Meet Keonna Rutley | Owner / Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Keonna Rutley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Keonna, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Candle making started as a hobby in 2020 during the stay at home order. I love candles, so I needed a hobby that I could use. I made some as gifts to start out. I was talking to a friend of mine and said maybe I should turn this into a business. She instantly sent me $100 and said go for it. I knew that I want the candles to be simple and bring warmth to a space. I started out doing pop-ups downtown Ypsilanti and it has just grown since then. I am a vendor at local artesian markets, farmers market, and craft shows. I also have them stocked at the. Friends Gift Shop in U of M Hospital and Paper Street Soap in Tecumseh.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My goal has always been to make candles that were simple and sparked a bit of nostalgia while being safe for everyone. What sets me apart from some candle companies is I use high-quality products. From the wax to the wick to the jars that I use, I don’t cut corners by choosing a low quality product.

At first candle making was not easy. I had to learn the formula of how much fragrance oil to use for a certain amount of wax to get the perfect hot throw. I wasted a good amount of wax and fragrance oils until I got it down. But I told myself if this is what I want to do I have to make sure it’s perfect.

The number one lesson that I have learned along the way is to trust my instinct. I’ve had a lot of different opinions about what I should do and shouldn’t do. I have to go with what I know, and learned about this business industry.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being born and raised in Ypsilanti, I will always shout out my city. There are some absolutely awesome restaurants in Ypsilanti. From the historic The Bomber restaurant on Michigan Avenue to the Moroccan restaurant Casablanca on Washtenaw Avenue. It’s a melting pot of diversity. I would highly recommend breakfast at the Golden Egg which is one of my favorite restaurants. There’s a locally on 734 Brewery in Depot Town. Some nights still have a food truck there. My personal favorite is Good Eats Food Truck who is one of the regulars. A block from 734 Brewery is Aubree’s Pizzeria with Sticks upstairs. Good food and pool.
I would suggest checking out our parks. Riverside Park, Frog Island, and North Bay Park to name a few. All are beautiful no matter what the weather is.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to thank my family and close friends. They have really supported me the last four years. I bounce ideas off them when I’m stuck, they share my business page to help get the word out, and whenever I’m discouraged, I can call one of them up and they keep me going. When I did my first pop-up market, I was extremely nervous. I am an introvert until I’m comfortable. My best friend Velvet came help me set up and stayed for a little while. Shortly after she left, my nieces, Jalexis and Jakayla, came and hung out with me for a little bit. After four years of doing markets and craft shows, my confidence has grown but my family still check on me. It’s means a lot to me.

Website: https://infinite-glow-candle-co.square.site/

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063585068590&mibextid=LQQJ4d