Exploring Life & Business with Becki Olejnik of Sydney Candle Company

Today we’d like to introduce you to Becki Olejnik.

Hi Becki, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
“There’s a photo on our wall of my father, Richard and I standing in our very first warehouse.
He was retired. I was a stay at home mom. Neither of us had any business starting a candle company.”
But years earlier, in Becki’s basement, something happened that neither of them could explain. They poured their first candle, lit it, and the room changed. The air changed. Something that had been missing was suddenly there.
That feeling became a passion.
Richard spent his retirement perfecting it. Becki spent her days between picking up her kids from school and scrambling to make dinner, chasing it. Together they turned a basement hobby into something neither of them saw coming — a real business, a real warehouse, and over 100,000 people across the country who now know exactly what that feeling is.
You know the one…
It’s the moment you walk through your front door after a long day and something shifts. Your shoulders drop. The noise in your head gets quieter. The house stops being a place you live and starts being a place you belong.
That’s what Richard and Becki were chasing in that basement. That’s what they found. And that’s what they’ve been putting into each handcrafted candle ever since.
“Twenty years later, though my dad is no longer with us, the quality and passion has not changed. Still made by hand. Still poured in Cortland, Ohio. Still made with 100% soy wax and the same belief that a candle isn’t just a product — it’s a feeling worth coming home to.
That is the photo that started it all.
We think you’ll love what it led to:
Sydney Candle Co. — Handcrafted in Ohio since 2006.”

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our road has been long and also pretty consistent until 2017 when my father unexpectedly passed away. That left a huge void in our business. I had to learn very quickly how to make candles along with running the business and operations. It was a huge feat! Yet, as a Christian, God was with me and lead me along the way. I had one employee who was my go- to person, willing to help in any way possible to see our business continue to succeed. She is still with us to this day and I am beyond grateful for her. Her name is Chris A.

We’ve been impressed with Sydney Candle Company, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Sydney Candle Co is a family-owned soy candle manufacturer Located in Cortland Ohio. We manufacture candles and tart melts. We also have added car air fresheners to our line up last year. Our candles are non- toxic when burining, as we use phthalate-free fragrance oils along with soy wax, which is naturally toxin-free. Sydney Candle is known for our use of a very high percentage of fragrance oils in our wax for a long lasting burn, 30% longer than paraffin candles. Our candles can be detected not only in a room, but with some of our fragrances, you might smell them throughout a home. Our wax is also biodegradable and our candles burn all the way down without tunneling in the middle. We offer a superior product compared to our competition! We sell to wholesale distributors along with direct- to- consumer sales.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
As a Christian, I am faithfully reading Scripture and longing to be more like Jesus, in the way I communicate, treat others and love the people around me. The Bible is God’s Holy Word and in it are more than just stories of old, yet it contains life- changing tools to help us live the life we were created to. As I have aged, I continue to grow in my faith and in myself, seeing the world more through the eyes of Christ. It has allowed me to continually depend on Jesus every day and walk humbly as He is changing me for the better. I don’t know where I would be without Him!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sydneycandle.com
• Instagram: @sydneycandleco
• Facebook: Sydney Candle Company LLC
• Other: Sydney Candle Co. –tiktok @sydneycandleco