BWE’s Story

I’m not going to lie, this page has been the most difficult for me to finish. I’ve had help from a friend and even “Googled” what customers like to see on an Our Story or About Us page and was still having trouble coming up with something good to write. After much deliberation, this is what I have come up with:

Big Wick Energy Candles is a mother/woman-owned small business that started (and is currently) running out of my home kitchen. I always knew I wanted to eventually start my own business but had difficulty figuring out what I was meant to do. I thought about starting a small business for many different craft-y type things (and even power washing because who doesn’t love those satisfying vids) but none of it felt right.

I have always loved candles but never really thought about making them until I was searching Amazon for candles to buy as back up in case of a power-outage. While scrolling through pages and pages of candles, I thought to myself, “I could definitely make these.” So I bought myself a small candle making kit, watched a ridiculous amount of YouTube videos, and joined candle making groups on Facebook. And just like that, Big Wick Energy Candles LLC was born.

When you buy from Big Wick Energy Candles, you are supporting a woman, mother, daughter, sister, spouse who is just like you or your mother, daughter, sister, or spouse. You are supporting the dreams of a small business owner, not lining the pockets of a millionaire big-box store CEO. Big Wick Energy Candles are hand made, hand poured candles and each candle is given my undivided attention. I have spent many, many hours perfecting my techniques and testing different wicks, fragrances, and jars to create a candle I am proud of. With a variety of scents and jars to choose from, you are able to buy candles that perfectly fit you and your aesthetic.

Right now, BWE Candles is just a new baby company but I do have many goals that range from small, seemingly insignificant to pretty big. One small goal I have is to be able to buy a large wax melter which will allow me to be able to produce more candles and cut down on the time it takes to melt the wax using my current double boil method. A big goal that I have for me and my company is to be able to partner up with local schools and/or sports teams and offer a fundraising-type event where a portion of sales would go to funding the school or league. Another dream that I have is to open a store front to not only sell my candles but to offer classes where people could come in for girls night out or date night and learn how to make their own candles. Finally, I also would like to be able to sell enough candles to be able to use a portion of my sales to donate to different causes each month. For example, July donations could go to non-profits for cleft lip/palate, September donations for childhood cancer, October donations for breast cancer, and so on.

year one update:

What a year! I have been busting my butt and enjoying it so much. Most of my sales are in person at craft shows / vendor events and I have come to enjoy the face to face interactions (I’m not much of a “people person” but Lexapro helps haha). I have had several return customers this past Spring and Fall! Someone had come up to me at an event and said “I was hoping you would be here.” I also had another woman tell me she was shopping an event with a friend and had come across another candle seller and she whispered to her friend, “ Just wait, we have to find Big Wick Energy.” I love seeing the familiar faces and it makes me so incredibly happy to hear that customers LOVE my products that much. It makes the long days and occasional stress worth it!

In the past year, I have expanded my line to add car freshies, room sprays, and handmade concrete candle vessels. The car freshies have been a big hit at craft shows and markets and sometimes are my biggest seller of the day! The concrete vessels are my least favorite because they are very time consuming and don’t always turn out the way that I want them to. Concrete is not forgiving that’s for sure.

Where am I on meeting my goals? Well, one of my goals has been met, thanks to my Dad. He bought me a large wax melter for Christmas last year which helps cut my candle making time in half! Another goal I had/have is to be able to offer my products for a school/sports fundraiser. I am happy to announce that I am in the process of completing that goal as I have offered to run a Christmas Candle Fundraiser for my daughter’s softball team to go to Nationals in July 2024. I am donating my time and will only be collecting the cost of the candles, the rest of the proceeds will directly benefit the girls on their journey to Nationals. If you are interested in buying a fundraiser candle, keep an eye on our social media pages. The event will run for about 2 weeks at the end of November 2023. (This is a pre-order so candles will be distributed around December 13-15th 2023.)

I have some other big news that I will be sharing in the next month or two so stay tuned!

I think that’s about it for an update. Thank you all for your continued support over the past year+. I truly appreciate everyone stopping by my tent just to chat or smell my candles, buying my products, even just asking for a business card, recommending me to family and friends, following me on social media, and even giving my posts a like! For me, it’s the big and the little things! <3

Meet the Owner

My name is Janine, the thirty-something year old owner of Big Wick Energy Candles. I run my business out of my kitchen in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania. I currently work full time (three 12 hour shifts) at an urgent care center and spend the rest of my free time working on my business and making candles. I have an 12-year-old daughter who plays tournament softball. She makes her own clay bead bracelets that she has started to sell alongside me at craft shows. I also love to read although I haven’t had much time between softball and candles. My favorite books are suspense/thrillers and I am always looking for book recommendations if you have any!