Today we’d like to introduce you to Becky & Adaleigh Pfennigwerth.
Hi Becky & Adaleigh, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Garden Wick started in the simplest way. Adaleigh and I were just looking for something fun and creative to do together as a mother and daughter. We started making candles at home, never imagining it would become anything more than a hobby.
One day, Adaleigh looked at me and said, “Mom, we should turn this into a business.” So we took the 55 candles we had made, posted them on Facebook, and in less than 24 hours, every single one sold. That was the moment we realized we might be onto something.
From there, we continued selling through Facebook while learning everything we could about candle making, running a business, and serving our customers well. As our little community grew, we launched our website, introduced seasonal fragrance collections, and began participating in local pop-up markets.
Today, four years later, Garden Wick has grown far beyond what we ever imagined. We’re still a mother-and-daughter team, hand-pouring every candle, wax melt, and room spray ourselves. What began as a way to spend time together has become a business built on connection, creativity, and helping people create cozy spaces and meaningful memories in their homes. Looking back, it’s amazing to see how one little idea from a then 8 year old girl changed the course of our lives.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I think that’s true for most small businesses. Every stage of growth has required us to learn something completely new.
When we started we knew how to make candles, but we didn’t know how to run a business. We had to learn about websites, bookkeeping, taxes, photography, social media, marketing, shipping product, and customer service. We’ve spent countless hours watching tutorials, asking questions, making mistakes, and figuring things out as we go.
One of the biggest lessons has been learning to listen to our customers. In the beginning, we created fragrances that we loved. As we grew, we realized that building a successful business also means paying attention to what your customers love. Adaleigh and I also discovered that our own fragrance preferences are completely different, and that’s actually become one of our greatest strengths. I naturally gravitate toward grounding, earthy scents, while Adaleigh loves bright florals and fruity fragrances. Because our tastes are so different, we’re able to create and blend fragrances that appeal to a much wider range of customers. We’ve adjusted collections, retired fragrances that weren’t selling, and introduced new ones based on customer feedback. That willingness to adapt and having two very different noses guiding our fragrance choices has helped us continue to grow.
We’ve also had experiences that were discouraging. Early on, we invested time teaching candle making classes, only to discover that not everyone has good intentions. Having some of our ideas and branding copied was difficult and honestly heartbreaking. But instead of letting that define us, it reminded us that what truly makes Garden Wick special isn’t something that can be copied. It’s the heart behind our business, the relationships we’ve built with our customers, and the care we pour into every product.
Looking back, every challenge has taught us something. While I wouldn’t choose some of those experiences again, they made us stronger, wiser, and more intentional about the business we’re building together.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Garden Wick, we hand-pour small-batch candles, wax melts, and plant-based room and linen sprays using 100% soy wax and clean fragrance oils that meet the standards for Prop 65. That means our products are free from phthalates, carcinogens, mutagens, and other chemicals commonly found in many fragrance products. Creating products that families can feel good about bringing into their homes has always been one of our highest priorities.
We’re probably best known for the handmade wax embed toppers on our candles. Every embed is made by hand and designed to reflect the fragrance inside, whether it’s tiny pinecones, flowers, bees, fruit, or other seasonal details. One of our favorite moments is watching someone open a candle for the first time and hear them say, “Oh my goodness, look at the little bee!” or “Look at the tiny flower!” That little wax embed becomes a surprise waiting to be discovered, and seeing that smile never gets old.
Something that’s also very important to us is making high-quality products that are still affordable. We believe everyone should be able to enjoy a clean-burning candle or a beautifully scented home without it feeling out of reach. From the very beginning, we’ve worked hard to keep our products at a price point that’s accessible while never compromising on quality or the ingredients we choose.
What truly sets us apart, though, isn’t just what we make…it’s why we make it. Garden Wick has always been about creating connection. We hope our products become part of family dinners, quiet mornings with coffee, celebrations, holidays, and everyday moments that turn into lifelong memories. Fragrance has an incredible way of bringing people back to a place or a person they love, and being a small part of those moments is something we never take for granted.
What I’m most proud of is the business Adaleigh and I have built together from the ground up. We’ve grown one candle, one customer, and one relationship at a time. Watching people come back season after season, recommend us to their friends, and even discover us from across the country has been incredibly humbling. At the end of the day, we’re certainly running a business, but people will always be more important than products. The community that’s has grown around Garden Wick is what fills my heart the most, and getting to build something meaningful alongside my daughter has been the greatest gift of all.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success has definitely changed for me over the years. Of course, we want Garden Wick to be a successful business that supports our family and continues to grow, but numbers alone don’t define success for me.
Success is knowing that Adaleigh and I are building something meaningful together. It’s seeing customers come back season after season because our products have become part of their homes and their traditions. It’s hearing someone tell us that a fragrance reminded them of a loved one, helped them through a difficult season, or simply made their house feel a little more like home.
As we look toward the future, I hope to continue growing our subscription program and expanding our wholesale partnerships so more people can discover Garden Wick. Those opportunities allow us to reach new customers while staying true to who we are as a small, family-owned business.
To me, success is creating products we’re proud of, treating people well, and building genuine relationships along the way. If we can continue to grow with integrity, strengthen our community, and build something lasting for our family, then I believe we’re already successful.
Pricing:
- Products range from $6-$16 because we believe clean, high quality products should be affordable and accessible.
- Seasonal Subscription Boxes $11-$21
- Wholesale opportunities for boutiques and retailers
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gardenwickcandles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gardenwick/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gardenwick
