If you’d told Ashley a few years ago that she’d be running a candle business full-time, she would have laughed. For 15 years, she had worked in medical IT sales, a steady career that had found her post college and she was good at. But sometimes, the best businesses come from unexpected places and uncomfortable situations.
But sometimes, the best businesses come from unexpected places and uncomfortable situations.
Back in 2019, Ashley and her family had moved to Florida after Chad, her husband, had accepted a really great job offer. And with her daughters off at college and her job being remote, she found herself restless. “I was so bored,” she admits. “I didn’t know anybody, and I needed something to do.”
Then, on a whim, she ordered a candle-making kit and got to work at her kitchen table.
“I’d always loved candles, but I had never made one in my life,” she says. That same day, she saw a post about a farmers market opening at Baytowne Wharf. “I thought, ‘Why not?’ and applied. I had no idea what I was doing, but I figured it’d be a fun way to make a little extra money.”
Her first setup was simple. “I sold 12 candles that day and thought I had won the lottery,” she laughs. “Looking back, my booth was terrible. I caught my tablecloth on fire! I've kept it as a memory of where I began.”
But that little farmers market turned into another, and then another. Before she knew it, she was hauling her candles across Florida, setting up at some of the best markets in the region—including the massive Palafox Market in Pensacola, where 300 vendors sell every Saturday.
After doing markets nonstop–Wednesday nights, Thursday mornings, Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays, she knew something had to give.
After three years of working two jobs in customer service and IT, Ashley had to decide—scale back or go all in.
Terrified, she took the leap, quit her jobs and went all in.
Chad quickly got in on the fun too.
“At first, he told me, ‘I’m not spending my weekends selling candles.’ Then one day, he went with me. And then another. Now, he goes to everything.”
Now, Chad handles a big part of the business—making lids, cutting signage, and even selling candles on his own.
“He worked in aviation, and when he was still at work, he’d sell candles out of his trunk,” she says. “The guys would joke, ‘Well Chad's here, I can smell candles!'"
Chad was experiencing changes at work and so he put his notice in and has worked full time with Ashley since last June!
With two kids in college and their youngest wanting to finish high school with friends in Kentucky, the couple started rethinking where they wanted to be.
“Cade hated Florida. He missed his friends in Kentucky and desired to graduate with them. And honestly, the cost of living there had gotten crazy. We needed warehouse space, and the cheapest we could find was $5,000 a month. Retail space was even worse. We knew we could keep growing the business, but we needed more breathing room.”
So, they moved back to Kentucky in September.
“I had been looking for retail space for months before we moved,” Ashley says. “I landed in a spot off the square, and while it’s not the busiest location, I love it. The salon and boutique next door bring in traffic, and it’s been great having a space outside of the house.”
Before she even opened a storefront, Ashley already had customers in Scottsville.
“I’d built up a little following while I was in Florida because I’d sell online and set up at First Fridays when I visited,” she says. “The first two First Fridays I did here, I nearly sold out. That’s when I knew this could work.”
Still, she wasn’t sure how people here would react to her pricing.
“I had to adjust a little, but I didn’t want to sell myself short. People here don’t always know the difference between a clean candle and a mass-produced one, so I’ve had to do a lot more educating.”
"I had to adjust a little, but I didn’t want to sell myself short."
Her candles are 100% soy or coconut wax, with non-toxic, clean-burning fragrances.
“People tell me all the time, ‘I can’t burn candles because they give me headaches.’ And I tell them, ‘That’s because of what’s in them. Take one of mine home, and if it gives you a headache, bring it back.’ They never do.”
Ashley isn’t just selling candles—she’s creating an experience born out of her journey and desiring to share it with others.
“I want this to feel like more than just a shop,” she says. “I’m adding a walk-in candle pouring station where people can come in, sit down, and make their own candles. I think it’ll be great for bachelorette parties and groups—there’s not a lot of things like that to do here.”
Wholesale is also a big focus.
“I do private label candles for a lot of stores. It’s crazy—people want candles for everything. A popcorn shop has me making popcorn-scented candles. A seafood market wanted food-inspired ones. Golf courses, restaurants—they all want candles.”
And she has big plans for the brand itself.
“I want to take our packaging to another level. I love rustic materials, wood, black, but I also want to bring in history. I’ve been collecting old photos from Scottsville and the Gulf Coast, and I want to use them in my packaging somehow. I want it to feel like an experience when you open one of our candles.”
Ashley knows people don’t always take candle-making seriously.
“I hear it all the time—‘Oh, I follow your little candle business on Facebook! That looks fun.’” But Ashley doesn’t let it bother her.
“This isn’t just a side gig. It’s a career. And I take it seriously, even if other people don’t.”
“This isn’t just a side gig. It’s a career. And I take it seriously, even if other people don’t.”
Scottsville wasn’t where she thought she’d end up, but she’s making it work on her terms and it turns out that Scottsville is the perfect place to grow their candle business.
“If all I had was this retail space, I wouldn’t survive. There’s just not enough foot traffic. But because I started in Florida, built a customer base, and brought it back here, I can make it work.
She didn’t just make it work—she lit the match, fanned the flame, and turned a spark into a full-blown business.
You can visit Black House Collective's beautiful storefront located inside Ivory Mill Boutique in the Historic Graves Infirmary Building right down Main Street from the square.
A civic pride initiative by local purveyors
of Scottsville and Allen County.
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