Story & Lesson Highlights with Hannah Lang of Pensacola, FL

We recently had the chance to connect with Hannah Lang and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I’m chasing legacy — the idea of building something that outlasts me, something that connects people through scent, design, and story. It’s a drive that feels equal parts creative and personal. If I stopped, I think I’d feel like I was dimming a light that’s meant to grow brighter. I’ve learned that entrepreneurship isn’t just about business — it’s about the journey of becoming who you’re meant to be through what you create.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Hannah Lang, founder of Pensacola Candle Company. I started this business in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, when I was looking for a creative outlet to ease the stress of working from home. Candle pouring quickly became more than just a hobby — it became therapy. It gave me peace, purpose, and a way to create something meaningful during a time when everything felt uncertain.

What began as a few candles in my tiny home office has grown into a full-time business carried in stores across the Gulf Coast and at my beloved Palafox Market booth. Each candle I make is clean, thoughtfully crafted, and rooted in story — made with coconut soy wax and non-toxic fragrance oils, because I believe the products that fill your home should be as safe as they are beautiful.

Now, I’m expanding my vision with our new sister brand, The 1559 Co. — a luxury fragrance house inspired by heritage, craftsmanship, and modern design. It represents everything I’ve learned through Pensacola Candle Company, elevated into a refined collection built on storytelling, artistry, and timeless scent experiences.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
Growing up, I always believed that success meant following a traditional path — go to college, get a steady job, get married, start a family before 30, and check all the “normal” boxes along the way. There’s nothing wrong with that — I actually did go to college and spent nearly a decade working in banking and finance. For a long time, I thought that was what life was supposed to look like.

But over time, I realized that everyone’s journey looks different. Not everyone thrives in the same mold, and that’s okay. What I once saw as the “safe” path started to feel limiting, and I found myself craving something more creative, something that felt like me.

Starting Pensacola Candle Company completely changed my perspective. It taught me that fulfillment doesn’t come from doing what’s expected — it comes from doing what sets your soul on fire. Once I discovered my passion for entrepreneurship, I ran with it, and I’ve never looked back.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
One of the defining wounds of my life was my divorce. It wasn’t loud or dramatic — it was the slow unraveling of something that looked perfect from the outside but was quietly breaking on the inside. On paper, everything made sense. We had the home, the plans, the life we were supposed to have. But underneath, there was no real love — only distance, confusion, and a growing ache that neither of us could name.

In the end, I learned that honesty sometimes arrives disguised as heartbreak. The person I married was living a truth that had no room for me in it. It hurt deeply — the betrayal, the silence, the realization that the love I gave so freely was never meant to be returned in the same way. But with time, I came to understand that it wasn’t cruelty; it was clarity.

I had to mourn not just the marriage, but the version of myself that kept trying to make it real. Healing meant accepting that sometimes love isn’t lost — it’s revealed to have never truly been there. My divorce broke me open, but it also freed me. It taught me that peace can grow from devastation, and that letting go is sometimes the most honest kind of love there is. It showed me I deserved so much better.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
Someone I truly admire for their character, not their power, is Glen Powell. What stands out to me about him isn’t just his success or the spotlight he’s earned — it’s how grounded he seems to stay through it all. There’s an ease about him, a sense of humor and humility that feels rare in a world that often changes people once they “make it.”

From what I’ve seen, he doesn’t take himself too seriously, but he clearly takes his work and the people around him seriously. That balance — between ambition and authenticity — is something I deeply respect. He gives the impression of someone who hasn’t lost sight of where he came from, even as his career continues to rise.

To me, that’s real character. It’s easy to be likable when life is simple; it’s much harder to stay genuine when everyone’s watching. I admire how he manages to do both — to be successful and human at the same time.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When have you had to bet the company?
The biggest moment I had to bet the company was when I decided to bet on myself.

I walked away from a secure corporate career in banking and finance to pursue something that, at the time, felt wildly uncertain — pouring candles at home and trying to turn it into something real. There was no business plan, no investors, no safety net — just belief. I invested everything I had, financially and emotionally, into creating something that felt meaningful and true to me.

There were moments early on when sales were slow, when I questioned if I’d made a huge mistake. But each time I reached that point, I reminded myself why I started — to build a life that felt honest, creative, and free.

Betting the company, to me, has never just been about money — it’s been about faith. Faith that passion can become purpose, that small beginnings matter, and that the risks we take for what we love often lead us exactly where we’re meant to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pensacolacandleco.com
• Instagram: @pensacolacandleco
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/pensacolacandlecompany

Image Credits
Sarah Coleman Photography