From Our Stove to Your Home: How We Grew Noël & Co. from a 16-Year-Old’s Dream

In May of 2021, my twin sister Janie and I poured our very first candle, using the double-boiler method, over the stove. We were sixteen, dreaming of Greece, obsessed with Greek mythology, and deeply in need of some money to make that dream happen. There was no "Bank of Mom." And while we had sold our fair share of Laura Secord chocolate bars around the neighbourhood with school fundraisers, we knew we needed something bigger to fund our EF Tours adventure.

The first candle we ever made was a woodsy scent called Apollo & Hades. This is an ode to our Percy Jackson phase and the classic online quiz results that told us which Olympian would claim us as demigods. Janie landed in Hades’ cabin, and I was matched with Apollo. So, of course, our first blend had to strike a balance between light and dark. Between Janie’s paint-stained hands and my Google Drive of half-planned stories, we were just a couple of nerdy high schoolers looking for a creative side hustle.

We had originally planned on selling art cards painted by Janie. But knowing I could barely draw a straight line, we wanted something I could get behind, too. Janie came up with the idea of candles: a craft we could learn together, and something our mom adored. Every birthday and Christmas, we gifted her candles from Bath & Body Works or Bed Bath & Beyond. Surely, we thought, making our own couldn’t be that hard. (We would learn otherwise, but more on that later.)

Unsurprisingly, Mom was fully on board from day one. She encouraged us, helped us set up, and eventually took over the company full-time when we headed off to university. We named the business Noël & Co., after our family name. It just felt right, and Mom already had the logo on hand. 

How a High School CO-OP Program Helped Spark a Small Batch Candle Studio

Back in high school, we were enrolled in the Options and Opportunities (CO-OP) Program at NKEC. To graduate, we needed a certain number of work hours. Mom suggested we pitch our new candle business to our program instructors. Being the writer between the two of us (since the age of ten), it was my duty to compose the email.

So, I wrote a persuasive essay, breaking down every working part of our company. What the instructors expected to be a candle stand in our garage turned out to be a fully operational mini candle studio in our dining room, complete with inventory and our market display.

We got the credit. And graduated from the program early. That same summer, Noël & Co. attended Halifax Pride, a day after our official launch date. It remains one of our favourite memories—joyful, colourful, welcoming, and full of the energy that would define everything to come.

What It’s Really Like to Make 1080 Candles in a Week

Fast forward a few years, and what was once a side hustle to fund a school trip became our full-time work. Today, Noël & Co. is a growing candle studio based in our home in Kentville, Nova Scotia. We still pour every candle by hand, and average 1080 candles a week – that’s 18 cases daily, made with eco-friendly materials.

We use biodegradable packaging, ethically sourced ingredients, and offer a jar return program to reduce waste. The candles are cured for 24 hours, the wicks are trimmed with bonsai clippers, and our three industrial wax boilers, all Greek-named: Meraki, Kepi, and Oneirous.

There are no shortcuts. Just a love for the process. A studio full of fragrance. And the steady rhythm of a family working together.

Why Every Candle Starts with a Family Story

As Noël & Co. grew, so did our team, which, naturally, includes our family. Our mom, Raina, became our full-time operations lead. Our Nana, Betty, joined us in cleaning, and at the markets and made South Shore deliveries. And somehow, it all clicked.

Every candle we pour carries a piece of this story. What started as an effort to earn money for a school trip became the very thing that made that trip possible.

In July 2023, after the school trip was cancelled due to COVID-19, our small team made it to Greece together: Mom, Nana, Janie and I. We went because of this company. Because our community showed up for us, and because we worked our asses off.

Eco-Friendly Canadian Candles with a Conscience

We make eco-friendly Canadian candles in small batches, using ingredients we believe in and a business model we can stand behind. Our jars are reusable, our shipping materials are compostable, and 2% of our profits go to the Kidney Foundation — a cause deeply personal to our family.

We now attend some of the biggest shows in the country, including Craft Nova Scotia and The One of a Kind Show in Toronto. And yes, our studio still lives in our small town in the Annapolis Valley. Eventually, we’ll need a bigger space. (And Mom needs her dining room back!)