“We weren’t just building a product. We were building a business and a future for our family.”
Tamara Furguson
Some businesses start with a gap in the market. Some start with a frustration. For Tamara and Jesse Furguson, founders of Everlasting Candle Co., it started with both, plus a newborn, a kitchen table, and a question that turned out to be worth answering. This week on Founder Friday, they share what bootstrapping really looks like, why consistency matters more than perfection, and what they would tell anyone waiting to feel ready before they start.
Everlasting Candle Co. began during what Tamara and Jesse describe as a very formative season of their lives. They had just welcomed their first child and were thinking deeply about the kind of life and work they wanted to build together. Both had careers outside entrepreneurship at the time, but they were drawn to the idea of creating something of their own.
The spark, as it often is, came from a personal frustration. They loved the warmth and atmosphere candlelight brings into a home but found themselves bothered by the waste, mess and short lifespan of traditional candles. What followed was not a pitch deck or a business plan. It was a kitchen table conversation that slowly became a product, then a business, then an international brand.
They launched without outside investment and learned every part of the business themselves, from product development and manufacturing to marketing, fulfilment and customer service, all while raising three young children. The constraints were real. But so was the discipline they forced.
“Because we were bootstrapped, we couldn’t afford to make large mistakes,” they say. “Every dollar mattered. While that was challenging at times, it forced us to become disciplined decision makers and focus on fundamentals.”
The result of that question and that discipline is Everlasting Candle Co., now sold across North America, Australia and New Zealand, still family-owned, still driven by the belief that the products we bring into our homes should be beautiful, purposeful and made to last.
Reimagining something people thought was already perfect
“Some of the best ideas aren’t necessarily the most complicated. They’re the ones that solve a problem in a way that feels obvious once it exists.”
At the centre of the business is a genuinely novel product. Everlasting Candle Co. created a patented reusable steel candle that never melts and is designed to be refilled and enjoyed for years. Rather than making another candle, the founders challenged the assumptions around what a candle could be.
That approach, questioning something people had long assumed was already solved, is one of the more instructive parts of the Everlasting Candle Co. story for any founder. The candle had existed essentially unchanged for centuries. The founders looked at it and saw a problem worth solving.
“We believe that innovation and simplicity can coexist,” they say. Innovation, for them, is also not a one-time event. Many of their best ideas have come from watching how customers actually use their products and listening to what matters most to them. That ongoing attention to the customer experience has guided product decisions, retail partnerships and international expansion alike.
They are also clear-eyed about the discipline required to grow without chasing every opportunity. “It can be tempting as an entrepreneur to chase every opportunity, but we’ve learned that growth often comes from doing a few things exceptionally well rather than doing everything,” they say. That mindset helped them expand into new markets while maintaining a consistent customer experience as the business scaled.
Growing without a roadmap
“Growth often happens on the other side of discomfort. Looking back, many of the obstacles that felt overwhelming at the time became some of our greatest learning opportunities.”
The biggest challenge of building Everlasting Candle Co. was not any single obstacle. It was the constant process of outgrowing their own knowledge.
Every stage brought new demands. Manufacturing, inventory management, international expansion, hiring, leadership, cash flow, retail partnerships, advertising. Each required new skills and a different mindset. Just when they became comfortable with one area of the business, another would demand their attention.
One of the more honest observations they make is about the transition from working in the business to leading it. In the early years, they were involved in every decision. As the company grew, they had to learn how to delegate, trust others and build systems that could support growth. “The skills required to start a business are not always the same skills required to scale one,” they say. “Learning when to step in and when to step back has been an important part of our growth as founders, and it’s probably a lesson we’ll continue learning for years to come.”
Building a business while raising three young children added another dimension to that challenge. There were periods, they acknowledge, where balance felt impossible. Their conclusion is practical rather than aspirational: balance is not something you achieve once. It is something you continually adjust.
The lesson they keep returning to is about consistency. “Businesses are rarely built through one defining moment. They’re built through thousands of small decisions made over a long period of time.”
What they would tell founders starting out
The advice the Everlasting Candle Co. founders offer is direct and consistent with how they built the business. Do not wait until you feel ready. “Most entrepreneurs start before they have all the answers. Confidence usually comes from taking action, not from waiting for certainty.”
Focus on solving a genuine problem rather than simply trying to start a business. “Businesses built around real customer needs have a much stronger foundation.”
Expect setbacks and build resilience alongside strategy. “Every entrepreneur will face setbacks, unexpected challenges, and periods of uncertainty. The ability to keep moving forward, adapt, and continue learning is often what separates those who succeed from those who stop too soon.”
And take the long view. “The goal shouldn’t be overnight success. It should be creating something meaningful that can stand the test of time.”
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