THE STORY OF SMOK'D OUT CANDLE COMPANY

Founded in Seaside, Oregon - Janurary 2019

"I began making candles by ordering a few things from Amazon. For a few months prior I had really been into watching DIY videos on Youtube all in preparation for making custom Christmas gifts for our family. I have always loved candles and I loved the idea of making my very own. Before I started I knew that I had a deep love and appreciation for the process of making candles and mixing scents. It may have just been a gut feeling then yet I can clearly see now that opening my own candle company was meant to be.

When I made my first few hundred candles I was living in the heart of Seaside. I lived with my family: my husband, kids, brother-in-law, and our two pets. We were all crammed in a tiny two-bedroom apartment. I knew that there was just not enough room there to successfully manage a business nor to make and store candles yet I loved what I was doing and I couldn't bear to stop.

"Owning a business is not a sprint, it's a marathon"

- Anne-Marie  Faiola

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At the time that I began making candles, I worked full time for a hospitality and lodging company on the oceanfront. I was enrolled in an online college attending courses full-time and with three daughters at home - each growing faster than the speed of light - I was desperately searching for a happy medium between work, school, and family. Candles were just that!

This business getting off the ground was truly not for me. I got it up and running for my girls. Making candles became a way to spend more time with my daughters and help me to escape the daily dread of having a full-time job away from them.

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After a few months of business really rolling, my husband and I had worked to save up enough money to move our family (and business) out of the tiny seaside apartment and onto a few acres of land on the outskirts of Astoria. Our new home was not only bigger but it came equipped with a functional shop that we were able to convert into our candle warehouse. Today, we are still growing and yet this journey has really just begun. "

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-Emily Knutson