LAKEWOOD, Wash. — At the world headquarters of BLK Sunflower in Lakewood, you’ll find hand-crafted luxe candles made by a staff of one.
Founder Jazmin Richards has become so adept at making large batches by herself, she’s practically ambidextrous.
"Sometimes I play and see if I can switch directions. Pat my head and rub my tummy,” she said. "I have poured every single candle."
If you’re counting, that’s more than 15,000 candles in about two years.
It's a far cry from how she imagined things would go. Initially, candle-making was just a hobby to relieve stress.
"I was like, ‘It would be cute if I could pay part of my rent, maybe my car note, maybe a phone bill, that would be nice,'" Richards said. "Then God said, ‘Hold my tequila. I have something else planned for you."
Within months of launching the business online, BLK Sunflower was featured by Cosmopolitan, People, Harper’s Bazaar, Sheen, and Elle.
"I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm doing it, I'm doing it!'" Richards said.
The “strawberries and cream” scented candle is her top seller. All the candles are vegan, cruelty-free, and burn for more than 75 hours. Each one is also infused with something extra.
"Energy is very important to me and I will not pour candles if I'm in a bad mood,” Richards said. "I want people to light my candles and be like, 'Why am I so happy? This is amazing.'"
She also hopes to spread a little inspiration to anyone else chasing a dream.
“No matter what you're thinking about doing, don't say 'Oh so many people are already doing that.' There's a lot of people making candles, too. But people aren't making your candles,” she said. "If I just sat back and waited for things to be perfect, I wouldn't be here right now."
A 9 ounce BLK Sunflower candle costs $36 and an 11-ounce candle is $42.
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