Page 144 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2022

presented by South Mississippi Living magazine
JESSICA SIMON Owner
MISSISSIPPI CANDLE CO.
228.263.2727
www.mississippicandle.com
Because Jessica Simon wanted a better life with her family, she resigned from a corporate job which required working more than 50 hours a week and started her own business, Mississippi Candle Co.
“I wanted something my family and I could do together, something that gave me the flexibility to be the wife and step- mother I wanted to be,” she says. “I was forced to miss out on several milestones due to my job and did not want to miss anymore. That is also my promise to future employees.”
Simon had been selling candles at craft shows for over a year when she decided to leave the corporate world and go into business for herself. “I was encouraged by my husband to dive into wholesale. On one of my days off, I drove from one side of the Mississippi Gulf Coast to the other and picked up 14 new retailers in one day, including three Coast casinos,” she says.
Since she admits to being obsessed with fragrances, candle making is the perfect business for her. “Everything must smell good!” she says.
At this point, her greatest success has been her hidden scripture candles. “The first day we launched, we sold out in eight hours. Then we ordered triple the vessel inventory and sold out within 48 hours,” she recalls. “Our hidden scripture candles include a different scripture hidden just below the surface of the wax in each candle. I choose each scripture from my NIV Bible.”
Simon comes from a family of business owners and started her first business with her mother at age 19, and it’s still operating today. Her advice for young female entrepreneurs is to find your passion but remember your purpose.
Originally from Foley, Alabama, Simon and her husband moved to Mississippi in 2015 and fell in love with the hospitality they’ve found. She enjoys fishing with her family in the Sound and eating at Captain Al’s in Gulfport where the Bloody Marys and boiled shrimp are her favorites.
144 | September 2022
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living