Chelsea Crockwell thinks it was sometime during lockdown that she came up with a business idea that combined her love of God with her interest in candles and home decor.

Acting on faith, she then submitted her idea to the Rocket Pitch Competition hosted by the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation each year as a way of supporting entrepreneurs who are establishing or expanding their business.

“Faithful Fragrance stems from my love of God first and the importance of self-care,” she said of the faith-based company she started this year.

“I’m not really sure when the idea popped in my head, probably during lockdown, but I love home decor and I consider myself a DIY girl. So, I made my first order of supplies in May and committed to the business venture.”

Each candle scent is connected to a Biblical virtue and verse.

Said Ms Crockwell: “I’m very intentional about these candles. I’ve dubbed them the divine unwind. The Bible verse on each fragrance is intentional. I know the elements of faith that are really important to me – such as love, patience and forgiveness – and I wanted to take these elements and connect them with a Bible verse.

“The candle has the potential to lead your mind to eternal thoughts. That was my intention for including a Bible verse on each candle. My goal is to plant the seed. It’s a non-invasive way of spreading the light and love of Jesus. Whatever the Holy Spirit does after that, is out of my control.”

Ms Crockwell was prompted to enter the Pitch Green category of the competition by her good friend, Alyson Thompson, who won it last year.

“I had so much self-doubt about this. I kept talking myself out it because it was so out of my comfort zone. I didn’t even start typing my submission until 4.12pm on the day of the deadline.

“But my motivation for submitting was the possibility that I could bring God into an environment where He may not have already been. When I received the e-mail that I made it to the preliminary rounds I knew God had a plan for this experience.”

Although she “struggled” with the financial side of the competition, she put her trust in God.

“I knew that God wanted to stretch me in this process. I wanted to give God my best, so I used the discomfort around the finances and administration of the business as a catalyst to grow,” Ms Crockwell said.

“I was determined to do God justice. I spent a lot of late nights with my dad working out the budget and really turning this from just a passion project to a legitimate business. It was a faith and character-building experience for me.”

As Faithful Fragrance candles are environmentally friendly and non-toxic she thought they were a perfect fit for the BEDC’s Pitch Green category which focuses on business ideas that have minimal negative impact on the global or local environment.

“My candles fall into this category because of the way they are made. The ingredients are all natural. I use natural soy wax; the wicks are made from cotton and are zinc- and lead-free. The fragrance oils are phthalate-free. It’s in a sustainable jar that can be refilled. It is a clean and environmentally friendly burn.

“The environment is very important to me. Each ingredient is intentionally selected to be all natural and healthy. I couldn’t put a product in someone’s home that could be harmful.”

Ms Crockwell made her final pitch at the Rocket Pitch finals November 18.

“I was very nervous. But my motivation wasn’t necessarily to win. It was sharing my passion for Jesus and that is something that I do with joy and excitement. So, I just got up on that stage and did what I do best.

“When I won my category, all I could think was, ‘wow’! The way God works is incredible. This was a thumbs-up from God and now I’m excited to expand this business for His glory.”

Ms Crockwell hopes to expand her selection of candles from four fragrances to twelve and add other self-care products to her brand.

She believes this business is the culmination of years of developing a relationship with God and learning to trust Him to lead her into a life of fulfilment.

“I want to create products that are God-centred and lead people to Christ,” she explained.” So many people separate faith from business, as if they cannot coexist. But your ministry and your money does not have to be separate.

“God’s love is something I cannot even express. Faithful Fragrance only scratches the surface. The opportunity to create things that speak of Him fills me with so much joy.”

Faithful Fragrance candles are available from the Plant Based Vegan Grocery in Southampton, and from Chelsea Crockwell directly: @faithfulfragrancesbda on Instagram or faithfulfgragrancebda@gmail.com