Meet Radek Dockal | Creator and owner of ScentWick Candles

We had the good fortune of connecting with Radek Dockal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Radek, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always had an entrepreneurial mind growing up. I knew that one day, I wanted to own a business and be my own boss. In 2020, I decided to go to college and get a degree in Finance and Marketing. I have always loved candles and home fragrances in general. It was the same year I decided to launch our candle company, ScentWick Candles. The company started small, offering a few candle scents. Over the years, we grew to offer many more scents, added wax melts, and various styles and sizes of jars. In 2024, we are continuing to expand our assortment of home fragrances, and we are branching out beyond just wax products. Two new products coming up this year are room sprays and reed diffusers. Even though we started as a candle company, we are very excited to offer our customers other flameless options when it comes to scenting their homes.

What should our readers know about your business?
There are a lot of candle companies on the market, and starting out was challenging. Before launching our brand, I did a lot of research about the craft of candle making itself, as well as about different types of wax and fragrances available on the market. What sets our company apart are the materials we use, as well as our brand aesthetics. We use only American-made 100% soy wax in all of our candles and wax melts. As far as aesthetics, we like to go for a clean, boho-chic, natural look. Lastly, what is unique to our business is my background. Being born and raised in the Czech Republic and our customers hearing my accent is always a conversation starter. I love chatting with our customers and sharing my story. One of the challenges we encountered was just how heavily saturated the candle business is. But I learned that when you have a great product that people like and the right personality, the customers will always find you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Toledo actually has a lot to offer, in my opinion, way more than people realize. This is a pretty fitting question because my family is coming to the United States at the end of spring to attend my graduation from the University of Toledo, and we are putting together a list of places to visit and show them. The Toledo Zoo and the Art Museum are already on our list of local must-sees. Downtown Toledo also offers a large variety of places for dining and entertainment. Some of the places we would like to take them are Hannon’s Block Restaurant, Souk, The Heights, Brew House, and Toledo Spirits, just to name a few. For entertainment, we like to visit the bars on Adam St., such as Georgjz419, The Attic, and Ottawa Tavern. But my parents are not too much into nightlife. Toledo and the surrounding areas also offer an extensive network of Metroparks for those who enjoy the outdoors. My personal favorite is the new Glass City Metropark in downtown Toledo. I recently visited the park’s ice-skating rink, The Ribbon; I highly recommend it.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate this interview to my husband. He has been there every step of the way, and even though he doesn’t partake in the actual craft of making candles, he is a crucial pillar of our company. I always run all my ideas by him and ask for his opinion. He also helps me with all marketing efforts, and all the vendor events and festivals we participate in throughout the year.

Website: www.scentwickcandles.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scent.wick.candles

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scentwickcandles