Out Here Making His World Smile: Dazhon Ware and Momma’s Boy Creations, Scented Candles

Dazhon Ware has his sales talk down, in a way to suggest this young man of 13 has not only rehearsed his words for solicitation in front of a mirror but has spoken them in front of a total stranger many, many times and closed the deal.  Ware makes and sells his own scented candles for $10 each, through his company Momma’s Boy Creations.  “The candle business has been a blessing to me in several ways gave me great opportunities meeting new people,” Ware said of his seven-month-old company.

When I asked a couch-sitting Ware how he approaches a potential customer, he had to stand up to tell me. 

“I say, hello, how are you doing today?”  He held his hand out to shake mine.  “My name is Dazhon Ware and I sell Momma’s Boy Creations scented candles.  All my candles burned for 48 hours straight and I have 24 different fragrances.  Here, try Lemon Lavender.”

He described his Wild Cherries fragrance as “loud, it’s booming once you light it.” Fresh linen is “fresh, it’s clean.  I like the expression on people’s face when they smell the candles.”

Ware sells his candles door-to-door in his neighborhood, barber shops, his church, at events like Juneteenth and the Macronni Fest, and on his website, BoyCreations.Store.

By his best guess, he’s sold over a hundred candles so far.  The idea for the company came from his father, who sold candles before his son was born.  “Now, I’m taking it and running with it,” Ware said.  Both father and son are momma’s boy, Ware said; the logo is actually an illustration, drawn by Dazhon’s little cousin, of Ware’s father and his grandmother.

The specific ingredients in the candles themselves are a family secret; all I could get out of Ware was, “momma’s love is the secret.”  But what I can report without the fear of disappointed text message is that the do-it-yourself candles are made over the stove with pots and pans; sometimes both father and son pour the contents in jar, sometimes the entrepreneur does it himself.  He has around 200 jarred candles in his inventory in anticipation for the holiday season.

He’s working on several Christmas-themed candles like Jack Frost.  For the month of November, Ware is donating 10% back of the proceeds from the sale of every Wild Cherry, Fresh Vanilla, and Cool Water candle to the veteran’s group Volunteers of America.

Ware is thirteen and has already given back to his community.  Before his business, he was playing football, sports.  He attends Paul Harding Junior High School.  “[My friends] think it’s awesome that I have my own.  It came off as a surprise.  They never thought a 13-year-old would have their own business,” he said.

Ware’s candle business is his first venture, but not the means to an end as the young man wants to study business in college and get into real estate, flipping houses for a profit.  He receives some direction from the Bloom Project, founded by Arnetta Scruggs, the nonprofit group that brings in more advanced entrepreneurs to speak to kids.  “They talk to us about why they did it and why it’s awesome if you do your own thing,” Ware said.  “They are always pushing you forward to make sure you do great things.”  Selling candles might be one of many ventures for Ware; he has multiple sources for inspiration and direction.

“I like to see people happy,” he said. They’re happy when they buy a house.  And “they buy a candle, they leave with smile.  Happy and joyful.”