Exploring Life & Business with Collin, Ryan, and Austin Gill of Frères Branchiaux Candle Co.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Collin, Ryan, and Austin Gill.

Hi Collin, Ryan, and Austin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We started this business because we wanted to earn more money than our allowance. That’s right–we wanted more money for Nerf guns, PS4 games and toys. Our mom said no. She told us to get a job or start a business. We decided to start a business! So, we started slinging candles from the back of our mom’s minivan at our baseball, soccer, and football games. After we sold out at the games, we vended in our first vending event, the NPR All Crafts Considered Holiday Fair in 2017. We sold out and even took orders after we sold out. Fast forward to now, we sell direct to consumers from our e-commerce site. We also sell wholesale directly to and through retail partners like Whole Foods, Macys, Target, Belk’s, and Ace Hardware. Although we have grown to seven-figure revenues, we also have 11 employees, contractors, and freelance employees. And we still also donate 10% of our profits to homeless shelters. To date, we’ve helped over 4500 homeless people and donated over $40,000. Our money is spent living our values. We are doing all of this with no investors and solely by reinvesting money back into the business. With no prior experience or investors, we have landed accounts with Macys, Target, Belk, Whole Foods, Lowe’s, and a host of boutiques, museums, art galleries, gift shops, spas, hotels, and wineries. In the next five years, we plan to open 3 nationwide Frères Branchiaux retail locations.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road. The pandemic disrupted our supply chain, sidelined our employees, and used disruptive shipping delays. Also, because we had absolutely no background in candles, fragrance, or manufacturing; we had to learn very quickly how to run a business. We sometimes made mistakes. We sometimes fell behind with orders due to being understaffed. We do not have any investors and bootstrapping is not the best option when scaling up. Even though we have had struggles, we learned so much through the challenges.

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?
We are Frères Branchiaux Candle Company, an award-winning home fragrance company founded by 3 brothers, Collin, Ryan, and Austin Gill, under the age of 18. We create beautifully scented vegan candles with a conscience for those who care and want self-care that gives back. We’ve designed a line of vegan and eco-friendly candles help you relax and reconnect to you to the feeling of home. We also donate 10% of our profits to homeless shelters nationwide.

Whether it is an escape to a time gone past or a quiet moment to reflect on the future, you deserve to take a Frères Branchiaux candle/diffuser/room spray/bath salts with you on the journey. Customers use our candles, room sprays, diffusers, and bath salts to destress, to decompress, and to be inspired. They are often used when our customers are reading, meditating, napping, taking a bath, creating a calm atmosphere for work, and relaxing after a long hard day of work. Our products inspire others to create their own self-care routines.

Our core customer wants to help communities through support of small business, support of minority business, active philanthropy, and advancement of anti-racist policies. Every month, our donations provide housing assistance to homeless people–and customers experience satisfaction in knowing that their purchase has a meaning beyond profit. Not only are the candles lush smelling, but they help create better environments—physically and mentally.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Podcasts: How I Built This

Books:
Apps:
Temply
Instagram
Canva
Klaviyo

Pricing:

• $25 for 4 oz candles
• $33 for 8 oz candles
• $31 for room sprays
• $33 for diffuser oils
• $20 for bath salts

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fbcandle.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/freresbranchiaux
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/freresbranchiaux
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freres-branchiaux/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/fbcandle
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreresBranchiaux

Image Credits
Pyrite Studios Elton Anderson Voyage and Heart Photography Blachwood Celena Gill