Amanda

Six years ago I received an invitation to a party themed around The Great Gatsby, my favorite book. Inspired by my newly discovered hobby I designed a gin, juniper and daisy scented candle that my friends all loved. I started getting ideas for other book themed candles and was soon selling them at at farmers markets, handmade goods shows with other Pittsburgh makers, and then local bookshops. Today I have a thriving wholesale business and ship my products to gift shops, bookstores, and museums all over the country. I feel fortunate I was able to create a career for myself working with my hands and making the notions in my head become reality. The sense of pride that comes from a customer finding some joy from burning one of my candles is hard to put into words. I want to continue to scale the business, and a Kiva loan will help with some of the financial growing pains. I started the business with no capital and have never had a loan, but it feels like the time is right to use the funds to make my business exactly what I know it can be.