About the Makers
By my count, in the Vancouver area alone, there are at least 50 candle makers. Each one has a slightly different design, a slightly different ethos and philosophy. Each one was specifically engineered to fill a tiny gap in the candle market, or to express someone's slightly different taste. We weren't.
I don't know how it started, but as long as I can remember, Sam and I have been drawn to business. After meeting in high school, we just couldn't stop chasing idea after idea. Every single day after school, and to the dismay of our teachers, in every class, we were absolutely obsessed with whatever business we had come up with that week. Some failed. Most barely got off the ground. One T-shirt company started a school-wide controversy. But with every sttempt, we learned something new about building a business - and about each other.
Over time, became more aware of how our personalities and skillsets complimented each other. With each new company, we lasted a little longer. Sold one more random item. Had a slightly more organized system. Then, we made the right mistake.
Before Ember & Oak, we had another candle company, Flame. It didn't last, but we finally reached escape velocity. Our spreadsheets, market knowledge, coding skills, design skills, we didn't know it at the time, they were all finally good enough.
In May, 2025, Sam wanted a summer hobby. we still had candle-making supplies sitting around, so he poured a few candles in a new style, just for fun. We posted them on our local facebook page, expecting almost nothing.
They sold. Then they sold again. Somewhere along the way, we'd unknowingly combined everything we'd learned over the previous three years into one simple product.
No gimmicks. No trends. No flashy designs. We hadn't set out to create something revolutionary. We'd created something dependable. A candle that fit naturally into almost any home. Clean Design. Quality ingredients. Timeless scents. A product people could buy with confidence, knowing it would make a space feel warmer and more inviting.
Looking back, Ember & Oak wasn't built intentionally. It was the result of years of failed ideas, unexpected opportunities, and countless lessons that only made sense once they all came together.
We like to joke that this company was never supposed to exist.
Maybe that's exactly why it does.
— Evan Mottley
