Jamie Ferriman, Founder and CEO of Bri Candles LLC Inspires and Empowers Entrepreneurs with Her Message of Resilience
Jamie Ferriman is the Founder and CEO of Bri Candles LLC in Texas. “Inspired by cherished memories with our daughter, Bridgett, who we lost in 2022, I founded Bri Candles in 2024. One of our most treasured pastimes was exploring candle shops together, losing ourselves in the beautiful fragrances. To keep her love alive, I created this business with her nickname and products that she loved. The candles are at her desired strength: strong, bold, beautiful and not overwhelming fragrance. You can smell my candle products either lit or unlit. Bri was also into creating natural bath products. I went a little bit further with it and made sure the ingredients Safe for all skin types. Bri’s Brother (our oldest) is allergic to most store-bought bath products. To help him in his life, all bath products are designed with natural ingredients and tested by him before they are released.”
Share your fun times that you spent with Bridgett exploring candle shops.
On some weekends we would go shopping or just looking for something fun to do. Bridgett, her dad and I would go through shops in the Alliance area or in Granbury Town Square and just browse looking at all the cute little trinkets, antiques, and so on. When we would see candles, we would swarm to them like hummingbirds to a feeder. We would stand there smelling every single one of them, passing them around, smelling again and again. If it was a candle that we all loved, it was taken home. I don’t know why, but this was just fun for our family.
As a tribute to your daughter, you decide to launch Bri Candles. It has become recognized nationally through women’s publications and recently you were honored with the Top Candle Designer & Owner of the Year by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP). Take us through some of the challenges when building your business.
The surprises come quite often for me through building my business. From how difficult it was to find the perfect wick, to the customers’ reactions to my product. The biggest surprise was receiving the award from the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP). Being seen, researched, and awarded by such an amazing association up in New York from Fort Worth, TX was a surprise to me and still is today. I honestly never imagined that this could happen to me. Yes, my goal is to go nationwide but never imagined it to go viral like this.
How important has press been to your success?
Marketing and advertising are the biggest challenge in any business and is a necessity. You must focus on driving in customers to make your business grow. If you are able to get the press involved, it helps that much more. Marketing and advertising are a way to get your product in front of potential clients. With the press, not only do they learn about your products but also learn the back story behind it and you. A candle is just a candle until you put a backstory with it. Then that candle becomes a story and pulls at the heartstrings which in turn makes it even more appealing to potential customers.
Take us through your creative oasis.
When I opened my doors to the public, I wanted to appeal to everyone. I created several lines of collections. The main one I started with is the “Rose Collection”. This particular collection is designed for people who love floral, clean, fruity, and perfume fragrances. The next collection is the “Elijah Collection”. I noticed that there are not many companies that consider men and their obsession with candles. In this collection, I focused on the three main categories that attract men such as Musk, Leather, and Woodsy fragrances. Another collection that I created is the “Teqqi’s Bar” collection. I did this collection more for fun than anything else. It is a collection that is geared towards alcohol beverages. It’s a small collection for now but will be growing pretty soon. I have already made a product called “Whiskey on the Rocks” that sells out within days after I restock it. I plan on adding more products like Pina Colada, Margaritas and so forth. It’s just another way to make candles fun again.
The next collection is my pride and joy and that is my bath essential products. I named this one “Delightful, Aromatic, and Natural Bath Essentials” after my dad Dan Crist whom we lost in April 2024. This collection is made with all-natural ingredients. I wanted to create a line of bath products for people with skin sensitivity and/or conditions. Our son was the inspiration for this line due to his allergies with store-bought bath products.
Another fun collection is for holiday enthusiasts such as me. The “Holiday Galore” collection has several candles designed for decoration purposes to make your home smell and look wonderful no matter which holiday it is. The last collection I released is for the fur babies in our lives. This one is called “Pawsitively Purfect”. I have already released one product in this collection called “Paw-Pedi”. This product is designed to be used on the paws and cute little noses of cats and dogs. I use only natural ingredients that are safe for cats and dogs alike. I have more products for this collection in the process of testing and will soon be available.
Share your fun candles in the spirit of Texas and what you love the most about Texas.
I have created 2 candles regarding Texas, so far. The first one is “Texas Spring” and the next one is “Yellow Rose of Texas”. “Texas Spring” is more of a place setting. Bridgett used to sit outside on our porch drinking lemonade or tea while smelling the sweetness of wild lavender blowing in the wind. The inspiration behind “Yellow Rose of Texas” was due to Bridgett being born in TX. The candle is made with Eucalyptus for the bottom, Oakmoss for the whipped topping and rustic rose fragrance for the gel wax yellow rose. The fun fact about the yellow rose of Texas is the fact that it’s not a rose at all, but more a flower from a cactus. We are not a desert state, but cactuses do thrive here because of our soil and weather. There are several reasons why I love Texas. First and foremost, it is mine and my family’s home. People here are so down to earth and love to help each other. Texans are truly a different breed of people. We love cookouts, hanging out with family and friends, you never meet a stranger in a small town, we love helping people and we enjoy life to the fullest. The other thing I love about Texas is the weather. Yes, our summers are a bit hot to say the least, but spring and fall are by far the best times of the year in my opinion. You can be outside all day enjoying gardening, cook outs and so forth. Our winter is very short, and we hardly ever see any bad weather other than a couple days a year.
Can candles be customized?
Customizable candles are very dear to me. There is nothing greater than being able to make a candle designed just for you or your loved one. I have many to choose from: “I’d Rather Be..” is my favorite one in the Elijah Collection. This one is designed to help you escape from the demanding aspects of life. You can pick from any sports, hobbies or passions you have and turn it into a candle. This candle is very large at a 45 oz size and will be a perfect addition to your decorations. My number one seller is “Bri’s Flower Bouquet”. With “Bri’s Flower Bouquet” you can choose a single flower, small bouquet and even a large dozen flower bouquet. You can pick the flower design, the fragrance, colors of the flowers and the paper for the container. It’s truly remarkable with what people create and every one of them comes out gorgeous. The last one that I want to mention is a new product that was released about 2 months ago and that one is called “Create-a-Candle”. The customer picks out every detail such as the container, fragrance, color, decorations, and even the name of the candle. I have had several orders for this and everyone that has ordered loves how they turned out exactly what they were thinking. It’s so much fun for everyone.
Share your top-sellers.
My top-sellers are the “Bri’s Flower Bouquet,” “Whiskey on the Rocks,” and all of my gift boxes. The gift boxes for “Bri’s Box of the Month”, “Graduation Gift Box”, “Mother’s Day Gift Box”, “Spa Gift Box”, “The Perfect Gift Box” and even my “Wax Melt Sample Box” are all very popular. As far as the boxes are concerned the top seller right now is the Mother’s Day Gift Box. It includes: a 13 oz candle, Wax Melt, Body Butter Stick, and a car diffuser. You can choose up to 3 fragrances and tell me her favorite color and I will build the box accordingly. To make it even more special we include a Mother’s Day card that you can put a quote or a message in.
What sets Bri Candles apart?
There are so many aspects of Bri Candles that sets us apart from everyone. The first and foremost is the backstory. The second important aspect is how the candles are designed not only by the ingredients, the strength of the aroma but also how beautiful they are. We do have your typical everyday burn candles in containers that will enhance any room by design. However, the ones I am speaking about are the themed candles. Check out the candle called “Bri’s Dreams”. In this decorative candle, it’s beautifully designed with a teddy bear sleeping on the moon. It’s made with a fragrance that is fresh and vibrant, capturing the essence of wild jasmine and peony, while also giving a soothing bouquet and a warm embrace of amber, sandalwood, and musk. Another beautifully designed candle is “Whiskey on the Rocks”. This candle not only smells rich and has bold notes that evoke the essence of fine whiskey, but it is designed to look just like a glass of whiskey. The last important aspect of Bri Candles which is truly dear to me is that part of the proceeds are donated in Bridgett’s name to a charity that helps provide resources to people dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts.
What is your vision for the next 2-years?
My primary goal is “growth”. While achieving this goal it will make my vision of getting a brick-and-mortar store easier. This year’s vision and goal is to have a storefront opened by September in the Fort Worth, TX area just in time for the holiday season. By the end of next year, I want to have another storefront in either South Lake, TX, or Fredericksburg, TX. I will take this question a little further and tell you my ultimate goal is to be nationwide with numerous store locations and have at least one or two manufacturing facilities. My dream, which is becoming a solid goal, is to be as big as other top candle companies. I want to be the first to offer themed candles, customized candles, natural bath products for people with sensitive skin, and natural pet products at a corporate level while helping people with their allergies and of course my donations.
