Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Wiley.
Hi Matt, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Whalez Candles started back in 2016 when I was just getting into craft beer. Kansas City has an amazing amount to offer when it comes to local craft beer. Going to various beer shares I would see bottles sitting on top of shelves and cabinets, I would always see bottles sitting on top shelves and cabinets and asked the story behind them.
The most common answer was because the bottles were rare or were from a special occasion. Shortly after asking that I would hear their wife or husband tell them they needed to get rid of them as they were just taking up space. I had the idea to turn these bottles into something that people could proudly display in their homes, not just on top of cabinets. In the beer world, a ‘whale’ is considered a rare or hard-to-find beer, much like the classic Herman Melville’s, Moby Dick. That is where Whalez started.
I wanted our candles to be unique and true to the aroma of the beer. Thus started the production of candles simulating the brewer’s intention by utilizing the same aromas and adjuncts the beer was originally brewed with. Take Sandhills Brewing; Raven which is an imperial stout with notes of chocolate, coffee, and subtle caramel, That candle will then be scented with chocolate, coffee, and subtle caramel so that it replicates the beer’s aroma.
Whalez prides itself on our high standard when it comes to bottles being cut and sanded. This comes from my background in quality engineering. All bottles are hand-cut with an inner and outer bevel and polished to a mirrored finish. I have seen some bottles around the city that were cut and just filled with wax. A customer’s safety is worth my time and effort.
We love working and supporting other local small businesses and have since expanded to multiple breweries and distilleries selling their products in a candle format. Long before COVID, we had beer fests, and you would see the team there spreading the beer candle love. We also have all of our candles on the website that allows us to ship them across the US.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every business owner knows that owning a business has its trials and tribulations. I started Whalez when I was a full-time Quality Engineer and would make candles every night after I got off and on weekends. It was the start of 2020 and I decided to leave my engineering job and do candles full time.
I love what I do and being able to do it full time is amazing. Shortly after that pandemic happened and rather than consumers purchasing goods, they were buying toilet paper. A lot of businesses big and small were feeling the strain from the lack of business and having just left my full-time job it felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. Breweries, distilleries, wineries, and restaurants were closed, the places we had our products.
Luckily when things started to open up, we were selling in businesses that people went to most during the pandemic, places with tasty beverages. Like most businesses, we waited it out, and slowly things returned to a new normal. We are blessed to work with some amazing breweries, distilleries, and restaurants that supported us by having our products in their stores. Kansas City came together when small businesses needed them the most and that’s why Kansas City is one of the best places in my opinion.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Long before I started Whalez Candles my college major was graphic design and photography, with a minor in website design. Being creative is something that I do every day when I design labels that I use on our candles, photograph the products, and maintain the website I built to sell the candles.
My attention to detail is unparalleled thanks to working in quality for the past nine years for just about every automotive manufacturer you can think of. This is why the candles go through a rigorous quality check before they are approved to be sold or shipped. I want my candles to be a conversation starter or a memory that someone wants to remember.
I am a consumer as well and I don’t believe in charging an arm and a leg for a candle which is why we make them affordable as compared to others on the market. Seeing someone tear up when they get a candle from a bottle they have been saving that meant so much, reminds me of why I do this.
One of the biggest things that Whalez Candles is known for is our partnership with Silvermoon Brewing located in Bend, OR. They created F*Cancer which is a beer that has names of those who are fighting and have fought cancer. I reached out to the owners James and Matt after my Mother passed away from Cancer to see how we can get involved.
Utilizing the same labels as the beer, we apply them to cans we have made up with wicks and scent with various scents. A portion of all sales benefits Cancer Action here in KS and MO. Cancer action is a nonprofit that helps people through their journey with cancer. We ship around 500 candles in a short span to those fighting and it allows us to donate so much to those who need it.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
All the credit goes to my wife Amber. We had just met when I started the company and my apartment at the time smelled like a candle factory with candles as far as you could see. She has been by my side from the start of the business, to move the company to a proper facility, to the struggles of the pandemic.
She brings so much to the table that is outside of my wheelhouse. When we got married I got to become a stepdad to an amazing person named Bella. Now 11, she comes and helps out at our candle shows and even helps make candles at the shop. I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for them.
Pricing:
- 12oz. can candle – $10.00
- 12oz. glass bottle candle – $12.00
- 16oz. can candle – $12.00
- 500ml/22oz bottle candle – $15.00
- 750ml bottle candle – $20.00
Contact Info:
- Email: matt@whalezcandles.com
- Website: https://www.whalezcandles.com
- Instagram: @whalezcandles
- Facebook: Facebook.com/
whalezcandlesofficial - Other: https://www.whalezcandles.com/fcancer
Image Credits
@Kansas City Beer
