Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha N. Garcia.
Hi Samantha N., it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi there! My name is Sami, creator and founder of 2nd Chance Candle Co. and The 2nd Chance Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading love to cancer and stroke survivors.
My candle business and nonprofit were inspired by my personal experience caregiving for my mother who was a survivor of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) and a major ischemic stroke. Having moved in with her at City of Hope Duarte for 6 weeks during COVID, we were so grateful to return home and finally be away from the smell of rubbing alcohol. As I went to light a candle to make her comfortable, I quickly glanced at the list of ingredients and was shocked to find ingredients I could not pronounce. As I looked up the ingredients to make sure they were not harmful to the air quality, my jaw dropped. These ingredients were not only toxic but also possible carcinogens! I was so disappointed that these huge corporations were manufacturing such harmful products. It was then that we decided we would create clean burning nontoxic candles with a focus of raising awareness and supporting the cancer and stroke community.
We curated a special survivor candle, The 2nd Chance Candle, and shared it with cancer and stroke survivors we met and connected with on Instagram at no cost to them. Our followers aka Dovies, supported us by purchasing this candle and asking us to gift it to survivors in need of a little extra love. I personalized the candle with the survivor’s first name to make it extra special. I received an outpour of beautiful heartfelt messages from survivors letting us know how special this gesture meant to them. We have since shared The 2nd Chance Candle in over 13 states.
When my mother passed away last February due to an unexpected lung cancer diagnosis, she asked me to continue to grow the business and nonprofit. In my mind I was already preparing to shut down all operations. I immediately hesitated as I did not want to speak about cancer and strokes for the rest of my life. Her words, ” You cannot help me anymore. Help the survivors.” hit me like a ton of bricks. I agreed as we said our last goodbyes.
I am forever grateful for this last request. 2nd Chance has been a beautiful way for my family and I to stay connected with her and keep her story alive while connecting with other families going through similar cancer and stroke journeys. We have met amazing survivors that continue to inspire us to continue this project.
Her strength and resilience continue to drive me to spread love to other survivors. In 2024 we gifted 550 roses to survivors through our nonprofit organization. We gifted dozens of 2nd Chance survivor candles with help of our Dovies who generously support our business. We partnered with incredible organizations including American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and UCLA to share our candles and distribute roses at their events. Through multiple initiatives we are making a difference in the lives of survivors, one candle at a time.
We hope to continue to share Martha’s story and our clean burning candles with our community. We are Candles With A Purpose.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Our greatest challenge was making our candles without additives and harmful chemicals. Coming from a corporate insurance background, I had no idea what it was going to take to formulate a clean burning candle. It seemed so simple to me, just mix candle wax and fragrance oil. I researched and tried multiple different ways to make the “perfect” clean burning candle until I realized, a clean burning candle will never be perfect. There is a reason why so many ingredients are added into our mainstream candles, to make them last longer, burn evenly and have perfectly smooth tops. 2nd Chance Candle Co uses a coconut soy wax blend that is free of any additives. We source our fragrance oils from a US based supplier that is committed to formulating fragrances without phthalates, organ or acute toxins and ingredients on the California Proposition 65 list. Our candles occasionally have uneven tops, frosting and bubbles that is a natural byproduct of natural wax and in no way affect the burn ability or fragrance of a candle. We embrace these imperfections and tell our customers that seeing these “flaws” mean they have a clean candle in their homes.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
2nd Chance Candle Co., our clean burning nontoxic candle company dedicated to creating candles with a purpose.
The 2nd Chance Project, our 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to spreading love to cancer and stroke survivors with multiple initiatives such as our Rose Distribution Initiative where we gift survivors with roses at various stroke and cancer walks.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My supporters and followers aka Dovies. Their continuous support and purchases of our clean burning candles help us expand and grow.
My amazing friends and family who donate their time to our mission. I would not be able to do any of this without them. They are my rock.
My marketing team, Branding Is Social who worked closely and tirelessly with me to tell our story through our logo, website and photos.
My partner Alfredo Esparza who supported this idea from day one and purchased my most important piece of equipment to personalize the candles for survivors.
God for giving me the strength and serenity to push through the hardest season of my life.
Momma for not letting me give up on 2nd Chance.
Pricing:
- The 2nd Chance Candle (survivor candle) – $35
- Angel Wings (memorial candle) – $35
- The 2nd Chance Project Candle (100% profits go to our nonprofit organization) – $65
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.2ndChanceCandleCo.com
- Instagram: @2ndChanceCandleCo
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-n-garcia-a47403105/
- Other: https://www.The2ndChanceProjectFoundation.org
