Young people are often told not to play with fire.
But in the case of Midlothian High School junior Madelynn Rury, she encourages others to use fire – to light her candles that she makes herself and sells in her online business 268 Candles.
Why 268?
“I am a very family centered girl. The number 268 represents my great grandmother’s house in Nova Scotia, Canada,” Madelynn, 16, said. “This number is hanging up in my house and symbolizes some of my earliest childhood memories. I wanted to base my candles from the fresh, untarnished beauty of Nova Scotia and share that piece of heaven with my customers.”
And why candles?
“My aunt in Canada has her own candle company and I decided that I could take her knowledge of candles and branch off into my own company,” Madelynn said.
Not only is Madelynn trying to make money, she’s working to make a difference in the world around her. She sells 100% soy wax candles that are clean burning and better for the environment than regular store-bought candles.
Currently, her products can only be purchased online, but she said she has recently starting testing her product in a flower shop. Many of her orders come via folks messaging her on Facebook at the site 268 Candles.
Her candles come in a variety of scents, including peach, snickerdoodle, apple maple bourbon, coconut, pumpkin pie, fig and rhubarb, sea minerals, baby powder, lavender vanilla, white peony, vanilla cinnamon, fig and brown sugar, sea salt and orchid, and Christmas Hearth.
Pumpkin Pie Is The Current Top Seller
Her top seller currently is pumpkin pie. She said it is, of course, largely popular because anything pumpkin grows in popularity this time of the year.
“”As we are heading into the fall season people find this as a perfect gift to give out,” she said.
So how does a 16-year-old create and ship the candles, along with keeping up with the challenges of running a business?
“I have had a lot of help from my parents in the pouring process, but I package and deliver all by myself,” Madelynn said.
“We love to see her working hard and succeeding in life, it makes us happy to see her going the extra mile to make people happy,” said her dad, Bryan Rury.
Her mom, Angela, added, “I love to see her working hard and producing a product that people really love.”
Both of Madelynn’s parents are nurses at the University of Texas Southwestern Hospital. She said it’s where she gets her own inspiration to enter the medical field.
Saving Money and Planning For Her Future
“I want to be able to save up enough (money) in order to go to college. Right now my goal is to go to the University of North Texas for four years then join their PA program,” Madelynn said.
Madelynn loves the creative process of making the candles, but what she loves most, she said, is “the satisfaction of hearing my customers telling me how much they enjoy my candles.”
And in case anyone thinks this is a hobby for the entrepreneurial teenager, she’s got news for them. She always thinking of the next project.
“In the future I want to experiment with soaps,” she said.
Reach out to 268 Candles and place an order for yourself or start your Christmas shopping early to support a local teen’s business.
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