Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. ~Matthew 5:15
Be Light Candle Co is a Salt Lake City company that makes candles out of 100% soy wax, essential oils, and recycled & repurposed cocktail glasses.
Taylor Lamb is passionate about her products, but there is more to this company than candles. Taylor and her husband Matt Lamb started their company to give back to people, not only by supporting families affected by suicide, but also by spreading a message of hope.
“The reality of darkness in our world is sometimes exceedingly present,” says Taylor, “but light always has a way of breaking through the darkness. We picked the name ‘be light’ because we believe that everyone is special and everyone has a purpose. We believe that everyone can shine, and our candles are a metaphor that we can all be a light, no matter where we come from or what we have done.”
Before starting Be Light Candle Co., Taylor decorated Mason jars which were eclectic and cute, but definitely didn’t appeal to a large demographic. She ended up with so many Mason jars she decided to transform them into candles. Shortly thereafter, Taylor switched to hand-picked cocktail glasses, believing that, just like cocktail glasses, every person is unique and different.
The glasses themselves are a symbol of something that may have been used at one time to drown someone’s sorrow. Transformed into candles, the glasses now represent beauty and hope, and provide a light for a new and brighter future.
“The idea ignited some fire and passion,” says Taylor, “and we got talking about how we could use the platform of a small business as a good cause, not only for profit for ourselves, but to help other people. We chose suicide awareness because it is near and dear, and it seemed to fit with our mission and vision, which are, essentially, to bring hope and to empower others.”
Taylor’s goal is to make an impact on the social stigma of suicide as well as create a community through her company. We want our company to empower people to make a difference in their spheres of influence,” she says.
The startup was self-funded, and designing labels and making candles at home keeps overhead low. A kickstarter campaign will enable the the company to reach its niche and expand its market share. Taylor says it would be amazing to see how much money Be Light could give toward suicide prevention and awareness in the next five years.
In Taylor’s words, “No matter where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, you were made to shine.” §
