How a Teen Entrepreneur Turned a Candle Hobby into a Growing Brand

Learn how Adana launched a successful candle-making business in high school.

Author

Porte Global
May 20, 2025

Meet Adana Bhattarai - current freshman at Boston University and founder of “Dana’s Candle Co.”

Many young students aspire to create a small businesses - not many succeed. Meet Adana - a freshman at Boston University. She always knew she wanted to create a business, and she took the opportunity during lock-down to begin Dana’s Candle Co. Her candles, made from non-toxic soy wax, will soon be sold in Nepal through Kumari Beauty, with proceeds supporting local communities. To date, Dana’s Candle Co. has fundraised for organizations like KidSafe.

How did she begin? Where did she get the inspiration from? Why was her business successful compared to other small initiatives? We interviewed Adana to see how she got started.

Meet Adana

1. What were you like in high school—and how did the business begin?

Branding for the business

Adana:
I’ve always been a creative person - the type who’s always needed a creative outlet. But my entrepreneurial mindset started even earlier. Growing up, I was surrounded by many families working in business, particularly hospitality.

Through that, I saw first hand how important customer service was — and I knew I wanted to build something that involved that kind of personal interaction.

The decision to start a candle business came from my obsession with candles. Every trip to the mall ended with me leaving Bath & Body Works with a lavender-scented candle. When my mom started making her own candles at home, it was the perfect time for me to give it a try.

The more I learned, the more I realized how harmful current ingredients for candles were, specifically, paraffin wax. I wanted to create candles which used safer and more sustainable alternatives. That’s when Dana’s Candle Co. really began to take shape.

2. What were the early days like?

Adana:
At first, it was all about experimenting—testing materials, shapes, and scents until I found something I was proud of. Once I had a few designs, I started posting them on Instagram.

As with most small businesses, I started by selling to people in my vicinity. Friends started DMing me to buy my candles and they would post it to their social media. What surprised me was how quickly things gained traction after that. More people started DMing me to either compliment what I was doing or to request candles themselves. That momentum was all I needed to really launch the business.

3. What was the biggest challenge in getting started?

Adana:
Everyone talks about logistics—pricing, margins, inventory—which of course was difficult to figure out in the beginning. But for me, the toughest part was figuring out how to use social media to find my target audience beyond just supportive friends.

Instagram makes it easy to put yourself out there, but it’s also super competitive. Standing out, posting consistently, building a brand—that was hard, especially while juggling tests and schoolwork.

There were weeks in high school when I had back-to-back exams and was still trying to fulfill orders and post content. Finding that balance was super important for the business to continue.

4. What was your biggest mindset shift?

Adana:
It came back to what got me started in the first place: customer service.

I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy somebody appreciating what I had made. It’s not like I’ve invented candles or done something extraordinary - but interacting with people, giving them the physical candle and them reaching out afterwards to just say, “hey, I loved this candle so much,” was an amazing moment for me.

Managing the whole process myself and seeing that kind of reaction made the experience real in a way I hadn’t expected. It gave everything purpose.

5. Lots of student businesses fail. What made yours different?

Snippet From Dana Candle Co’s Instagram.

Adana:
The focus on sustainability set me apart. Soy wax is cleaner and non-toxic, and I leaned into that in my branding. Given the choice, most people want to support a product that’s better for the environment.

Also, I was really intentional with aesthetics. My Instagram had a cohesive theme, and I followed design trends from Pinterest but adapted them to my style. Everything from the packaging to the photography had a consistent look—and that visual branding really helped draw people in.

6. What do you think stops most students from succeeding?

Adana:
The fear of starting something alone. Early in high school, I kept trying to start businesses with friends. Everyone was excited at first, but it was so difficult to keep people continually motivated.

I think I would’ve started Dana’s Candle Co. sooner if I had gotten over the fear of launching something on my own.

A lot of students get stuck thinking, “What if this fails?” or “What will people think?” And the behind-the-scenes stuff—like logistics—scares people off before they even start. I’ve found it’s so important to just try it out for yourself and genuinely go after what you’re passionate about or interested in.

7. What advice would you give to other student entrepreneurs?

Adana:
First, take the time to really plan. I kind of launched my brand as I went, and while it worked out, it would’ve helped to sort out costs, materials, and production ahead of time.

Second, don’t be afraid to learn from others. I learned so much by looking at other small candle businesses on Instagram—especially ones similar to mine.

There’s no shame in studying what’s already out there and using it to shape your own approach.

What’s next for Dana’s Candle Co.?

Right now, I’ve paused the business while I focus on college. But some of my products are launching in Nepal through Kumari Beauty’s new store. Even while I’m taking a break, the proceeds continue to support Nepali communities—which is something I’m incredibly proud of.

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