An Artisan Candle Business in South London

Denyse Whillier is the founder of The Purpose Company, working with purpose-led founders and leaders at every stage of growth. Her approach - hope-centred strategy - combines the strategic capabilities she developed over eight years as a CEO with a commitment to building businesses that are aligned with their founder's purpose and values.

Emily was 27 when she was made redundant from her London PR career. During lockdown, she'd started making candles - and noticed something interesting. Friends who received them kept returning the handcrafted vessels for refills. "I love this pot too much to throw it away," they'd say. Emily had stumbled on a concept that didn't exist elsewhere: genuinely refillable candles in beautiful, handcrafted containers designed to be treasured rather than discarded. She needed strategic support to find out whether a kitchen-table hobby could become a real business.

‍"When I was made redundant at 27, I had a lockdown hobby and a redundancy letter. Denyse helped me see that what I had was a genuine business opportunity. She gave me the frameworks to test it properly, the financial confidence to scale it, and the strategic thinking to build a team without losing the artisan quality that makes it special. From 100 candles on a kitchen table to £1.3 million in turnover - I couldn't have imagined this." - Emily

Emily and I started with a Purpose & Strategy Session - what she could afford at that stage. Rather than diving into production, we took time to examine whether her concept could genuinely become the foundation for a sustainable business. The global scented candle market was projected to reach $574 million by 2027, with profit margins averaging 70%. Emily's concept - authentic sustainability through refillable containers, handcrafted by a talented potter she'd discovered on Etsy - offered something distinctive that we couldn't find elsewhere.

We agreed on a clear first step: create and sell the first 100 candles to test market demand. Emily expected them to sell slowly over several months. They sold out over a month.

From there, we moved into ongoing Purpose-Led Business Coaching. Emily built her business around monthly limited-edition collections - inspired by the way premium fashion brands like Sézane create anticipation through seasonal releases rather than permanent availability. She developed refillable starter kits with a subscription model for quarterly refills. Her PR background became a genuine competitive advantage - she understood instinctively how to craft a compelling story and reach journalists and customers who shared her values.

Rather than finding one large pottery supplier as she scaled, Emily built a network of artisan potters across the UK - each bringing their own artistic perspective while working within her aesthetic guidelines. Customers began collecting different potters' work, adding an element of discovery to each monthly launch. This network became one of Emily's greatest competitive advantages: genuinely handcrafted at scale, supporting multiple small craft businesses that shared her values.

By the end of Year 1, Emily was projecting £225,000 in annual turnover with 250 starter kits sold monthly and 50 active subscribers. She moved into her own studio space in South London and as the business grew, began hiring - a Production Executive, an Operations Executive, a part-time Head of Brand and Marketing, and a Sales Executive to build her network of local stockists.

Growth consistently exceeded our projections at 80% year-on-year. Emily's business now turns over £1.3 million a year, with a team that shares her commitment to sustainability and craft, a growing network of artisan potters and retail partners, and plans for further expansion.

Emily's journey is told in detail across a two-part case study series on my blog:

• Part 1

• Part 2

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If Emily’s story resonates with you - whether you're building something from scratch, navigating a transition, or looking for the strategic support to take your business to its next stage - I'd welcome a conversation about what working together could look like for you. There's no pressure and no obligation. Just a conversation about where you are and where you want to be.