Life & Work with Amy Harris

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Harris.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In August 2018, my family relocated from Illinois to Arizona. Soon after we moved here, I bought a couple of candles from a local market. I got home, lit one on fire, and watched it burn for a minute. After several days, when I had finished the candle, I had an epiphany. I literally had just spent money on something that I lit on fire and burned until it was gone, and now needed more.

It was then I decided to be a candlemaker.

When the pandemic hit and everyone was forced to stay at home, I really dove into the craft. I studied the process and tested products (including wicks, vessels, waxes, and fragrances). I watched a ton of videos and read many blogs to perfect our products and pours. It didn’t come without its challenges – science and math were my weakest subjects in school and making candles relies heavily on those two things. After several months of testing, we officially launched in April 2020.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a relatively smooth ride. In the beginning, it was a bit overwhelming learning all the different variables in candlemaking. Since we launched, we have participated in several markets throughout the valley, and have adjusted our events over the years. The time it takes for set-up, working, etc. vs. the profits, we make at each one has to be carefully considered before we sign-up to attend events.

I also work full-time for a Fortune 50 company and have two small kids at home. Finding a balance between work and the kids’ schedules has been trying at times.

Our typical Saturday includes 2 soccer games, a baseball game, a softball game, and a show. Finding balance has been tricky, but we are fortunate to have a great support system that loves our kids as much as we do and can help out when needed, like giving the kids rides to games, or helping us run our booth so we can both attend games.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We hand-pour 100% soy wax candles, melts, room sprays, and diffusers from our home office in Gilbert, AZ. Our candles are wicked with cotton, meaning there’s no lead or zinc. All of our fragrances are phthalate-free and adhere to RIFM and IFRA standards for safety and purity. We have always been committed to having the safest, highest quality, most thoroughly tested fragrances in our products.

Additionally, we give a portion of all sales to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Founded by the family of Stephen Siller, a firefighter killed on 9/11, the Foundation supports our first responders and their families. Since 9/11, they have been helping America’s heroes by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building custom-designed smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.

Since launching in April 2020, we have raised over $41,466 for the Foundation.

Who else deserves credit for your story?
I certainly couldn’t run this business on my own. My husband, Mike, loves people and enjoys working at many of our events. That frees me up to do the normal weekend activities, like shuttling the kids around, cleaning the house, or prepping/cooking food for the week.

Both kids, dubbed as our official “scent specialists” enjoy helping pick out new scents in our new releases. Between soccer, baseball, softball, golf, and dance…you may see them around the valley at our markets – and if you’re lucky, even score one of their custom artwork bags with your purchase. They do get rewarded and paid for their help – they know that when we go on family vacations it’s a result of all of our/their hard work during the year. Furthermore, I love that they are learning the importance of giving back to an organization like Tunnel to Towers.

And our friends and family – the ones that step in and help out with the kids are instrumental in helping us succeed. My parents have flown in from Illinois on busy weekends, friends drive the kids to sports, and others will work our booth when we both need to be somewhere with the kids.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mccandleco.com
• Instagram: @mc_candle_co
• Facebook: @mccandlecompany