July 20, 2023

How did Olive Roots get started?

We are Josh and Kristi Olive! The idea to start making our own soy candles sparked because every time we’d burn a store bought candle, we’d get headaches or sinus pressure. We knew there had to be a better alternative. For years, we would gift candles to friends and family and they finally convinced us to start a business and sell online.

We launched our website in March of 2020 and since then we’ve expanded into local markets, wholesale and partnering with companies to create custom scents. Both of us quit our full time careers at the end of 2022 to pursue Olive Roots full time!

Can you describe the candles featured in this month’s Vellabox?

Midnight Ocean was one of our original year round scents and one of Josh’s all time favorites. It is a calming unisex blend of oceanic waves and mahogany with undercurrents of amber and vanilla. A mysterious and intriguing scent combination that you won’t be able to get enough of.

Salt + Sea was the scent we blended for our Outer Banks beach wedding! It took us 6 months because to perfect and is now one of our all time best sellers. It captures the salty air, warm sun, and rolling ocean waves and brings you back to your favorite beach vacation. The top notes are sweet like sugar plums, the middle burns complex and warm like amber, and the end is salty and relaxing.

Tangerine + Lime is our take on a perfect summer day. Once you light it, everything instantly feels more fresh, warm and relaxing all at once. Notes of tropical and lively citrus like clementine, Tahiti lime, and blood orange blend with a hint of sugar to create an irresistible scent.

These featured scents are available in the Vellabox candle shop!

What values or pillars does your business take pride in?

Quality: Your space deserves to smell amazing without sacrificing air quality. We hand blend all of our scents using the highest quality ingredients. Our scents are one of a kind and are intended to elevate your space without overpowering it.

Service: We want our customers to have a great experience when shopping with Olive Roots. We are committed to being knowledgeable about our products and exceeding expectations. We promise to be kind and welcoming to all.

Community: We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our community. We are prod to give back to our community through local fundraisers, yearly donations to non-profit organizations and participating in community events.

Environment: We are dedicated to the environment, both in your home and for our planet. This means safe products for you, your family and pets. We are always striving towards more sustainable business practices.

What has surprised you about being a candle maker and running your business?

We moved to Columbus, Ohio in 2016 and this is where Olive Roots is located. Before starting our business we didn’t realize how supportive Columbus is of small businesses. Columbus has more local events and opportunities for pop-ups than any city we know of and we’re so lucky to be located here!

Participating in local markets and community events has helped us land orders and accounts and we can’t recommend community involvement enough.

If you had to pick one, what is your favorite beach memory as an adult?

We are both obsessed with the ocean and some of our best memories have been on a beach. We met in North Carolina and our first date was at Atlantic beach, we got engaged on the beach at sunset in Thailand, and then had a beach wedding in the Outer Banks!

Salt + Sea is incredibly special to us because it was the candle we created for our beach wedding. We had it burning throughout the house the entire week and every guest took one home. Every time we smell this scent it brings us back to the best week ever on the beach.

Any exciting launches or events coming up that we can look forward to?

We are a highly seasonal company and release 3-4 new scents every couple months and have some really fun summer/fall scents coming this year. Last October we released a Hocus Pocus black flame candle that sold out twice within a day and we can’t wait to bring this back.