Women in Retail: How The Harlem Candle Co.'s Founder Bootstrapped a Luxury Fragrance Brand

In this episode of Women in Retail Talks, Women in Retail Leadership Circle Digital Content Director Kristina Stidham interviews Teri Johnson, founder and owner of The Harlem Candle Co., a luxury home fragrance brand specializing in scented candles inspired by the richness of Harlem. Listen in as Johnson discusses The Harlem Candle Co.’s products (0:50), how there is a story behind each scent, and her inspiration for launching the brand in 2014 after years of working as a travel and lifestyle expert (3:17). She shares how she overcame the many obstacles she faced while bootstrapping the business (7:09), the changes she’s seen in her customer base in the past year (11:52), and why being an American-made, direct-to-consumer online business was essential (15:58).

Listen to Teri’s successful brand story here!