Lit & Co is a locally owned business specializing in natural soy candles and home fragrance that was founded in Boise, Idaho in 2012. Everyone at Lemp Real Estate is a huge fan of the different candles and scents that Lit & Co offers. Kaitlin Powell was able to interview Kristen Jackson from Lit & Co.

We love the name of your shop, how did you decide on it?

The original intent was to have a combination wine bar + candle shop, so it was a play on words that just stuck. 

What made you choose your two locations for your shop?

After the lease was up in BoDo, one of my dear business friends (Bee Wise Goods) encouraged Lit&Co to join the shops on State Street; it was a very easy decision as there were already some fantastic local businesses established and the location was fabulous!  Two years later, I saw the growth potential in Hyde Park and knew that was where I wanted to go next - the lively neighborhood, the walkability, the other businesses and the general 'feel' of the area really excited me and I knew I wanted to be a part of the experience.

How do you make new scents? 

We listen to our customers and clients, consider current trends, analyze what didn't work in the past, and start bringing in samples of everything that sounds interesting.  Once samples are in our hands, we put each fragrance through our testing process to see which makes the cut and go from there.  We often blend our own fragrances in house as well, which helps cut down on waste and excess while also creating completely unique scents under the brand. 

Credit: Ampersand Studios

What scents do you recommend most to new customers?

We first try to nail down a category (citrus, woods, bakery, floral, etc) and go from there, but our tried and true crowd pleasers are Blood Orange + Goji, Cascade Hops, Teak+Tobacco and River Rock.

What is your favorite thing about owning your shop?

Being a part of the community- from helping someone find the perfect gift for someone else, to providing great products to our local wholesale stockists to sell in their stores, to offering fundraising programs for organizations to raise significant funds, to providing jobs to local people in our community, I absolutely love being involved!

What has been the most rewarding part of owning your shop?

It has been incredibly rewarding to provide jobs to fantastic local people who want to be a part of the brand as it grows (which wouldn't be possible without the support of the community!).

How did you come up with the idea of having customers being able to make their own candles? 

I wanted to create an experience that was easy, memorable, and unique.  Fragrance can be such a personal preference, so offering the ability to DIY meant people could get exactly what they wanted while having fun at the same time. 

Credit: Ampersand Studios

Are there any other business ventures that you are currently working on?

In the last 18 months, I expanded the brand to offer Private Labeling services under our sister company, BRANDLESS Home Fragrance, where we create completely blank product for other companies to label as their own - this has led to many Private Label accounts nation-wide that are selling candles we have made under our client's own branding.  I'm always willing to consider expanding Lit&Co. Candles into other areas of Treasure Valley and beyond, so perhaps another retail shop is on the way... 

What is your favorite candle?

Library!  No... Teak+Tobacco.  Or maybe Red Currant.  Nah, it's Ponderosa Pine.  Or... Red Ginger.  White Tea.  Kauai.  Basil!  Bergamot!  Let's just say I'm glad we have 80+ choices to suit whatever mood I'm in.

We would like to thank Kristen Jackson from Lit & Co for answering our questions! You can find them at 3019 W State Street in Boise. You can reach them at (208) 994-1041. Alternatively, you can find them in Hyde Park at 1517 ½ N 13th Street and reach them at (208) 994-8792. If you have any questions, you can email them at hello@litandco.com. Please stay tuned for more of our Live Good, Live Local campaign!