Smells Like Success
Cottages and Bungalows|June - July 2022
How a passion for candles turned into a flourishing small business
MARISSA MOLDOCH
Smells Like Success

“I never planned for this to happen." says Kelli Gaertner when asked about how she established her business, Kanda Candles.

When she was a single mother, she worked two jobs to make ends meet.

"One day, I expressed to my mom that I couldn't even afford to purchase a vanilla soy candle," Kelli recalls. "She asked, 'Why don't you make one?"

While Kelli thought it was a joke, her mother was serious. She purchased her daughter a candle-making kit; and, after a few attempts, Kelli perfected a vanilla candle. Word that Kelli could create incredible candles quickly spread, and soon, people started inquiring about where they could purchase her products.

COVID'S EFFECT

"After a lot of thought and some online marketing classes, I decided to take the leap to Instagram in 2016," she shares.

This story is from the June - July 2022 edition of Cottages and Bungalows.

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This story is from the June - July 2022 edition of Cottages and Bungalows.

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