Conversations with Maritza Snader

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maritza Snader.

Hi Maritza, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, this story begins with my husband wanting to crate candles because we were burning them so often in our home that he thought making them would be a lot of fun. He asked my mother-in-law, his mom if she could send us some supplies.

Now, backstory on my mother in law, she has her own business making soaps, her company was in Los Angles and is called Zoapscentz. She also makes candles now and then. Well, once my husband expressed interest, that’s when it all started. She sent over a 30-pound box of wax, about 60 different scents, and about 200 wicks. When we received all of these items, my eyes lit up I ended up taking over and creating candles using our used but cleaned-out hot salsa containers from Sprouts.

From there I told one of our friends that own the wonderful coffee shop called Grounds For Dismissal about my creating candles. She suggested I make the candles in coffee cups and I could sell them at her shop. With my creativity on a rise, I decided to try. I made lots and sold them at the coffee shop, and soon after I sold more candles at a garage sale we were having in the neighborhood.

Now I am still in the same coffee shop, I am also traveling with Coastless Creatives vending at multiple locations with bands such as Dog Tags and Devynrae. I am excited to see what 2023 has in store for MarzCandles, I plan on growing by creating an online shop so people can purchase my amazing one-time experience candles. I put a lot of love, time, and positive energy into my candles to make them special, and I want to share them with the world.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Creating a candle business hasn’t been too difficult but it has not exactly been a smooth road either. I think my biggest struggle has been my mental struggles. Before creating my business I was in pursuit of a career. I received my Master’s degree during the pandemic in 2020 and that same week I got married. My husband and I moved from California to Aurora and shortly after I was going to sit for an exam to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Before taking the exam I found out I was pregnant.

I decided to leave my job and focused on my health and the growing baby while creating my candles. But during that time I struggled with deciding if creating my own business was right for me. I thought why did I leave my job many times, I thought I should have just kept candles as a hobby. I found myself searching for jobs on LinkedIn at one point all the time. I was unsure, even though my husband and strangers who had bought my candles said directly to me to keep going.

My doubt in myself was very strong. I was ready many times to give up. The road hasn’t been smooth but just like all my candles are different and special, my road to creating my business is just that. Different and special and made just for me. I am proud of myself for keeping with it because the struggle is hard, and the doubt speaks loudly. Denver has been good to me and I hope one day soon to give back and be better to this wonderful community.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The work I create is candles, they are each very special to me because they are all different. Not one of my candles is the same. I have been known to say candle making is more of an art than a science. Although not everyone would say that, it is my approach to creating my candles. My candles set me apart because most of my candles are made in coffee mugs that are upcycled and I do custom orders.

For instance, let’s say someone loves the smell of Fresh Cut Grass or Cuban Tobacco I can do that scent for their candle. I love working with untraditional scents and even mixing traditional scents, it creates a fun yet exotic aroma. Making my candles has allowed me to be as creative as possible. I have started creating candle stories which are candles that will have a backstory behind them. One of the first ones I’ve created is about the future and a zombie apocalypse in the year 2083.

Each story is a unique surprise and a one-time experience. Open the envelope attached to your candle and there’s your story. The more candles you get, the greater the story experience. It’s my first candle line and I feel like it will be a lot of fun to make more. These stories will be available for purchase at Spectra Art in Denver. They will smell amazing I promise and they will bring lots of joy.

What do you think about luck?
To be honest, I don’t believe in luck so much. I believe more so in doing good and being a good person gives you your blessings. If anything I could say I have been fortunate to be a lucky person but it wouldn’t fully sit right with me. I believe I’m a blessed person. And I feel like I can say this because I moved to Colorado during a difficult time when people were hardly going out and I knew no one. I only knew my husband and our realtor.

For me to be at the point where I am now, to have my face and product in a magazine is huge and I am humbled by this. I’m not one to say luck has anything to do with where I’m at now, but I can say that because I put effort into myself this moment is the result of my hard work and as long as I believe in myself and continue I truly can make the change I want to see in the world.

Pricing:

• $20 – 35 *Custom orders
• $30 Candle Stories
• $20 Mug Candles

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marzcandles/ | @MarzCandles