Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Molyneaux.
Hi Michelle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
WickyWags started in 2020 during the pandemic, when life looked a little different for everyone. We were spending a lot more time at home, and somewhere between our love of candles and our love for animals, WickyWags was born.
We didn’t start with a big space, a team, or a business plan. We started in our apartment kitchen, making candles by hand and figuring things out as we went. On the weekends, we would pack up our candles and head to vendor shows, excited (and probably a little nervous!) to see if people would love what we had created as much as we did.
From the very beginning, we knew we wanted WickyWags to have a purpose beyond simply making candles. We wanted to create a candle we felt good about burning in our own home while also giving back to something we truly care about — nonprofit animal rescues. That mission has stayed at the heart of WickyWags from day one, and every quarter we donate a portion of our sales to help support rescues and the animals waiting for their forever homes.
We make our candles with 100% soy wax, no paraffin, and phthalate-free fragrance oils because creating a cleaner-burning option was important to us. And because our dogs are such a huge part of our lives, it only felt right that they would become a huge part of the business, too.
That’s where the fun really started. We began turning our love for animals into fun pet-pun candle names — SnickerPoodle, Pup’kin Chihuahua Chai, Caturday Morning Cartoons, Pawsome Blossom, Mornin’ Pup of Joe, Forest Fraser Purr, and so many more. Our three huskies have also become our unofficial WickyWags employees, showing up at vendor shows, making appearances on social media, and giving us endless content whether they were actually asked to or not.
Over the past six years, WickyWags has grown into something we honestly never imagined when we were standing in our apartment kitchen making those first candles. We’ve met so many amazing people, traveled to countless markets, connected with fellow animal lovers, supported rescues, and watched our little idea become a business that means so much to us.
We’ve also been lucky enough to create custom candles and Rainbow Bridge candles. Those are especially meaningful because they allow us to create something personal to honor a beloved pet, celebrate their life, or simply keep their memory close. Being trusted to be a small part of someone’s story like that is something we never take for granted.
When we look back at where we started, we’re incredibly proud — but even more than that, we’re grateful. Grateful for every person who has purchased a candle, stopped at our booth, shared a post, brought a friend to a market, supported a rescue, or simply cheered us on along the way.
WickyWags started with a love for candles and a love for animals. Six years later, that love is still what lights every wick.
Every wick supports a wag. ❤️
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve learned that some of the best ideas come from a little trial and error. We spend countless hours experimenting with new scents, and some never make it to the final collection. But when we create one that we truly love, it makes all the experimenting worth it. The journey isn’t always perfect, but we’re always creating, learning, and having fun along the way.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
WickyWags is something my husband and I have built together, usually in the hours after our full-time jobs and on weekends when most people are relaxing. What started as a passion project has grown into a small business that we’re incredibly proud of and continue to pour our hearts into.
We handle every part of WickyWags ourselves — from creating and testing scents to pouring candles, packing orders, traveling to markets, and dreaming up what’s next. It’s a lot to balance with full-time careers, but we genuinely love what we’ve created.
What we’re most proud of is the impact we’ve been able to make. We’ve donated to 26 animal rescues and counting and have given more than $10,000 back to the rescue community. That mission is at the heart of everything we do.
Our love for animals is also what gives WickyWags its personality. Our candles have fun pet-pun names like SnickerPoodle, Pup’kin Chihuahua Chai, Pawsome Blossom, and Mornin’ Pup of Joe. The names are meant to make people smile, but they also tell a bigger story — that every candle has a purpose behind it.
For us, WickyWags isn’t just a side business. It’s something we’ve built together, one candle, one market, and one wag at a time. And knowing that something we created can bring joy to someone’s home while helping animals in need makes all those late nights and busy weekends completely worth it.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Without a doubt, my husband deserves the biggest shoutout. WickyWags was actually his idea, and I’ll be honest — I was very hesitant in the beginning. But he spent countless hours learning, experimenting, and mastering the craft of candle making. Watching him put so much time and passion into it made me realize there was something really special here, and I knew I wanted to build it together.
From there, our family and friends became some of our biggest cheerleaders. Every person who has purchased a candle, shared a post, brought someone to a market, or simply encouraged us along the way has played a part in our success. Our WickyWags customers have truly become part of our family, and we’re incredibly grateful for every single one of them.
We also owe so much to the animal rescues we support. These organizations and the people behind them pour their hearts into helping animals every single day, often facing incredibly difficult circumstances. They are a huge part of why we do what we do and a constant reminder of the purpose behind WickyWags.
At the end of the day, there really isn’t one person or one moment that made WickyWags successful. It has been a community effort. Our family, our friends, our customers, and the rescue community are the heart behind this business, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wickywags.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wickywags_candles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WickyWags/
