Many years ago, I wrote a blog post about Jo Malone.

At the time, I admired what she had built—the fragrances, the beautiful presentation, the luxury positioning, and most of all, the fact that she had started small.

I remember thinking, She started in a garage too. Maybe we really can do this.

Looking back now, I smile at that version of myself.

I was still trying to understand what success would look like for Laguna Candles. I was looking at other brands and wondering whether we would ever be considered luxury, whether we would be featured in a major publication, and whether all of the hard work would eventually lead to something bigger.

More than 20 years later, I understand success very differently.

The Journey Has Not Been a Straight Line

Building a business is not for the faint of heart.

There have been wonderful moments, difficult seasons, mistakes, disappointments, opportunities that didn't happen, opportunities we never expected, and plenty of times when giving up would have been easier.

But we're still here.

Laguna Candles has grown from a small family business into a Southern California home fragrance company and manufacturer serving both consumers and businesses.

Today, our work includes our own candle collections as well as private label, custom fragrance development, contract manufacturing, corporate gifting, hospitality, room sprays, diffusers, and special projects for other brands.

That wasn't the vision I could fully see when I wrote that first blog post.

Sometimes you have to keep walking before the bigger picture becomes clear.

I Still Admire Beautiful Brands

I still admire entrepreneurs who create something distinctive and have the courage to stand behind their vision.

But I no longer look at another company's success and think we need to become them.

I've learned that our responsibility is to become the best version of Laguna Candles.

Our story is different.

We are family-founded.

We are women-owned.

We have spent more than two decades learning the craft of fragrance and candle making.

We manufacture here in the United States.

We have worked with artisans, retailers, corporate clients, and brand partners while continuing to evolve our own collections.

And perhaps most importantly, we have survived long enough to understand that longevity itself is something worth celebrating.

Luxury Means Something Different to Me Now

Years ago, I wrote that I had heard luxury described as "hard work."

I still believe there is truth in that.

But today I would add a few more words.

Luxury is care.

It is the fragrance that took time to get right.

It is the vessel you don't want to throw away.

It is the way something is packaged.

It is craftsmanship.

It is knowing the story behind what you are buying.

And in our B2B work, luxury also means listening carefully to a client and creating something that feels distinctly theirs—not simply putting a different label on the same product.

That is the direction Laguna Candles continues to grow toward.

At 71, I'm Still Thinking Bigger

Perhaps the biggest change since I wrote that original post is me.

I am now 71 years old, and I am not thinking about slowing down.

I'm thinking about scale.

I'm thinking about how Laguna Candles becomes a stronger home fragrance manufacturer.

I'm thinking about private label, hospitality, corporate gifting, custom fragrance, and partnerships with companies we may not even know yet.

I'm thinking about building a business that can continue beyond me.

And I'm thinking about what my journey might say to another woman who believes she has waited too long to start—or that her opportunity has passed.

It hasn't.

I don't believe entrepreneurship has an expiration date.

And We're Still Here

When I wrote that first blog all those years ago, I ended it by saying that maybe one day Laguna Candles would be recognized as a luxury brand.

Today, I'm less concerned with someone else giving us that title.

I am more interested in continuing to build a company known for beautiful fragrance, thoughtful craftsmanship, meaningful partnerships, and the ability to keep evolving.

More than 20 years later, there is still so much I want to build.

There are still barriers I want to break.

There are still rooms I want Laguna Candles to enter.

And there are still dreams that haven't happened yet.

So, just like I said all those years ago—

We'll keep you posted.

— Sharie
Founder, Laguna Candles