Today we’d like to introduce you to Sridevi Kanduri.
Hi Sridevi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Fantastical Wicks LLC started as a passion project fueled by my love for reading in cozy atmospheres. As someone who lived under the clouds of Seattle for years, I’ve always been drawn to the candles to lift and set my mood while studying, watching shows with my family, or reading on my own. Candles truly did bring about a feeling of coziness. Eventually, with K-12 education and college, reading for entertainment completely fell to the wayside, and it was not until a few years after graduation that I started lighting a candle and reading just for the joy of reading again. I wanted to create something that blended my love for reading with the creativity that I felt in making candles, and hand-poured book-themed candles felt like the perfect medium.
Right now, I’m running Fantastical Wicks from my apartment in Charleston, creating small-batch candles designed for readers and fantasy lovers. It’s still a very new and growing business, but I’m excited about the journey and the incredible community with which I’ve already connected. The goal is to make candles that feel like the perfect pairing with a book on a cozy night in.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road, but that’s part of the journey. One of the initial challenges was simply figuring out the technical side of starting and running a business. I had no prior experience in this area, so there was a steep learning curve in everything from paperwork to pricing strategies. But I’ve made a lot of progress and continue learning as I go.
Another challenge is that the candle market is incredibly saturated. There are mass-produced candles available at much lower prices, so I had to really think about what makes Fantastical Wicks stand out. For me, that means focusing on high-quality, hand-poured candles with a strong storytelling element—candles that feel immersive and perfect for book lovers. Because of this, I also try to offer multiple scent options for each candle design. Our candles are more customizable and we can also receive custom requests.
Marketing is currently one of my biggest challenges. I want to reach people who share my love of reading and fantasy, but nailing down SEO, social media strategy, and community-building is still a work in progress. I’m constantly learning how to connect with the right audience and get my candles in front of the people who would truly love them. Of course, learning what designs customers like and what their tastes are like is also a part of this process.
And of course, balancing this with a full-time job adds another layer of difficulty. Managing a business in the evenings and on weekends means wearing a lot of hats and prioritizing tasks carefully. The business tasks can include social media and administrative tasks in addition to designing, testing, producing, and uploading candles. These tasks are in addition to fulfilling and shipping orders. These challenges aren’t unique to me, but they are new to me, and some—like marketing and time management—will always be evolving. While I learn to navigate these challenges, I’m constantly excited to keep growing!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Project Specialist at ENGIE Impact, a company that provides decarbonization solutions and utility management services to its clients. I am on the utility management side with prior experience in analyzing cost-consumption data trends for clients as well. This has made me detail-oriented, and I strive for quality in the work I do.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My Project Coordinator, Manager, and colleagues all absolutely contribute to a positive and healthy working environment that encouraging open communication, learning, collaboration, empathy, and support where needed in my daytime job. The healthy working environment in my daytime job allows me have the peace and energy to carry through with the tasks outside of those working hours.
I also want to give credit to Bound to Bindings, a mobile romance bookstore here in Charleston, for taking a chance on Fantastical Wicks and placing the very first wholesale order. I understand that buying wholesale is in fact a risk for retailers, and to take a chance on a new small business with no reviews by retailers at the time Bound to Bindings placed their order means so much to me. I was incredibly happy to find out that multiple candles were successfully sold on Valentine’s weekend and hope that the trend continues.
Meanwhile, I have to say my biggest support is my husband, Jagan, both of our families, and my closest friends. I absolutely love the way my mother-in-law gets excited about the candles and has put in so much effort into letting her friends know about the traditional candles that I designed. Meanwhile, I cannot even lay out all the ways in which Jagan supported me on this journey. I could not attempt any of this without him by my side. His excitement in gifting me equipment needed to produce the candles and photograph them, his eagerness when he tells me to continue working on my project while he takes over another task that needs to be done at home, and his feedback on the new designs are only some of the ways in which he encourages me. It cannot be overstated!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fantasticalwicks.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fantasticalwicks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572029611682
- Other: https://faire.com/direct/fantasticalwicks
