( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) From Candles to Children’s Markets, Learn More About Kid Entrepreneurship
ENSPIRE Contributor: Jack Rich
Everyone loves candles. They make the house smell nice, they provide a cozy ambience, and they make for pretty good gifts. If you’re looking to buy some candles that aren’t from Yankee Candle, Bath and Body Works, or any other large brand, there’s a relatively new brand that you can buy them from: Bubbles and Blaze. They’re an independent vegan candle seller who focuses on products that are both environmentally friendlier and healthier than traditional candles. What’s more, the business is owned by a teenager.
Alphonse “Fonzi” Coleman is the 14-year-old entrepreneur who launched Bubbles and Blaze as a project while being homeschooled. Despite its humble origins, it’s had $3,000 worth of sales so far, and Investopedia even features Coleman on its list of 10 successful entrepreneurs. Keeping with the theme of young entrepreneurs, it’s worth mentioning a Children’s Entrepreneur Market that exists and was created by Connor Boyack. Boyack is the founder of Libertas Network, a non-profit think-tank based in Utah, which seeks to promote family-centric values.
As part of this, they’re helping young entrepreneurs with the Children’s Entrepreneur Market. This is a marketplace event built for kids, where they can set up booths and sell their products. It happens all over, and if you’d like to check if there’s one near you, you can search on their website here.
We had the opportunity to speak to both Coleman and Boyack to learn more about young entrepreneurship. Here are Coleman’s responses.
What inspired you to create this business, and why did you choose to make candles?
Bubbles & Blaze started as a homeschool project that I worked on with my mom. The goal was to find a real-world problem, come up with a solution, and turn it into a business. (She really likes to provide me with real-life learning opportunities). I quickly noticed that my mom was often stressed out—trying to juggle homeschooling, running her business, and taking care of our family. That’s when I discovered how certain scents could actually help people feel calmer and more relaxed. Candles felt like the perfect way to share that calming power.
As I started learning more, I found out that many candles are made with harmful waxes that aren’t good for the environment or your home. So I chose to use eco-friendly coconut soy wax and wooden wicks instead. They are clean-burning, sustainable, and better for everyone.
Solving these two problems—stress and safety—turned my project into a real business. And that’s how Bubbles & Blaze was born.
What challenges or fears did you face when starting your business, and what helped you move past them?
One of my biggest fears in the beginning was that I had absolutely no idea how to make candles—or run a business. I had zero experience. But instead of letting that stop me, I chose to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Every time I made a mistake, I tried not to feel too down about it. I treated it like a lesson instead of a failure. That mindset helped me build my skills and confidence.
Even now, I still worry sometimes about messing up a batch and wasting materials. But I remind myself that making mistakes is part of the process, and each one helps me get better. I’m learning that the key is to keep learning, stay curious, and not give up.
What is the main goal that you hope to achieve with this business?
My biggest goal is freedom. I want to create a life where I’m not just following the usual path or building someone else’s dream—I want to build my own. With Bubbles & Blaze, I’m learning how to think creatively, solve real problems, and grow something meaningful from the ground up. My mission is to inspire other kids to believe they can do the same—that they don’t have to wait until they’re adults to start dreaming big and making an impact.
Are you looking to start any other businesses in the future, or are you focused on growing this one?
Yes, I am! As part of another homeschool project, I’m currently working on creating an online marketplace where farmers can sell their goods directly to customers. It’s a way to solve some of the challenges farmers face—like getting more people to find, trust, and buy from them. While Bubbles & Blaze is still a big part of my journey, I’m also passionate about exploring new ideas that help people and solve actual problems, and live better.
What have you learned throughout this project, and what advice would you give to young and aspiring entrepreneurs?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned so far—and the advice I’d give to any young entrepreneur—can be summed up in one word: adapt.
Running a business is like riding a roller coaster. There are high points, low points, unexpected twists, and even a few scary drops. But the one thing that will always help you stay on track is your ability to adapt. Things won’t always go as planned. Sales might slow down, mistakes might happen, or you might hit a roadblock that feels impossible to move past. That’s when you have to be flexible—willing to shift, try something new, and find another way forward.
Adapting doesn’t mean giving up on your dream. It may just mean adjusting your approach so you can keep chasing it—even when the ride gets bumpy.
And here are Boyackman’s responses.
What challenges or fears did you face when starting your business, and what helped you move past them?
We see a lot of kids coming out of their shells and becoming more confident and self-assured. It can be scary going from your normal life to suddenly trying to make a sale to dozens of random strangers at a single event. Something happening more behind the scenes at home is the growth of economic and practical skills. Kids have to tackle questions geared towards running an actual business. How much does my product cost to make? How much do I need to sell it for to make a profit? What actually goes into making my product? What does my marketing look like? We see kids coming back time and time again, making improvements to all these with each new market.
What is the main goal that you hope to achieve with this business?
Kids are capable of so much more than most people tend to give them credit for. We live in a time where passive media consumption via social media is at an all-time high, and we don’t yet know the consequences of this new normal on these young minds. We are bringing kids a real-life experience, with real problems and solutions, and of course, some healthy competition. The opportunity to run their own, independent business at our markets gives them something to work towards and improve on. It’s so exciting knowing these kid-preneurs are developing skills they will carry with them throughout their lives.
Are you looking to start any other businesses in the future, or are you focused on growing this one?
We are growing aggressively! Our goal is to be in all 50 states by the end of 2025. We want to give this opportunity to as many young entrepreneurs as possible. This means hiring the most incredible local market managers and partnering with the events most likely to give our entrepreneurs a great experience overall.
What have you learned throughout this project, and what advice would you give to young and aspiring entrepreneurs?
We often ask young entrepreneurs at our markets what advice they would give to other aspiring entrepreneurs. What they most often say can be generally put into these three categories:
1. Just do it!
2. Be diligent and keep at it, even when it’s hard.
3. Focus on creating something you personally enjoy and are passionate about.
Bonus tip 4… Don’t eat your product!
We want to encourage young entrepreneurs to step out of their comfort zones and try new things. These markets are open for kids ages 5-17. Imagine starting at 5, and having twelve years just to perfect your product and marketing? ‘Just do it’ is a great message to any parents or kids who are intrigued, but aren’t totally sure just yet.
If you’re a parent of a child, or a child yourself, and are interested in the Children’s Entrepreneur Market, you can check out the link here. They’ve hosted markets in 368 cities, so there will likely be a market near you.
As for Coleman, he seems to be on the road to success. According to Investopedia, he received a $750 entrepreneur scholarship, which should help his business become successful. He’s also using his business for philanthropic means. According to the Bubbles and Blaze website, they have donated money to Water for South Sudan and are convincing more people every day of the need for vegan candles. The future is yet to be determined, but things look bright for Alphonse “Fonzi” Coleman.
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