Chloe Adams
How I Built This is an American podcast that showcases innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists and the stories behind their movements. In one such episode, Mei Xu, the founder of Chesapeake Bay Candle, talks about her journey from emigrating from China to the US 25 years ago to starting a multi-million dollar company. Similarly, Yankee Candle's founder, Mike Kittredge, started his company as a hobby, and within four years, it had grown into a multi-million dollar company.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | How I Built This |
| Type | Podcast |
| Host | Guy Raz |
| Description | Talks to innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists about the stories behind the movements they built |
| Country | USA |
| Network | NPR |
| Licensing Partner | Wondery |
| Notable Episodes | Chesapeake Bay Candle: Mei Xu, Yankee Candle's Journey to the Scenter of the Universe |
| Notable Guests | Mei Xu, Mike Kittredge, Rich Wuerthele, Wade Bassett |
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What You'll Learn
- Mei Xu's journey from China to founding Chesapeake Bay Candle
- How Yankee Candle's Mike Kittredge pioneered the candle industry?
- The story behind the success of the How I Built This podcast
- The importance of work-life balance in employee retention at Yankee Candle
- Mei Xu's experimentation with candle-making in her basement
Mei Xu's journey from China to founding Chesapeake Bay Candle
Mei Xu is a Chinese-American businesswoman and entrepreneur. She is the founder and former CEO of Chesapeake Bay Candle, a multi-million dollar company. Xu grew up in Hangzhou, China, and at the age of 12, she was selected to be trained as a future diplomat. She moved to the United States as an immigrant, where she began experimenting with candle-making in her basement using Campbell's Soup cans. This hobby eventually led to the creation of her flagship brand, Chesapeake Bay Candle.
Xu's interest in candle-making began when she would visit Bloomingdale's to admire their housewares. She started making candles with her sister, accidentally creating a unique snowflake texture by forgetting to add an ingredient. This mistake turned out to be a lucky break, as the candles became popular with buyers. The brand she created now offers over 150 textures and is sold by major retailers across the United States, including Target, Kohl's, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Hallmark.
In the early days, Xu produced her candles in a factory in China founded by her sister and brother-in-law, using ingredients imported from Europe and the United States. In 1995, the factory in Hangzhou began manufacturing the candles, and in 2004, engineers monitored the burn lab at the same location. In 2005, Xu expanded her business ventures by founding an interior lifestyle brand called Blissliving Home. In 2011, she opened another production and distribution facility in Glen Burnie, Maryland, which was toured by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin in 2014.
In September 2017, it was announced that Newell Brands had acquired Chesapeake Bay Candle for $75 million. Xu stepped down as CEO of the company in 2018 but remained at the helm of Pacific Trade International, the parent company of Chesapeake Bay Candle. In the same year, she launched meixu.com, a platform to empower women in business, and in 2021, she published a book, Burn: How Grit, Innovation, and a Dash of Luck Ignited a Multi-Million Dollar Success Story, detailing her journey as an entrepreneur.
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How Yankee Candle's Mike Kittredge pioneered the candle industry
Mike Kittredge, the founder of Yankee Candles, is credited with pioneering the candle industry. Yankee Candle, which started as a hobby, became a multimillion-dollar company within four years. Since then, the business has changed hands multiple times and has grown exponentially, surpassing the $1 billion mark. The company has maintained the values with which Kittredge started it: a focus on quality, the best fragrances, and innovation in manufacturing and marketing.
Kittredge's journey began when he melted crayons to make a candle for his mother for Christmas, as he could not afford to buy her a present. Neighbors saw his creation and encouraged him to make more, so he began selling his candles to local gift shops. Soon, his childhood home was overflowing with supplies and inventory.
The company's flagship store, located in South Deerfield, is known as the "Scenter of the Universe." It boasts a sprawling space with a variety of sections, including a candle emporium, a home store, a general store, and a fudge shop. The village has grown every year since the store's opening, with its single largest expansion occurring in 1993 with the addition of the Bavarian Village, a year-round Christmas section.
Yankee Candle's success can also be attributed to its commitment to its employees and their work-life balance. The company recognizes hard-working employees through annual and "on-the-spot" awards. This commitment has resulted in a high average tenure among its staff, with many employees staying with the company for over a decade.
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The story behind the success of the How I Built This podcast
"How I Built This" is an American podcast about innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists and the stories behind the movements they built. It is produced by NPR and hosted by Guy Raz, an NPR journalist. The podcast began on September 12, 2016, with Raz interviewing innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists about their journeys.
The podcast has been a huge success, with Raz's engaging interview style and thoughtful questions drawing out the raw, personal, and often surprising journeys of his guests. In 2018, due to the success of the podcast, Raz launched the "How I Built This Summit" in San Francisco, California. The event featured keynote speakers, many of whom had been previously featured on the podcast, as well as networking activities and career-focused workshops.
The success of the podcast and the summit led to a licensing deal with Wondery in 2022, with 13 podcast industry award nominations and four wins. In 2020, Raz also released a book titled "How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs," which highlights key moments and stories from the podcast.
The podcast has featured a diverse range of entrepreneurs and their unique stories. For example, Mei Xu, who emigrated from China to the U.S. 25 years ago, started making candles in her basement with Campbell's Soup cans. This experiment led to the multi-million-dollar company Chesapeake Bay Candle. Another guest, Tristan Walker, founded Bevel, a subscription shaving system for men of color, after experiencing razor bumps himself and discovering that many other men of color faced a similar issue. After countless meetings with doubtful investors, Walker's brand eventually grew to include 36 hair and beauty products, and he became the first black CEO of Proctor & Gamble after selling his company in 2018.
"How I Built This" has inspired and continues to inspire people with its insightful and engaging stories of innovation and entrepreneurship.
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The importance of work-life balance in employee retention at Yankee Candle
Yankee Candle is a company that manufactures candles and flameless products like wax melts and scent plugs. The company was started by Mike Kittredge, who sadly passed away in 2019, but his legacy and values remain. The company has grown exponentially, surpassing the $1 billion mark, and now manufactures over 85 million candles in Massachusetts each year. With such growth, it is important to retain employees, and Yankee Candle has achieved this through its commitment to work-life balance.
The average tenure at Yankee Candle Village is an impressive 15 years, with some employees staying for over three decades. This is a testament to the company's dedication to employee satisfaction and well-being. Wade Bassett, the director of Sales and Operations, attributes this long-term commitment to the company's focus on work-life balance and understanding what makes their employees successful and motivated to come to work.
Bassett highlights that the company offers various incentives to keep employees invested in the business and its culture. These include annual awards and "on-the-spot" recognitions for hard-working sales associates. Additionally, Bassett himself has been with the company for 28 years, which speaks to the effectiveness of these initiatives in fostering long-term employee retention.
The company's focus on work-life balance has clearly played a crucial role in retaining employees and fostering a sense of loyalty and commitment. This is especially evident when considering the average tenure of employees, which far surpasses that of many other companies. By understanding the importance of employees' personal lives and providing opportunities for growth and recognition, Yankee Candle has created a culture that values and supports its workforce.
In conclusion, Yankee Candle's commitment to work-life balance has been instrumental in its employee retention success. By prioritizing employees' well-being and creating a culture that recognizes and rewards hard work, the company has fostered a dedicated and long-serving workforce. This approach has not only benefited the employees but also contributed to the company's overall success and exponential growth over the years.
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Mei Xu's experimentation with candle-making in her basement
Mei Xu's experimentation with candle-making began in her basement, where she began crafting candles using Campbell's Soup cans. This hobby of hers started 25 years ago when she emigrated from China to the United States. She found joy in browsing housewares at Bloomingdale's, and this passion for home goods eventually led to her experimentation with candle-making.
Xu's basement provided the perfect space for her to explore her creativity and turn her passion into a successful business venture. It offered a private and secluded environment where she could focus on her craft without distractions. The basement also served as a convenient storage space for her candle-making supplies, allowing her easy access to the materials she needed for her experiments.
She likely transformed a corner of her basement into a makeshift workshop, with shelves lined with jars of scented oils, colourful waxes, and boxes of wicks. The walls may have been adorned with inspirational mood boards, and the air would have been filled with the aroma of melting wax and essential oils.
Xu's experimentation with candle-making in her basement was a labour of love. She would have spent countless hours refining her craft, testing different wax and fragrance combinations, and perfecting the art of wick placement. The basement would have been filled with the warm glow of her creations, each candle a testament to her dedication and creativity.
Through her perseverance and innovation, Xu transformed her hobby into a thriving business. Her basement experiments laid the foundation for what would become Chesapeake Bay Candle, a multi-million dollar company that continues to bring warmth and light to homes across the nation.
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Frequently asked questions
'How I Built This' is an American podcast about innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists, and the stories behind the movements they built. It is produced by NPR and hosted by Guy Raz.
Chesapeake Bay Candle and Yankee Candle are two companies that have been discussed on the podcast. Chesapeake Bay Candle was started by Mei Xu, who emigrated from China to the U.S. and began making candles in her basement with Campbell's Soup cans. Yankee Candle was started by Mike Kittredge as a hobby, and it eventually grew into a multimillion-dollar company.
In addition to the podcast, there is a book called "How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs" written by Guy Raz, which highlights key moments and stories from the podcast. There is also an event called the "How I Built This Summit" that features keynote speakers, many of whom have been featured on the podcast, as well as networking activities and career-focused workshops.
