Lisa Salvatore sat down with Stereotype Co to share the story and inspiration of her business 'Hart Candles'.

Where are you from?

Staten Island

When did you know working for yourself was the way to go?

It was never planned this way. This was a business that was started during the pandemic and it took off.

Can you talk us through your career to date and how you found your way to where you are now?

During the pandemic, I had a lot of extra time on my hands. I was with my son Matthew one day and we decided to make a few candles to pass the time, as I have always had a passion for candles. We made about 20 candles and gave some away. Next thing you know, people were asking for more!

Our second time around we made 100 candles with four scents. We went around to florists, coffee shops, and vendor sales selling to whoever we could.

With the second batch being a success, we decided to ramp up production.

Today, we have 150 scents, varying throughout the year. Along with our retail success (more fun items coming soon), we also have great client relations in the wholesale business.

Half of our business is candle manufacturing. We’ve created custom candles for Flagship Brewery (blood orange ipa scent), Beans and Leaves (Coffee scent), Alfonsos Bakery (Cannoli Scent), along with countless others. Weddings, baptisms, birthdays, etc, you name the event and we can create a candle for it.

What inspired you to start your business?

I’ve always had a passion for candles. This was never planned out to be honest, it kind of just snowballed into a business but I’m glad it did! It’s great spending time with my family and being able to do this.

What are some of the biggest challenges you see in your market?

Obviously, the biggest challenge is the candle market is very saturated. We are competing with billion-dollar companies. What makes us stand out is our ability to customize on the fly.

We have a “District Collection”, that represents different parts of NYC, Brooklyn, Staten Island, etc.

Who was one of your biggest supporters early on?

The biggest supporters early on we’re definitely other local businesses. It was great to see the community rally around a new business and help us get on our feet as we expanded. Seeing our candles in storefronts like Beans and Leaves, Alfonsos, and Country Mousse really gave me confidence our candles would be a success.

What advice do you have for professionals looking to get started in your industry?

You need to stand out. What’s going to separate you from everybody else? There’s a large variety of candles out there. Why should they buy yours?

Can you recommend one good business book, business podcast/radio show?

Read everything. Google, podcasts, Internet forums, anything you can get your hands on. If there’s a problem in your business, somebody else has experienced it and has most likely shared that experience.

What is some advice you would give to someone with a dream?: Just keep going. There’s going to be a lot of highs and a lot of lows. Just push through.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/hart_candles_?igshid=MjEwN2IyYWYwYw==

Business Website: http://HartCandles.com

Photography credit: Lisa Salvatore

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