Gold Coast entrepreneur Shakira Hanson, the visionary behind the Sensual Massage Candle, is transforming bedrooms and relationships across the Nation with her innovative creation. Her business, Hanson Candle Co, recently won the Editors Choice Award at the annual She-Com Awards on the Gold Coast for the Sensual Massage Candles in the intimates category.
While Australia's divorce rate has soared to an all-time high of 48 per cent, Shakira and Hanson Candle Co. is on a mission to reignite connection and passion in the bedroom, particularly among post-childbirth women navigating self-consciousness and relationship strains.
Shakira Hanson is the entrepreneurial force behind the Sensual Massage Candle, whose journey from candle enthusiast to professional candlemaker ignites a tale of innovation, love, and personal evolution.
“It's more than just selling candles; it's about kindling the flame, the love, and empowering couples to rediscover the spark that first brought them together,” she said.
Shakira's journey began in the candle section of Kmart which is a far cry from the romantic bedroom setting where the flicker of a flame and the promise of intimacy are usually found. She wanted to add some excitement to the marital bedroom during her husband's off-work stays. The soft glow of candles became a part of their nightly rituals, adding an element of excitement.
However, Shakira's passion for candles soon posed a problem.
"A growing pile of discarded jars cluttered nearly every corner of our home," she confessed. This inconvenience sparked an idea that began Shakira's entrepreneurial endeavours.
Shakira jumped down the rabbit hole of waxen wonders despite the path being fraught with challenges as she juggled a full-time day job, leaving only long countless nights to refine her creations.
Finally, in 2020, Shakira and her husband launched Hanson Candle Co. The company offers soy wax refill inserts to sustainably repurpose discarded candle jars.
Shakira's passion for candle-making grew and she soon created the Sensual Massage Candle. This candle is crafted using a concoction of natural ingredients that transform into a warm, skin-friendly massage oil when lit.
“Our massage candles were born out of a market gap at the time. My husband Rick worked on a FIFO (Fly-In-Fly-Out) schedule, and I was looking for ways to add excitement to our bedroom on his return,” Shakira mentioned.
“Months of experimentation followed to perfect the formula, ensuring it consisted of natural ingredients that provided a warm, skin-friendly sensation without burning. These intimacy-enhancing candles stand apart from regular candles; when lit, they transform into a sensuous massage oil, ready to be poured onto the skin for an amazing experience.”
"I worked hard designing and testing more new products. I researched and created many candles. It turned out to be much harder than I thought,” Shakira admitted. “The path to sustainable candles was no easy feat. But finally, we released the Sensual Massage Oil Candles, flame free options, and Natural Body oils.
But her entrepreneurial spirit didn't stop there. In 2021, the couple introduced 'TruWiks'—a revolutionary candle-making tool designed to hold wicks in place, crafted from 100% recycled plastic.
"We designed the TruWiks product ourselves, prototyped and manufactured it in Australia using 100% recycled plastic. We are now stocked across three countries and have more than 60,000 units in circulation."
Shakira's story goes beyond the typical entrepreneurial tale; it's very-much a story of personal growth and development.
After being made redundant from her corporate job, she finally had the time and opportunity to pursue her entrepreneurial dream. However, her balancing act was far from over. Destiny intervened with a new chapter in her life: motherhood.
When Shakira and her partner welcomed their beautiful baby daughter into the world, the business of selling candles took a backseat to the joys of motherhood.
Shakira said, "I worked hard until a week before giving birth. But when our little girl was born, we decided that she would be the only focus of our attention. We wanted to cherish every moment with her, so I decided to put the candle business on hold."
"I slowed down my marketing efforts and focused on spending quality time with my family."
However, amid the joys of parenthood, nappy changes and sleepless nights, Shakira faced her own battles. Post-childbirth challenges, body image concerns, and the demands of parenting brought on depression.
"There were moments when I considered closing the business," she shared candidly.
"Even if you're a confident person, nothing prepares you for the personal development you go through when having a child."
"I can genuinely say, hand to heart, that I could not have survived without our massage candles after having our daughter. It wasn't just about sex but about reconnecting with my husband, about nurturing our relationship beyond the baby's cries. That's where the real art of working on marriage lies. These candles are more than wax and wick, they are a tool to get that fire back and rediscover the love you may have forgotten you had for each other".
Shakira's inspiring message to women is one of sisterhood and empowerment. As a mumpreneur, she reminds us that even when facing moments of isolation and solitude, we have tools within ourselves to empower, shape our happiness, and rekindle the flames of passion that burn with us.
Now, Shakira embraces the joys of motherhood alongside her entrepreneurial endeavours.
She can rest easy knowing that from a spark in the candle aisles of Kmart to the shelves of three countries, her journey illuminates more than just wax and wicks. It's a story of resilience and transformation of Self... and the bedroom.