At Arthur Elliott, we’re focused on building brands from the ground up, making hyperlocal hyper relevant. But Julie Tassy has taken hyperlocal to a whole new level. She created the most incredible local candle business we loved so much, that we had her create one with a signature scent for our company (stop by sometime—we’ll give you one when you visit)!

Here is the long story short about this woman-led business: Ella B. Candles. Julie had a simple hyperlocal idea—a signature scent for each neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. What began as scents for Dilworth, Collingwood, Uptown and more grew beyond the city limits, becoming a national hyperlocal on brand, on demand company with signature scents for towns all over America.

Today Neighborhood candles can be found from Ann Arbor to Anchorage and locally-inspired names are still what set this company apart. Since nobody knows home better than the person who lives in that location, Julie knew it was important to empower store owners to create the candle collection that puts their town on the map!

Inviting retailers to take over and create new collections personalized for their locale was the hyperlocal variation on this business model that really resonated for today. It so connects with what people want in the moment. That little remembrance of a place which means so much to them. And scent is so powerful! It’s like the number 1? number 2? thing that’s the strongest memory we retain.

According to Forbes, women still face major challenges in owning and running a business. From the ability to raise capital to balancing responsibilities to fear of failure to simple gender inequality. It’s important to recognize companies like this (even beyond Women’s History Month) that have persevered and grown year after year.

The very first batch of Ella B. Candles was poured in 2011 and they have become the local candle EVERYWHERE. Go here to find out where you can buy one today. Support your neighborhood stores. Buy from women-led businesses. You’ll feel good and you’ll help your daughters, mothers, grandmas, aunts, sisters and women everywhere, succeed.

Want to grab a candle at our office? Contact us today!