Christle Aguilera, left, and her daughter Allie Aguilera pose in their storefront in the Market Place Underground in La Grande on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. The mother-daughter team started making candles in 2020 while bored at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The crafting quickly grew into a candle and soap business called Aguilera's Amazing Aromas.   

LA GRANDE — Most people wouldn’t associate local business success with the COVID-19 pandemic, but that’s exactly what happened for La Grande’s Christle and Allie Aguilera.

The mother-daughter duo had no idea the pandemic would turn their lives upside down. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, Allie Aguilera suggested they pull out candle-making supplies and get crafting. What started as a way to beat boredom quickly grew into something more — Aguilera’s Amazing Aromas.

“Our dreams and hopes grow and grow,” Christle Aguilera said.

They started selling their homemade candles to family and friends as a way to make some extra money. Then they set up a Facebook Marketplace store to reach more people. As candle supplies took over every available surface of the Aguilera home, it quickly became clear they had outgrown operating out of their house.

So, just a few days before Christmas 2020, they moved their business into a physical storefront. Suite 11 in the Market Place Underground became the new home for Aguilera’s Amazing Aromas. They also continued to build their online presence — launching a dedicated web store and shipping orders across the country.

While the mother-daughter duo are now a candle and soap making dream team, there was a lot they didn’t know at the start. The learning process involved a lot of trial and error. For example, each new variety of candle needed to undergo a wick test. Wax type, fragrance and dye all interact with how the wick burns and melts the candle.

Luckily for the Aguileras they have a lot of family members willing to test their products. The entrepreneurs said they always asks for honest feedback, as they strive to create the best products possible.

Making candles and soaps can become very formulaic, which is part of the reason Christle and Allie Aguilera enjoy working on custom orders. Making a unique product for someone forces them to experiment and pushes them outside their comfort zone.

Even now projects do not always go as planned. But, on the bright side, both soaps and candles can be melted back down and they can try again.

When the duo started their business Christle Aguilera was teaching kindergarten. She worked full days at school and then would spend a few hours working at Aguilera’s Amazing Aromas.

However, she said their home and family life was suffering — she knew something had to change. She got a remote job that would allow her more flexibility in her schedule and quit her teaching job. Then, all of a sudden, the remote job fell through, but she had already taken the plunge. She now works a few part-time jobs and has more time to devote to her and her daughter’s growing business.

Allie Aguilera is in the 12th grade. After graduation she plans on attending Blue Mountain Community College and studying business. She wants to take on more of the financial side of Aguilera’s Amazing Aromas.

The mother and daughter are equal partners in the enterprise. Going into business together has positively impacted each individually — but it also has strengthened their relationship.

“It made us closer,” Christle Aguilera said. “We’re mother and daughter, but we’re partners.”

Products: candles, wax melts, soaps and body scrubs

Brick-and-mortar shop: Market Place Underground, 1101 Washington Ave., Suite 11, La Grande

Online: www.aguilerasamazingaromas.com