28-year-old Kori Rimany’s business started with a tomato-scented candle. One of her close friends gifted her a tomato-vine candle, and when Kori attempted to purchase another, she discovered that the business had closed. When she fell short in finding an adequate replacement, she decided to try her hand at making one herself. 

Her first candle, the Skiff Mountain Summer, is a blend of tomato vine and basil leaf and is named after the home where she was raised. “The scent reminds me of my mom’s garden in August,” Kori explained. In February of 2021, whilst Kori was teaching online, she decided to try selling her candles rather than just making them as a hobby, and the english teacher candle co., her small-batch soy candle business, was officially born. 

The start of it all 

Kori is a full-time English teacher, and it was important for her that her business reflected her values and passions. “I considered naming it the little dog candle co. after my little black dog, Bay, but ultimately I chose the english teacher candle co. because I liked the possibility it would allow me for fun literary touches, like the matchbooks I sell,” Kori said. 

“I needed to do a lot of testing to ensure they were something I was proud to sell. My expertise comes from years of trial and error. There is actually quite a bit of chemistry in candle-making, and I’m lucky that one of my closest friends is a chemistry teacher,” she shared. “Each time I make a new scent, I spend a few months testing various things like wick size, the fragrance load, and the pour temperature to ensure I have a safe vessel that produces a solid hot throw with a reasonable burn time.” 

How did the first year of business go? Kori said that what started as, “I hope someone will want to buy a candle,” quickly turned into, “Oh shoot, I don’t think I can make enough candles!” She feels incredibly lucky to have found a strong customer base and noted that many of her customers from her first launch three years ago still purchase candles from her today. 

When she started, Kori was hopeful that people would enjoy her candles, but she didn’t expect to sell very many of them. Fortunately, that was not the case; she has sold over 8,000 candles since opening. “It still baffles me a bit,” she shared. “I was overwhelmed in the best way possible by the support of both the local community and my online customers.” 

When she began, Kori was melting the soy wax using a double boiler on the stovetop in her kitchen. One launch would consist of about 20 candles, and once she sold out, she wouldn’t restock until the next launch, usually several months later. 

As she began making and selling more candles, she began to outgrow her kitchen setup and quickly realized she was going to need more space. Now, she has a dedicated workspace in her home that allows her to pour significantly more candles. While she still pours candles in batches of eight to ten, she is now able to pour ten to fifteen batches at a time, as she now utilizes a large wax melter that can melt up to nineteen pounds of wax and keep it at the right temperature. 

During her first year in business, Kori almost exclusively sold her candles on her website, but once the world began opening up again after the pandemic, she was able to shift primarily to wholesale, custom, and in-person markets. “I really appreciate the fact that I now have more of an opportunity to meet and know my customers.”

Maggie Colangelo, owner of The Po Cafe in Washington, CT, was the first person who asked Kori if she wanted to sell her candles in the cafe. “She believed in me before I believed in myself,” Kori shared. Similarly, Electa Varnish, owner of Depot Dog in Washington, CT, was the first shop to commission a full line of custom branded candles, and they’ve worked together ever since. 

“I could list quite a few other people, many of whom are women, who welcomed me into the small business community with open arms and extended opportunities that have helped my business (and me) grow,” Kori said. 

Biggest business lessons

In no particular order, here are some of the most important things that Kori has learned while starting her business: “I’ve learned that 60 cubic feet of packing peanuts is far too many packing peanuts for a small business that operates out of one’s home. I’ve learned you should always close your box cutter. I’ve learned that shipping a candle across the country in July is challenging. Most of all, I’ve learned that I need to take care of myself and my family above all else, even if this means stepping away from my business at times.” 

Indeed, that has been the biggest challenge for her. Kori started graduate school one month after starting her business, and she quickly discovered that it was going to be rather difficult to ensure that she was balancing everything and providing each aspect of her life the attention it required and deserved. 

“When I first started, there were some days where I found myself teaching until 3pm, coaching until 5:30pm, in a grad school class or prepping until 9pm, and then pouring candles until midnight,” Kori explained. “These were the days where I realized perhaps I needed to take a step back and find more balance.” 

Since then, Kori has created a dedicated workspace, which has helped her find more balance. When she was working on everything out of her kitchen, it meant that nearly every flat surface – counters, tables, desks, etc. – were covered in candles at various stages of the curing process.

“I could never escape,” Kori joked. “Now, when I’m feeling inspired, I step into my workshop and get to work. When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I can simply shut the door. As a teacher, I am lucky to have a full-time job that I love, and it’s especially nice that I do not have to rely on my business as my sole form of income. I am very privileged in that way.” 

On the flip side, Kori’s favorite part about starting her business has been working on custom orders, especially for something special like a wedding or baby shower favors. One of her favorite custom orders was for a bride and groom a few years ago, for whom she made four-ounce tins with custom labels that said, “Thank you for being a part of our story,” alongside matchbooks that displayed the covers of their favorite books. 

Is there something that Kori wishes she knew before starting her business? “I wish that I knew more about how to use a spreadsheet effectively,” she said humorously. •

To learn more about the english teacher candle co, visit englishteachercandleco.com and follow them on Instagram @englishteacher_candleco.