My first candle was created while a junior in college at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. I've always loved candles but was often upset with the end results. In the fraternity house, I was constantly burning down candles, but never to the bottom. Up till this time in my life, I had NEVER burned a good candle. No matter how careful (i.e. - anal) I was with my candles, wax always ended up all over the coffee table. On one occasion, I accidentally left a 3-wick candle burning when I crashed for my mid-afternoon nap. Upon waking and realizing that the wax had ended up all over my roommate's clothes which were beneath the dresser (which is another story), I went out to the local mall to purchase a replacement. After searching around for about for awhile, I finally found a store that offered something similar. It was plain white vanilla, which was perfect. (Well, not really, but my couch was green, and I didn't like the scent of pine). As I was working my way to the cash register, I noticed the candle cost $30! Now, thirty dollars isn't too much for a $30 candle, but I had NEVER burned a candle worth fifteen dollars, much less thirty (at least not by my standards)! Not only that, I had a beer-budget that simply didn't make the purchase a responsible option.

I got to thinking … I had a lot of wax on my chest-of-drawers which, if put to good use, was easily worth $20. So I decided to make a stop at Hobby Lobby to see what they had to offer in the way of candle making products. Upon purchasing a wick and a mold, I set home to create my first candle from the waste of those previously malfunctioning and inferior products. My first candle wasn't that great. It only lasted a few hours before it ran out the side. Since I still had wick remaining, my next candle was created from the same bits of wax. It burned a little bit further down. Three years later, after graduating college and working as a professional in the corporate world, I still didn't want to waste money on candles of poor quality, so I continued to create my own. By that time my candles were burning halfway to the bottom before breaking out of the side. They were better than average AND, they lasted longer than most other ones did. They weren't good enough to sell though, and I would never try to sell them as they were. It wasn't until moving to Austin in 2000 that I engineered my craft to perfection (or as close to perfection as anything can get that burns).

I continued my professional career in the corporate world in Austin as a very successful salesman … successful, that is, until the recession came around and my position was made expendable. After getting laid off, and despite a certain amount of distaste in my mouth from past experiences, I searched far and wide for work. Due to the recession, there were few quality positions available, and none that I could see myself enjoying for more than a day or two. They all looked to me like dead-end paths. In the meantime, I was able to create candles the likes of which I had never burned before, and I knew that I could sell them for less than the competition. I thought to myself, "Why not go into the candle business?" It felt like a much more fulfilling option. That is when Healing Glow was born.

After a successful closing to 2002 at the South Lamar Art Bazaar, I began hawking my renderings at a local open-air market -- the Renaissance Market. Situated on the drag in Austin right across Guadalupe from the Texas Tower, the Renaissance Market had been around for over 30 years. Regulated by the Austin Park and Recreation Department, one of the stipulations was (and still is) that only people who create the product they sell may receive a license. In other words, whoever is selling the product in the market must also be the one who made it. It's ideal for jewelers, silversmiths, knitters, and so forth … especially when they can create their product while selling their wares in the lot. My craft had other requirements though which made it impossible to create the product on site. So, before setting up shop and after closing, I would return to my residence to create more candles. That spring consisted of long days and longer nights … burning the candle at both ends, so to speak. The first half of 2003 was successful, and included the Renaissance Market, the first Thursday celebrations on South Congress Avenue, and various local festivals. This lifestyle was soon to be disrupted by Mother Nature.

With the Texas heat, the candle-burning season was coming to an end in Austin. Either it was time to get a "real" job, or to take the show on the road. The recession was still in full swing, and I was still enjoying the excitement and gratification of my early successes, so I decided to keep on going. I had a girlfriend at the time who wished to accompany me. To say the least, it was to be an interesting journey. After acquiring a travel trailer and participating in various events throughout the summer, we landed back in my home state of Indiana where we set up the studio at whichever art shows, music festivals, or local town festivals we could find. We visited Cincinnati, Madison, the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Festival, and Grant Park in Chicago, among various other venues. By late June, the heat was beginning to creep up to the Midwest, threatening not only our business, but also the very product we offered. Candles aren't conducive to 100-degree afternoons. With that in mind, we ventured over to the Rocky Mountains displaying our wares in Taos, Steamboat Springs, Winter Park, Golden, Telluride, and Wyoming. All was going well except for a couple of things. First, due to the constant moving around, repeat business was nonexistent, and the business is built on quality and repeat business. Secondly, working craft shows is extremely trying, especially when you have to make the product beforehand during the off-hours and travel up to 20 hours per week. We needed to settle down in a year round candle-burning environment, and Colorado offered that possibility.

After finding a suitable location in Northwest Denver, Healing Glow Candle Studio opened its doors on November 1, 2003, at 3442 W. 32nd Avenue in Highlands Square. The partnership ended shortly after that, and the candle operation became a one-man operation again. On Groundhog Day that changed. That's when Poncho came into the picture. Poncho is the daytime greeter and nighttime security guard on the premises. He is the first to greet the patrons, late-night window shoppers, and early morning joggers. He was born the same day the studio opened in Denver, and he literally works for (dog) food.

After a successful first year in Denver, due in part to local people and businesses that have helped give the quality product a push, Healing Glow Candle Studio moved up the street to a new location. On Thanksgiving, 2004, Healing Glow moved five blocks west and across the street.

It now resides at 3939 W. 32nd Avenue on the northeast corner of 32nd and Perry Street. The phone number is 303-477-3972. I still create the candles myself, and am more than likely the person sitting behind the desk if you stop into the studio. That's just about everything you could ever find out about the Healing Glow Candle Studio.

I'd like to take this opportunity to make a quick plug for the product. All Healing Glow Candles burn down the middle for extremely long periods. In fact, the most often heard complaint in the studio is that they last too long! They are by far the best candles, without a doubt, that I've ever burned - to which our patrons agree time and time again. They are all heavily scented throughout, but last for so long that the scent is released subtly. They are not overwhelming. If you prefer those extremely heavily scented candles that make you nauseous, then Healing Glow Candles probably aren't for you. Otherwise, give them a try, because we think you'll love them! At the end of your candle, be sure to bring the base back in to receive $1 worth of credit toward the purchase of another candle. It'll be recycled into another! Healing Glow Candles are definitely burning candles!

Burn 'em if you got 'em