Toxin-free candle business Blossom Bright booming around Michigan
DETROIT (FOX 2) - The brain-child of best friends from Detroit is now available for sale around Michigan thanks to years of perseverance, hard work together, and finishing each other's sentences.
The product created by Raven Livingston and Jonnaé Bryant is Blossom Bright; toxin-free candles with a very Detroit-specific stamp on them. Once just an idea that turned into a business in 2018, the friend duo now sell their candles in Meijer Market stores.
The two were mentoring at Detroit Public Schools when the idea of starting a non-profit was born. Even after Livingston moved out of state, the dream only grew stronger.
"So once she moved to Houston, we decided we still wanted to do something with Blossom Bright," Bryant said. "So I said ‘hey I love candles, you love candles, let’s start a candle company.’"
Of course, years of work can't easily be baked into a single sentence. A lot of self-taught business 101 also went into the task.
"I didn’t even know what an LLC was," Bryant said. "I literally had to Google everything, from what an LLC was, what it cost to make a product, and what retail is."
Livingston's hope for a candle that was easier on the senses spawned from her allergies.
"My nose is very sensitive, so it was very important to make sure that it was a product that was healthy," she said.
Blossom Bright candles are made from 100% natural soy wax - and they've become popular in Detroit over the past six years. Together, the two have come up with over 20 different scents.
"Quality time here - we had a couple for Valentine's Day, 313 Day - we wanted to make sure we had something for our Detroiters," said Livingston. "‘I am Woman’ is something we can up with just to make sure that we honor Women’s Month."
However, business really blossomed when Bryant took the risk of stepping into the local Meijer neighborhood market, asking if they would sell their candles.
"They liked our story and how we got started," she said. "I sent an email. I found out who the manager was. Once I did that, she loved it and she loved our samples and we were in here."
They're now available - and selling off the shelves - at all four of the market stores. They're also available online.