Sharie Hendricks remembers when she turned her family kitchen and garage into a candle-making factory.

Experimenting with various fragrances, wax blends, packaging, and more, she created Laguna Candles in 2003. Hendricks found success with products sold in luxury hotels, spas, and specialty stores across North America.

But then a large retailer targeted the brand, alleging Laguna Candles infringed on products from Flame & Wax, Inc. After three years of litigation, the United States Patent and Trademark Office upheld the Hendricks family company's trademark rights.

Now, Hendricks is celebrating 20 years in business, grateful for the lessons and learning opportunities along the way.

“We are proud to celebrate the 20-year mark as a family-run Black and woman-owned business,” Hendricks said. “We fought hard to protect what we've built. Even when it was tough and our trademark case went on for years, we did not stop. With much prayer and perseverance, we prevailed. We hope to inspire other business owners that when faced with Goliath-like obstacles, be prepared and determined not to let it break you.”

Laguna Candles has been featured by ELLE Décor, Allure, New York Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and more. The company also created 16,000 candles for Ellen DeGeneres' Be Kind candle collection.