to serve my life, not consume it."
big wins and learning moments
"My biggest win is simply staying committed. To myself, to the process, to the vision, even when it felt impossibly slow. That kind of persistence is something I am genuinely proud of.
Beyond my own journey, what moves me most is the impact on other women. When someone reaches out to tell me that lighting one of these candles helped them feel seen, or gave them a moment to breathe, or reminded them of their worth, that is the whole point. Creating a space where women feel genuinely held is not something I take lightly.
As for learning moments, this journey is teaching me patience in ways I never expected. Testing is everything, and I mean that in two directions. In the craft of candle making, you cannot rush the process. In business, the same principle applies. I have learned not to interpret challenging moments as failures but as lessons. Every stumble is information. Every setback is a redirect."
the business side
"The biggest challenge has been visibility and trust. In a world where people's attention is pulled in a thousand directions and social media is saturated with noise, it is genuinely hard to stand out as a small brand without a massive budget. I do not have the resources to compete with the big names on spend, so I have to be strategic and intentional about every place I show up.
I run the business entirely solo alongside a full-time corporate career. Every decision is mine, every hour is precious, and that has actually shaped one of the things I am most proud of about this brand: it's intentionality. Nothing here is accidental.
The business has evolved significantly since the early days. I relaunched in April 2026 after a nearly two-year hiatus, and coming back with more clarity about who I am, who I serve, and what I stand for made all the difference. My first sale came from someone who already knew and believed in me, and I will never forget what it felt like to see someone light a candle I made with my own hands. It is a feeling this work keeps giving me."
the makesy connection
"This one makes me smile every time I think about it. When I decided to start making candles, my husband and I were in the middle of trying to have our second child. We were hoping for a girl, and I had already chosen her name: Charlotte. But the road to her was so much harder than we anticipated. After multiple miscarriages, I was feeling depleted and hollow, and I needed something to pour myself into while we waited and hoped.
So I started researching candle-making supplies. And there she was. Charlotte. Makesy's founder, right there on my screen. I know some people might call it a coincidence, but in that moment it felt like a sign that this is where I was supposed to be. I have been sourcing from Makesy ever since.
And our Charlotte? She arrived in January 2025. I like to think she and this brand were always meant to grow together."
advice for fellow makers
"A few things I wish someone had told me earlier:
Comparison is the thief of joy. There will always be someone further along, with a bigger budget, a larger following, a more polished aesthetic. Stay in your lane and do your work.
Be crystal clear on what you offer and who you offer it to. Trying to speak to everyone means reaching no one. Know your audience. Speak directly to them.
Start simple and optimize in small, incremental steps. You do not have to build everything at once. Identify what is working and lean into it before chasing what is next.
And finally: keep a running list of your wins. It sounds small, but it is one of the most powerful things I do. It is so easy to get consumed by everything that is not working. That list becomes an anchor on the hard days."
what keeps her going
"The list of wins. On the days when everything feels heavy and the doubts get loud, I go back to that list. I see the customer who wrote to say the Nurture candle helped her through a hard week. I see the first time I sold out of a batch. I see the moment I relaunched after two years away and the response that came back. Those things are real, and they remind me that this work matters."
future dreams
"In one year, I want to consistently sell out of every batch through my website. That is the goal: a sustainable direct-to-consumer business built on genuine connection, not just transactions.
In five years, I want the brand to be strong enough to support a small team and a flourishing community of women who feel genuinely seen and held by what we create. I would also love to see The Phoenix Candles grow in the wholesale space, because it would mean these candles are finding their way into the hands of more women who need them."
something you might not expect
"Success to me is not about markets. While I love the energy and connection of a live event, my long-term vision is a thriving ecommerce business that I can run on my own terms and that gives me back the time to be fully present with my children. Every strategic decision I make is in service of that.
If I can build something sustainable that genuinely impacts the lives of women I will never meet, while also being present for the ones I tuck in at night, that is everything."
make it like Shay
Shay's must-have Makesy products:
find her
Website: thephoenixcandles.com
Instagram: @thephoenixcandles
