PHOENIX — Americans have filed a record number of applications to start new businesses since the pandemic started, according to census data.
A Valley woman is one of the many to become an entrepreneur after losing her job in 2020.
"I was an executive assistant," Christie Edwards said. "I went from having a job and being very busy, to 13 of us being let go the following week."
She took matters into her own hands, going from employee to being her own boss.
"You know, nobody was hiring because everyone went on lockdown so just kind of decided to do some candles."
Edwards now owns and operates her candle company called Madera Wick.
"We use wooden wicks and wood in Spanish is madera so that’s where the name came from."
Not only did Edwards lose her previous career to COVID-19, but she also lost her dad.
"His oxygen levels, they couldn’t bring it up," she explained with tears. "January 25th of last year he passed away and candles were on hold, I didn’t want to do anything."
She put a pause on the business she launched at the height of the pandemic until she said she got a sign from above at his funeral.
"[The priest] was giving his sermon about the lighting of the candles on February 2nd. Everyone in my family said it, 'if that's not a sign I don't know what is.'"
The sermon sparked a fire in her to keep going. Edwards said her new candle company has become a source of light in all the darkness.
"Without a doubt I know he is looking down going 'you got this, you can take it to the next level you just have to keep at it even when the days are hard."
If you want to check out Madera Wick, click here.
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