The foster system, fatherhood and how a vanilla bean candle started The Essential Candle Co EMPIRE. How Jamie Woeltjes is finding his way.

Jamie didn’t grow up with ideal circumstances. In his words, he started life in “the shittiest situation.”In this episode of Finding Your Way, he opens up about what his childhood was really like, the mindset shift that changed his trajectory, and how he turned adversity into fuel.From operating out of a garage to building The Essential Candle Co into multiple Ballarat storefronts with his wife Kristine, Jamie shares the reality of scaling a business, what expanding into Melbourne met for the business, and what success means now as a husband and father.This conversation is about more than entrepreneurship. It’s about resilience, perspective, and learning when to push as well as when to pivot.If you’re trying to build something while balancing family, ambition, and your past, this one’s for you.You can follow The Essential Candle Co on Instagram at @theessentialcandle.co and shop online (and in store) at https://essentialcandleco.com.au