Meet Gia Paxton

We were lucky to catch up with Gia Paxton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Gia, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I developed my work ethic at 17, when I had to grow up fast after leaving my parents’ home. I was on my own from that point forward, and life came with a lot of challenges—at one point, I was in a legal battle with an ex, almost faced homelessness, and had to work hard to build a stable life for myself. Through determination and resilience, I bought my first home at 21 and got married at 22. Then at 26, I started pureglow, my candle business, because I wanted to create something of my own. Something meaningful that could be a legacy for my future children. I’m working to break generational curses and build generational wealth. That vision, and everything I’ve overcome, is what fuels my drive and keeps my work ethic growing stronger every day.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m Gia and i founded pureglow, a small-batch candle and home fragrance brand rooted in intention, comfort, and clean ingredients. I started pureglow at 26 years old because I wanted to create something of my own. Something that reflected who I am, while also building a legacy for my future children. For me, this business is about more than just making candles. It’s about breaking my generational cycles, providing for myself through something I love, and proving to myself I can do this.

All of pureglows candles are made with eco-friendly coconut apricot wax, FSC-certified wood wicks, and non-toxic, phthalate-free fragrance oils. I care deeply about what goes into each product, because I want my customers to feel good about what they’re bringing into their space.. whether it’s a cozy scent for winding down or a bright, refreshing fragrance to start the day.

Right now, I’m especially excited about our new spring collection, which launched on March 13th. It features three fresh scents: Rainforest Petals, Velvet Noir, and White Tea; designed to bring new energy into your space as the seasons shift. I’m also expanding into wax melts and room sprays, and lotions, so there are more ways to experience pureglow in your home.

More than anything, I want people to feel seen, inspired, and comforted when they light one of my candles. pureglow is about creating moments of peace, joy, and self-care—and I’m just getting started!!

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?

Looking back, the three things that have made the biggest difference in my journey are resilience, resourcefulness, and self-discipline.

Resilience really came from life pushing me to grow up quickly. I was on my own at 17 and had to figure things out without a safety net. There were many times things felt impossible, but I kept going. Challenges are part of the process. They shape you. My advice to anyone just starting out is don’t give up when things get hard. Learn from it, grow through it, and keep moving forward!

Resourcefulness came out of necessity. I didn’t have a blueprint when I started pureglow. I had to teach myself how to do everything—from building a website to creating content and figuring out packaging and marketing on a small budget. If you’re early in your journey, don’t let not knowing something stop you. Everything is figure-outable, and there are so many free resources out there. Be curious, ask questions, and just start.

And self-discipline—that’s what holds it all together. I work full-time and run my business, so I have to be intentional with my time. There are days I’m exhausted, but I remind myself why I started.

At the end of the day, it’s not about being perfect or having everything figured out. It’s about being committed and giving yourself the grace to grow as you go.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Right now, my biggest challenge is balance. I work a full-time job and run pureglow on my own while still trying to make time for myself and relationships. It feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day, and burnout is always something I’m attempting to avoid.

I’ve been working on creating better systems behind the scenes like batching content and being more intentional with my time. I’m also learning to let go of the pressure to do everything at once and instead giving myself grace and setting realistic goals.

It’s definitely still a work in progress, but I remind myself often, I’m building something meaningful, and that takes time!

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