Meet The Maker - Lit A.F Candle Co
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阅读时间 11 min
Starting a candle business is one of those ideas that sounds simple until you actually sit down and think it through. The creative part? Absolutely joyful. The business part? That's where things get interesting.
We recently sat down with Juanita De Weerdt, the founder of Lit A.F Candle Co, to hear how she went from pouring her first candle as a creative outlet to running a successful South African brand. Her story is full of the messy, honest moments that rarely make it into business guides, and that's exactly why we wanted to share it. Whether you're still experimenting with fragrance oils at your kitchen table or ready to draft a proper business plan, Juanita's experience offers valuable insights for anyone figuring out how to start a candle-making business. At NI Candle Supplies, we love supporting a maker at every stage, from the first test batch to the hundredth order!
Table Of Contents
Let's Meet The Maker - Juanita from Lit A.F Candle Co The Origin Story: Every Maker Starts Somewhere The Pivot: Rising To Overcome Challenges The Breakthrough: When It All Comes Together The Advice: Giving Back To The Community The Partner Perspective: Aligning Visions Key Takeaways For Starting Your Candle Business Journey Conclusion: Lighting The Way For Aspiring Makers FAQs
Let's Meet The Maker - Juanita from Lit A.F Candle Co
To give you a real picture of what building a candle business actually looks like, we spoke with Juanita De Weerdt, founder of Lit A.F Candle Co. Based in South Africa, Juanita has built a loyal following by combining quality candle supplies with genuine, sometimes chaotic, storytelling.
Her experiences speak directly to anyone researching how to start a candle-making business. The core challenges of product development, finding your brand identity, and figuring out where you fit in the market are universal, regardless of location.
Throughout this conversation, Juanita shares the technical problems she worked through, from finding the right fragrance oil to perfecting her wick testing process. She also talks openly about the strategic shifts and marketing experiments that shaped her brand. If you're currently testing different candle waxes, trying out new wicks, or preparing to launch your first collection of wax melts, her insights offer practical lessons for building a business that lasts.
The Origin Story: Every Maker Starts Somewhere
What was the very first candle you ever made, and what made you decide to turn that hobby into a professional business?
"From as far back as I can remember, I've always loved creating, whether that was cooking or art," Juanita explains. "Those were my happy places growing up, especially in a world that felt overwhelming. I found myself calm and happy in grandma's kitchen, or crafting something for grandad."
That creative drive initially led her into professional kitchens. "I loved being a chef… until I realised that working in the 5-star hospitality industry leaves zero time for things like rest, relationships, or remembering what daylight looks like." After meeting her husband and discovering she actually enjoyed spending time with another person, Juanita retired her chef career and moved into the corporate world.
On paper, she was thriving. In reality? Not so much. "I hated the cardio of climbing the corporate ladder. It came with severe anxiety and just didn't feel aligned with who I was."
She considered pursuing art, but the "starving artist" concept didn't exactly promise financial stability. So, she turned to something else she loved: candles. At the time, Juanita was already exploring crystals, aromatherapy, and energy work to manage her anxiety. That's where everything came together. Her very first creation was the "I Can't Handle" candle.
Lit A.F Candle Co
The brand name emerged from wanting to create freely while keeping a bit of distance from anyone who might judge her for leaving a "successful" corporate path. "Anna Fae became my artist alter ego," she explains. "Since candles are lit… Lit, Anna Fae. The fact that it also reads as Lit A.F? Completely on brand. Slightly chaotic. Bonus. Perfect."
Selling at markets, though? Terrifying. "As a shy introvert with a very loud personality in my own head, I would have just stood there avoiding eye contact. So, I sent my charming cousin to go sell for me."
The response was overwhelming. People loved the candles, the scents, the eco-friendly packaging. "That's how Lit A.F Candle Co was born, equal parts passion, coping mechanism, and accidental business. I realised I could really turn this into my career."
The Pivot: Rising To Overcome Challenges
What was the biggest learning moment or setback you faced in the early days of Lit A F, and how did you navigate it?
"One of my biggest challenges was the pressure of social media, and the very real overstimulation that comes with it," Juanita shares.
For anyone learning how to start a candle-making business, the digital side can feel relentless. "It's so easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need to constantly create something new, while also maintaining everything you've already made. You try to be everything to everyone, never mind the pitfall of comparing yourself to others."
Juanita found herself caught in exactly that cycle, creating more and more collections to appeal to a wider audience while slowly burning herself out. "Somewhere along the way, my brand started losing its identity. My original ideas were still there, but they were getting buried under everything I thought I should be making. It was disorienting for both me and my customers."
Then came the realisation: "I really, really, really… do not enjoy making the same thing over and over again."
That was the turning point.
"I had to step back and remind myself why I started: creativity, not mass production. Peace, not pressure."
Lit A.F Candle Co
The pivot meant choosing to stop chasing what social media portrays success to look like and instead building a business she actually enjoyed showing up for. "For me, success isn't producing hundreds of identical candles. It's loving what I create. We all define success differently. For some, mass production is the goal, and there's nothing wrong with that. For others, it's bringing a single extravagant collectable art piece to life."
Remembering her own definition of success got her through the times when she felt lost. That shift led to creative collaborations with international businesses, authors, and other creators. "I let go of wholesale orders that burned me out, even though it felt scary. I shifted back to creating unique, collectable, and custom candles that tell stories and keep me inspired."
The Breakthrough: When It All Comes Together
Was there a specific moment—a certain market, a wholesale order, or a social media post—where you realised, "Okay, this is really taking off"?
"My biggest breakthrough came from something I avoided for years, using my voice on social media," Juanita admits.
"I hated the social media part of the business. It was the part I enjoyed the least. I was showing up because I had to, not because I wanted to." She tried all the standard advice: post consistently, follow trends, use the right sounds and hooks. Nothing really stuck.
"Then came the one piece of advice that kept haunting me: 'You should be doing voiceovers.' Absolutely not. I avoided it like it was going to personally ruin my life. I didn't want to be front and centre, and I definitely didn't want to hear my own voice for two minutes straight."
Eventually, out of pure frustration, she gave in. She posted a wax melt video with her first voiceover. No plan, no script, just winging it. "Instead of being insightful or educational, it was literally just me complaining. For two full minutes, with awkward silences. About how I didn't want to be doing a voiceover, how stupid it was, and how I had no idea what to say."
That video went viral. Millions of views. But more importantly, people connected with it. Not because it was polished, but because it wasn't. "The awkwardness, the honesty, the 'I have no idea what I'm doing, but here we are' energy, people loved that. They even asked me to turn my voiceover into a sound others could use."
That moment changed everything.
"It made me realise I didn't need to become some confident, perfectly curated version of myself to grow my brand. My slightly awkward, introverted, mildly chaotic self was actually the thing that made people stay. You don't have to be everyone's cup of tea. You just have to find your people, even if you're nervously talking to yourself while making wax melts."
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The Advice: Giving Back To The Community
If you were sitting down for coffee with someone who wants to turn their candle-making hobby into a business, what is the #1 piece of advice you'd give them about the business side of things?
"If I could give one piece of advice to someone figuring out how to start a candle-making business, it would be this: don't build your business based on comparison. Build it based on what you can actually sustain and continue to enjoy."
Social media can make you feel like you need to be an influencer, a trend-setter, and a content machine all at once. "You really don't. You just need to be yourself, even if that self is a slightly awkward introvert who avoids eye contact at markets. Don't be afraid to ask for help where you need it."
Juanita suggests a simple question for new makers: "Can I still see myself making these candles in five years? If the answer is no, you're probably creating from a place of comparison rather than passion."
When you create from a place of genuine interest, staying consistent becomes much easier, even when things get difficult. "And they will get difficult, just to keep things interesting, and because despite what small business owners like to believe, not everything is within our control."
On the practical side, patience matters enormously. "For the first few years, I basically worked three jobs because everything I made went straight back into the business, supplies, fragrance oils, experimenting with new ideas. Over time, that starts to pay off. Gradually, I could start buying materials in bulk, which reduced my costs and improved my margins without constantly raising prices."
Lit A.F Candle Co Company
A useful tip: "Get to know your suppliers' sales cycles. Sign up for newsletters, plan your orders around promotions. 5% here and 10% there adds up quickly and directly impacts your bottom line."
"Lastly, remember there is space for you. You don't need to appeal to everyone. You don't need to compete with anyone. You just need to find your people, and they will find you."
The Partner Perspective: Aligning Visions
As a pro, what do you look for in your supplies and partnerships to ensure your brand stays consistent?
"For me, it comes down to four things: consistency, innovation, trust, and quality," Juanita explains.
"There are a lot of suppliers out there who jump on trends and release products quickly without properly testing them. As a maker, that gives me the ick."
She looks for partners who have done the work. "Suppliers who test their products, are transparent about performance, and show up consistently with quality. I love testing and developing products with those suppliers because I know they're working to create supplies that add value to small business brands."
Innovation is equally important. "I want to work with suppliers who are always evolving, bringing in new ideas, new fragrances, inspiring new trends. It keeps things exciting and feeds into my creative process. I love when a new scent sparks an entirely new candle design, because a smell tells me a story, and bringing that story to life is what I love most."
Quality often gets overlooked in the rush for budget deals. "In the Temu era, it's easy to get swept up in cheap supplies. But your suppliers are the backbone of your final product. Investing in the right ones might feel expensive upfront, but it makes all the difference when building a business that will survive economic shifts, social media trends, and the general rollercoaster of running a small business."
Lit A.F Candle Co Company
"When your quality is consistent, your customers come back, and that's the goal. Building a brand known for high-quality products that customers can trust. So, find partners you can rely on for the same quality, consistency, and trust. Quality supplies lead to quality end products."
And who does Juanita swear by for supplying her fragrance oils? Why NI Candle Supplies, of course! “I have literally used every single one of your fragrance oils except the latest new arrivals, because they really are all amazing”. We’re so thankful to have played even a small part in the success of Juanita and Lit A.F Candle Co!
Key Takeaways For Starting Your Candle Business Journey
- Build your business around what you can sustain and genuinely enjoy, rather than what you think social media success should look like.
- Quality suppliers are essential for consistent products that keep customers returning, making the investment in premium materials worthwhile for long-term success.
- Starting small allows you to reinvest profits back into materials and supplies gradually, building sustainable growth without overwhelming financial pressure.
- Authentic storytelling and finding your unique voice matter more than following every trend or trying to appeal to everyone.
Conclusion: Lighting The Way For Aspiring Makers
Building a candle business takes creative passion, technical knowledge, and a fair amount of strategic thinking. As Juanita's journey with Lit A.F Candle Co shows, real success comes from authentic storytelling, understanding your market, and never compromising on the quality of your materials.
If you're ready to take the next step and figure out how to start a candle-making business, having a supplier you can trust makes all the difference. At NI Candle Supplies, we provide premium wax, precision-engineered wicks, and captivating fragrances to help you create products that burn beautifully, smell incredible, and keep your customers coming back.
FAQs
What things are most overwhelming about starting a business?
The most common feelings when you're starting out include:
- Overwhelm from the sheer number of decisions, from choosing between candle waxes to selecting the right silicone moulds for your designs
- Anxiety about standing out when it feels like everyone is already selling candles
- Confusion around the technical details, like calculating accurate burn times or working out fragrance loads (typically 8-10%)
- Fear of investing time and money into insurance, materials, and marketing, only for things not to work out.
How much does it cost to start a candle-making business?
You can start a small-scale candle making business in the UK for around £300 to £500. This covers basic equipment, initial wax and fragrance supplies, CLP labels, and basic insurance. Scaling up for larger production runs, gift sets, and professional branding typically requires an additional £1,000 to £3,000.
NI Candle Supplies specialises in high-quality candle-making materials, offering a diverse range of waxes, wicks, and fragrances. Committed to inspiring creativity, we provide resources for beginners and seasoned artisans. Our mission is to empower candle makers with quality products and expert guidance, fostering a vibrant community of enthusiasts who share a passion for craftsmanship and creativity.
