In a world where everything was spinning way too fast (including me)... I found candle making.
And no, this isn’t one of those stories where I tell you how I mastered the art of slowing down and discovered perfect balance. I’m still learning to slow down.
But that moment... one of the very few in my life where I actually paused... felt like the beginning of something real.
And I think COVID had everything to do with it.
Slowing down has never been in my nature. I’ve always been the one who keeps going. Who says yes. Who works harder than she probably should.
By early 2020, I had just stepped away from two jobs... first in dentistry, where I ran a mobile dental clinic serving low-income families and communities in need, and then in the mortgage industry, which I thought would offer a sense of stability.
And then the world shut down.
And for the first time in a long time… I stopped.
In March, I signed up for a candle-making class in Charlotte. I blended a scent called Wild Fig & Cedar. I’ve never burned it. But the process... the quiet focus, the hands on creativity, the way the scent lingered long after I left the room...it stayed with me. It was the first time in a long time I felt proud of something I had made with my own hands.
I started researching.
I ordered supplies.
I made another scent... Vanilla Fig & Maple Syrup.
I haven’t burned that one either.
(Perfectionist problems.)
I wasn’t sure if this could really be something. So I started slow. I created a blog. I studied everything I could. I tested and retested, trying to make every detail feel intentional and beautiful. I didn’t start selling until August, because I wanted it to be right...
Honestly, I don’t think I ever would have launched if it weren’t for the people around me. My friends and family were the ones who kept encouraging me, who saw something before I did.
“This is really good.”
“You should sell these.”
“These are amazing.”
Their belief in me was the spark I needed.
I never thought I’d create employment for myself. I never imagined I’d leave behind structure and paychecks and a “career path” to build something from scratch. But four years later, here I am. Love Square One isn’t just a business... it’s my full-time job. My second chance. My creative home.
It’s more than candles. It’s what happens when you finally take all that energy you’ve spent giving to everyone else… and give a little of it back to yourself.
So here I am... five years in ... still loving square one.
Still questioning, still growing, still waking up wondering, “What am I doing?” and choosing to do it anyway.
Because loving square one means you don’t give up just because the path is unclear.
You don’t stop just because it’s hard.
You keep evolving. You trust your taste. You make what you love.
Even if no one’s seen it before. Especially then.
If one of our candles lifted your spirit... even just 1% ...hey-that’s a win I hold close.
And if you've ever stopped me in a store or left a review or told a friend about Love Square One, please know:
I felt it. I needed it. You helped me keep going.
So thank you for being part of this.
I hope something you find here makes you feel seen, even just a little.
Because that’s all I’ve ever wanted to create!
A moment that makes someone feel a little more loved.
With everything,
Joanna
Love Square One