What’s A Pandemic To A Latina Entrepreneur?

Ariana Lozada is a Latina entrepreneur who was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She started making candles, as a hobby, in December 2019 as a gift at Christmas. Once she posted the candles and kept getting asked if she made candles, her business was born.

“So that’s how it all started. I never intended to make candle-making a business, but here I am. A little over a year later, I’m an established business.”

Starting a business during the Covid-19 pandemic isn’t an easy task. But for Ariana, it’s been a time of growth and resilience. Ariana initially found that candle-making helped relieve anxiety and stress, which, for her, was everything. Creating her collections, including labels designs, fragrances, and colors, meant that her mind could run wild with ideas.

What is Ari’s Wicks?

Ari’s Wicks sells soy candles, wax melts, car diffusers, and bubble scoops-you name it –anything to make your home smell fresh and cozy. Ariana also offers custom orders for party favor, sized candles. Usually, customers purchase these for bridal or baby showers, wedding favors, graduation parties, etc.

Ariana also started hosting Sip and Pour events where each individual can make a candle, choose their fragrance and a label, and BYOB. It’s a fun thing to do on Sunday Funday.

Along with selling from an online shop, Ari’s Wicks also participates in local pop-ups. That way, you can come out and smell this goodness in person.

“The key to success is consistency. You have to push past your fears, doubts, and excuses and just get it done. I have gotten to where I am because I push myself every day and ask God to give me the strength to push past every obstacle. There hasn’t been a day where I haven’t worked on something for my business.”

What Separates Ari’s Wicks from its Competitors?

The thing that sets Ariana’s company apart from others companies is that she likes to get personable with customers and followers online. She has always been open about her journey both as an entrepreneur and someone who struggles with generalized anxiety. 

She found that she has been able to connect with most on a deeper level, other than just a customer basis.  

“My customers rave about my products, but more so, they speak about me and who I am. To me, that’s the whole package! To have customers who know me and love my products makes this whole journey of entrepreneurship worth it to me.”

Starting a business during a global pandemic hasn’t been easy. But for entrepreneurs like Ariana, it’s about more than just the bottom line. It’s about connecting with customers and building a community.

There are many important factors to consider when starting a business. But for many entrepreneurs, it all comes down to one thing – making connections.  The most successful companies are built on relationships, whether that means connecting with customers, suppliers, or employees.

As far as the future is concerned, Ariana is taking on the task of building her brand on social media: “I am learning how to create more reels and social media content in general. It truly takes a lot of time and effort. A lot goes on behind-the-scenes that people don’t get to see. Creating social media content is a whole other job.”