As a child growing up in Chicago, I watched my mom do the best that she could raising 5 kids (my two younger sisters and my two older brothers). Even though we had more downs than ups…..In my eyes she was perfect...In my eyes she prepared me for life. Just not without her! In 2015 my mother passed away and it left me distraught and numb to the world around me. I always wanted to give her the life she wasn't able to give to herself. Even though, I can no longer make this happen physically, I can do it in remembrance of her. One of my most memorable memories of my mother is the bold smell of coffee early in the am followed by the fresh smell of her many scented candles that she lit consistently throughout the day.

Her presence and existence was a true motivator in the birth of Icandy Coffee & Candles. Fast forwarding a few years later in 2020 (pandemic), I found myself in nursing school for the 3rd time! Only this time, I was more determined than ever to finish because I knew the world needed nurses like myself on the field who cared for others. I remember wrecking my brain on a daily basis studying for hours and being a stay at home mom! Can you imagine taking nursing exams hearing your daughter cry in the background every 5 minutes!  During this time, the one thing that kept me pushing forward was a steamy cup of coffee and candles.

This combination of coffee and candles inspired me to create a brand that was dedicated to resilient nurses around the world! Nurses and nursing students need to feel appreciated! I am a nurse, wife, mother, and now a business woman!  We all need an outlet. And I found that through coffee and candles. This here is the reason I dedicate my brand to nurses!

- Iesha Charmaine, CEO