The Entrepreneur's Journey: Building a Handmade Candle Brand
Running a small business is a mix of late-night pouring, creative highs, and the constant reality of proving why handmade matters. Here is the unfiltered story behind Mandy & Co.
Selling on Instagram felt impossible until I started showing the human behind the brand. This video shows how my engagement soared once I started sharing my real self and the behind-the-scenes of my business.
A true story from a posh exhibition where customers with designer bags haggled over 50 rupees. It taught me the importance of educating customers on the value of handmade and standing firm on my pricing.
What I would say if I wasn't afraid to hurt a customer's feelings: negotiating on handmade items isn't thrifty, it's insulting to the artist's time and craft.
I almost killed my own dream because my ego stopped me from white-labelling. This video is about how embracing it gave my business the stability and oxygen it needed to grow.
Behind the pretty posts are hard lessons. This video shares the five hardest truths I've had to learn while building my brand, from dealing with rejection to avoiding burnout.
A sarcastic Hindi video about how to be a difficult customer. This is my humorous way of venting frustrations about ghosting, haggling, and last-minute demands that all small business owners face.
A quick introduction: This is me, Aakriti, the founder of Mandy & Co. And this is what I do. I make gorgeous handmade soy candles for you.
About From My Studio: The Entrepreneur's Journey
You will notice my candles are priced for the craft, not just the wax. When you buy from Mandy & Co, you are not paying for mass production; you are paying for hours of testing, hand-poured precision, and ethically sourced, chemical-free ingredients. I do not compromise on the quality of my burn, and I am always transparent about why handmade costs what it does.
Building a brand from a one-woman studio in Gurugram has taught me that the product is only half the battle. The other half is communication. When I started, I thought high-quality, eco-friendly soy wax candles would sell themselves. I quickly learned that I had to be the face of the brand to build trust.
The Realities of Handmade
Whether it is creating a hyper-realistic Motichoor Laddu candle or a marble Urli centerpiece, every item goes through a rigorous testing phase. I check for even melt pools, heat resistance in the vessels, and fragrance throw. If a candle does not burn clean, it does not leave my studio. This is why you might see me posting about the frustration of haggling or the challenges of shipping delicate items across India.
Why I Keep Batches Small
My process is deliberately slow. I use 100% natural soy wax, avoiding the paraffin and nasty chemicals found in cheaper alternatives. This approach ensures that when you light a candle, you are inhaling premium fragrance oils, not toxins. My journey has been about proving that 'handmade' means intentional design. It means I can customize a Daisy thank you card or create a bespoke hamper for a corporate event that does not feel like a generic off-the-shelf gift.
Moving Beyond the Transaction
I am not just selling decor; I am selling a craft. When I share the behind-the-scenes of my studio or a sarcastic reel about the small business struggle, it is because I want my customers to value the time that goes into each pour. If you are looking for candles that reflect a personal touch rather than a factory output, you are in the right place.
Mandy & Co
I am Aakriti, the one-woman show behind Mandy & Co. I started out just loving the smell of melting wax, but now I am CEO, packer, and the voice of the brand. I believe in honest, small-batch crafting—no shortcuts, no corporate fluff, just things made with actual heart.
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