Smells Like Success

How a passion for candles turned into a flourishing small business

- MARISSA MOLDOCH

“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.