Meet Hannah Williams | Owner of Pensacola Candle Co.

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

Hi Hannah, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve wanted to own my own business for some time. Growing up with a single mother, my mom worked for herself as a professional artist and was able to provide for us. Because she worked from home and for herself, she was more in control of her schedule and able to be more present in my childhood. It’s something I will always carry with me. I’ve always wanted to be able to work for myself and not work the traditional 9-5 schedule, but also while being able to do something that I love and am passionate about. When I was in college I worked part time for a local candle company in my hometown. That is really where my love for making candles grew. After working there I was hooked, I knew that one day I wanted my own candle company. At Pensacola Candle Co., all of the candles are locally hand poured myself with the highest quality ingredients. Looking at Pensacola, FL it’s self, at the time there wasn’t really a local candle company when I started my business. Some of the candles I have poured are named for the local hotspots in our area. I really wanted to put homage to our beautiful town by doing that.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I currently work as a banker during the week from 9-5. During the night and on the weekends I pour my candles. I’ve definitely had to learn how to have work/life balance. It’s definitely not easy but I know one day it will all be worth it. At first it was a little overwhelming to even think about having a “side hustle” while working a full time job. As time went on it became more natural learning about what stress load I actually could handle. My current job during the day as a banker has actually given me so much knowledge on how to financially run my small business. So it does set me apart from others in that aspect that I know what tools I need to use to budget, how to prepare my finances for the business, how my bank account should look, just so much knowledge I’ve learned in banking I’ve been able to take with me. But even if you don’t have the finance experience, there’s so many tools out there to help you learn. You’d be amazed how many people you meet that run small businesses that don’t actually work their hustle full time yet, but actually work full time jobs like I do. It’s inspiring to know there are many people out there like you just wanting to do what they’re passionate about.

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?
Pensacola is a unique town, it’s a small, big-town. There is so much to do, from going to a Blue Wahoo’s baseball game, to going to our beautiful beaches in Pensacola Beach for the day. There is SO much good food. A must stop is McGuire’s Irish Pub, they have the best hamburgers and they also have over a million dollars hanging in dollar bills from the ceiling! There’s also so many great local restaurants practically on every corner in Pensacola, you’re bound to find great food just out and about through town. We are also home to the US Navy Blue Angels, so occasionally you’ll see them fly over head during their numerous practices. It is an amazing experience to go watch a Blue Angels air show.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to thank my mother for everything that she did for me growing up. She always supported me no matter how out of this world my dreams were. When I wanted to start my own candle company, she immediately was my first supporter and encouraged me to follow my passion. My husband, Daniel also is a huge supporter of my success. I’ll have candles all over the kitchen counter, or I’ll take over the entire laundry room with all of my equipment. He is definitely along for the ride. He often samples my new scents and gives me feedback!

Website:  pensacolacandleco.com

Instagram: @pensacolacandleco

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/pensacolacandlecompany