When someone asks me what the Love, Jayce story is, so many things come to mind and I honestly don’t know where to even begin. It’s a story about dream, resilience and love.
I’ve been a big candle person for years now. The more I grow older, the more I want to focus on self-care. I always go to boutique shops and get inspired by the aesthetic and scent that comes with each candle, but I’m mainly inspired by the people in my life.
At the time, I was working in the sales industry. It was a mentally exhausting experience that left me feeling like I had no time or energy for my dream. Then something horrible happened in September of 2020. My friends and I got into a car accident during a road trip. I suffered through severe anxiety and depression for a while and to be honest I still fight it to this day.
One night in November, I couldn’t sleep and the dream of starting my own candle business came back to mind. A bunch of ideas came rushing in at 3 o’clock in the morning. After that, I started watching videos and learned everything I could about candle making. I would practice by making candles for friends and personal use. And yet again, life distracts us from our dreams and goals and it’s up to us to get ourselves back into it. Months and months passed without any candle making until November of 2021. I saw my candle making supplies just sitting in storage. I took it as a sign that it was time to get back into it. I made candles with 3 different holiday scents and gave them away to friends and family to see how they felt. A friend of mine ended up asking if I’ll be making more because she wanted to order some for Christmas! I took it as another sign, a confirmation that this might be the start of my dream.
I immediately started the Instagram page, worked on my labels, and came up with the name of the hobby. I settled with Love, Jayce because ultimately, this is kind of like my love letter to everyone. I started with 10 candle order and got up to 55 in a few weeks time. I ended up making 75 candles in total and sold all of them.
I started Love, Jayce because I wanted to give back to people in need and I hope to inspire people with my stories. It is my goal to create a product that people will love and appreciate without breaking the bank and I feel confident that I’ve held true to that. I’m really proud to have been able to donate 400 meals so far while doing something I love.
I’m a simple, 30 year old gay guy, who was born in the Philippines and moved to Vancouver, Canada in 2011 for a better life. I’m someone who wears his heart on his sleeve and loves deeply; someone who tries to be kind even though life makes that hard sometimes. Someone who loves to help people in need and give back whenever possible.
I want to give a big shout out to all of my family and friends that have supported me throughout this journey and continue to do so. Love, Jayce wouldn’t be here without any of you and you guys push me to keep going everyday. Thank you for believing in me always. I’m truly grateful. I love you all from the bottom of my heart.
Love, Jayce