Turning into a B2B Candle Business During the Pandemic with Johanna Porter of Porter Candle Supply

 
 

We love to bring on people with different backgrounds and voices on the show, and in honor of AAPI month we are proud to be talking to Johanna Porter, the founder of Porter Candle Supply and Kozie Provisions. She uses all biodegradable, reusable products, and she’s grown her business to over six figures in less than two years!

Entrepreneurship Can be Lonely… But it Doesn’t Have to Be!

Like so many businesses, Johanna’s started by looking for solutions to her own products. Her first business, Kozie Provisions, is a clean home fragrance brand that she launched during the pandemic. She was having trouble finding the raw materials that she needed, so she ended up buying some of these products by the palate for herself. Other businesses were reaching out to her for some of those raw materials, and when dealing with one-off transactions became unmanageable, she started her candle supply company and it became an overnight success.

While Johanna might be in the early stages of business ownership, she certainly has some of that entrepreneurial spirit in her DNA! Her grandfather owned a company, and her mother had a background in entrepreneurship before she was born, but that life had never really been pushed on her. In fact, when Johanna was laid off from her traditional job, it was hard to feel confident not finding a new 9-to-5.

Entrepreneurship can be lonely. When you go from seeing your coworkers every day to sometimes running a company all by yourself, it takes a toll. It can be hard to talk with friends openly about your work when they’ve never experienced being an entrepreneur. That’s where Masterminds can be such a lifesaver—it give you a built-in community to commiserate with and share your wins with those who relate to what you’re going through.

While the super quick growth that Johanna experienced is definitely not everyone’s reality, so many parts of her story speak to what it feels like to be an entrepreneur. Whether you’re thinking of starting your business or looking to take the next step, Johanna’s story is sure to make you feel like you’re not alone!

Brought to you by the Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge! Commit to making 1 in 5 of your purchases from a small business, whether online or offline. The Shop 1 in 5™ Pledge is a way to make an impact together when (and where) it matters most. Join us and take the pledge today!

Resources:

  • Want to know the secrets to product biz success? There are opportunities right in front of you that will help your product business grow, and we’re going to help you unlock them in our product biz bootcamp, Best Seller Audio Bootcamp! The best part? You can start right NOW by clicking here.

Connect:

Minna and Jacqueline