Meet Erika Herrmann

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erika Herrmann a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Erika with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic is built on the example that my parents set for me. Growing up witnessing them faithfully serve in their fields of work instilled in me the value of working hard and putting my best into everything I do. They never forcefully pushed me to succeed but always encouraged me to be confident in my abilities and to never give up.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am the owner of Little Fern Candle Co. I started this small business with the desire to make organic soy candles that are toxin free. In college I worked for a large candle retail store. I would talk to people who would make the comment of how much they loved that stores candles but couldn’t burn them because they would trigger headaches or even trigger anxiety. Or they didn’t want to burn the paraffin wax because of the toxins in it. This actually became my why behind my whole business. To make clean candles that are good quality but are not expensive so that everyone can enjoy them.

Fast forward to 2020 while life felt like it was kind of on pause I was struck with the idea of making candles in my spare time for myself that were clean/toxin free. After experimenting with soy wax and the fragrance oils I decided to take a leap of faith and launch my own business. Which is now Little Fern Candle Co. My husband actually came up with the business name. We used to live in Northern California and the Redwood forest was my favorite place to visit. The ferns that grew in the forest were beautiful and as a plant enthusiast I was always amazed by them.

I have been in business now almost four years. The business has grown by leaps and bounds. My candles are sold in local businesses in town as well as on my website and at our local farmers markets. I am so proud of how far it has come and I’m excited for what’s in the future for Little Fern Candles.

I use 100% soy wax so you wont have toxins or soot in the air of your home and the wicks I use are 100% cotton which means there is no lead in them as well as clean fragrance oils.

I will be launching my summer scents in the next month (April) and personally those scents are my absolute favorites! Beautiful Day and White Tea and Fig are my top sellers that customers continue to come back for.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My knowledge of candles from my days spent in the candle store has been so beneficial to my business. It has given me the advantage of knowing what scents people are most drawn towards as well as candle etiquette. Allowing myself to learn and grow from my mistakes as well as being open to criticism, as hard as that is sometimes, has helped perfect the quality of my products as well as sharpened me as a person.
My husband is so good at crunching numbers. He was able to help me map out how we could make the business work financially and how to make a profit.

My advice for someone just beginning their journey is to set your plan of direction and goals long before you launch your business. Because that is what is going to guide you and keep you on track.
Only do what is within your means physically and financially.
There’s a common saying of “stay in your lane”. I take that to mean that I can only do what is in my capacity to do and I’m going to do that to the best of my ability. There’s always going to be someone or something to compare yourself or your business to but I encourage you to stay true to your business because it reflects who you are.
Allow criticism but you get to decide how you apply it to your business and then grow from it. And always keep learning.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
In the early planning stages of Little Fern Candle Co I connected with several friends who had started their own thriving small businesses. They gave me so much insight for what to expect with running a business and the ups and downs that come with it. I appreciate their willingness to share with me as I was getting started. My work ethic has also played an important part in this business too. The drive to work hard for my goals, not to give up, and to thrive in my lane is what my business is built on.
And as I’ve hinted at, my husband has had a very important hand in building Little Fern Candle Co. He is my biggest supporter and I couldn’t do this without him. There has been a lot of learning on the fly with this business but we have also spent countless hours planning and learning so that we can continue to grow as a business.

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