The Town That Hustled in the Dark

What happens when the lights go out but the entrepreneurial fire keeps burning? This captivating episode takes you on a journey to fictional Ebon Hollow, where three unlikely entrepreneurs—Rena, Jax, and Nova—transform darkness into opportunity when their town loses power permanently.

Their story unfolds as a powerful metaphor for building something meaningful from nothing. Without funding or fancy websites, these characters create businesses that resonate deeply with customers: a café-turned-candle bar, custom metal candle holders inscribed with messages of resilience, and handcrafted candles with names like "CEO in the Shadows." Their success reveals a fundamental truth about entrepreneurship: your brand isn't defined by what you sell but by what people feel when they experience it.

The tale takes a compelling turn when a developer offers a life-changing sum to buy their block. This pivotal moment forces a profound question many entrepreneurs face: what's the price of your dream? Through community action—organizing a Night Market festival that showcases their collective power—they demonstrate that sometimes the strongest business strategy isn't a marketing plan but a community that believes in your vision. Their journey reminds us that true success isn't measured by traditional wealth but by creating something that pays in peace, purpose, and connection. When facing your own entrepreneurial darkness, remember this episode's core message: legacy isn't about scale—it's about what continues to burn bright long after you're gone. What will you build when your lights go out?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello world, welcome back to Not Just Candle Talk,
the podcast where we don't justlight candles, we light fires
under entrepreneurs.
I'm your host, and today we'renot just talking business.
We're taking a journeysomewhere between fact and
fiction, between fantasy andfinancial strategy, to a small,

(00:25):
nearby, forgotten town where thepower went out but the hustle
stayed lit.
This is the town that hustledin the dark, a fictional tale
woven with the real truth ofbuilding something from nothing.
So sit back.
This one's different, but it'sdefinitely for you, dear

(00:47):
entrepreneur.
Once upon a hustle, there was asmall town called Ebon Hollow, a
quiet place tucked away betweenbroken highways and busted
dreams.
The town used to be known forits candle factory.
The town used to be known forits candle factory Glow Works.
It lit homes across the countryuntil one day the factory

(01:09):
closed.
Jobs left and so did the light,but a few stayed A barista
named Rena, a mechanic named Jaxand a high school dropout with
a sketchbook full of candlelabels.
Her name was Nova.
They were tired and broke andthen one night, the power went

(01:33):
out for good.
Literally, ebon Hollow wentdark.
But instead of panicking, theygot to work.
Nova said why wait for powerwhen we've got fire.
She wasn't just talking aboutwax and wicks.
She was talking about somethingdeeper.
And here's the entrepreneurtruth.

(01:55):
Sometimes rock bottom is arunway.
When everything goes dark, youfinally see who still got a
spark.
So they started.
Small Rina turned her cafe intoa candle bar by day and poetry
lounge by night.
Jax he took scrap metal andbuilt custom candle holders from

(02:18):
old engines.
Nova she started sellinghandmade candles out of a shed
she lit with lanterns.
They didn't have funding or aShopify site, but they had word
of mouth and, most importantly,they had stories.
Rena's candles smelled likefresh start and burnt bridges.

(02:43):
Jack's holders were engravedwith broke, not broken.
Nova's bestseller CEO in theShadows.
People from nearby townsstarted driving in, not just for
the candles but, of course, forthe vibe.
They created more than aproduct.

(03:05):
They created a movement.
Here's another entrepreneurtruth your brand isn't what you
sell.
It's what people feel when theyhold it.
Ebon Hollow became a beacon, notbecause the lights came back on
, but because people realizeglow is eternal.

(03:27):
Of course, storms came, as theyalways do.
Like I always say, it's peaksand valleys.
A developer tried to buy theirblock, told them a gas station
would bring more business thancandles ever would.
They offered Nova a check withmore zeros than she'd ever seen

(03:52):
and she almost said yes.
But Jack said something thatstuck with her Muddy is loud,
but peace is silent.
Can you sleep at night?
With the price of your dream?
And of course they fought backand forth, but not with lawyers,
but with love.

(04:15):
The whole town held a festivalcalled the Night Market, an
all-night glow in the darkcandle event.
Night glow in the dark candleevent.
Poets performed, kids sold glowjars, people cried, danced and
brought out every candle.
Eventually, after seeing all ofthis, how the community came

(04:38):
together.
The developer he left.
And here's another entrepreneurtruth.
Sometimes the best strategy iscommunity.
No one can steal a dream whenit's shared by many.
Drive far enough and the sky'sjust right, you might see a glow

(05:16):
.
Nova now mentors, teenentrepreneurs.
Jack's candle holders arefeatured in design magazines.
Rena's cafe is part of adocumentary called Small Town,
big like.
But you know, as I say, withpeaks and valleys, they never
got rich, not in the way thatthe world measured it, but they
built something that paid inpeace, purpose and power.

(05:41):
They stuck together.
Right through thick and thinthey stuck together.
So here's here's anentrepreneur, another
entrepreneur, truth.
Legacy isn't about scale, it'sabout what steel burns after you
stop selling, right?
I've talked about this manytimes before Legacy is forever.

(06:05):
Purpose alignment, um, legacyis forever purpose alignment.
Those are things that willnever fade.
So my question is what do youdo when the lights go out?
You remember the glow comesfrom within.

(06:33):
Okay, I'm going to end it righthere.
Uh, so this has been, um, afictional story, but the
struggle, the hustle, the heartis very real and if this episode
sparks something in you, shareit.
Share it with your broke butdreaming friend, send it to that
cousin who's too scared to quitthat nine to five, because

(06:54):
around here we don't just talkcandles, we talk legacy, and
we're going to keep talkinglegacy and we're going to keep
talking purpose.
You've been listening to, notJust Candle Talk.
I'm your host and I believe inyour glow, even when the world
goes dark.
Until next time, stay lit, myfriend.

(07:17):
I like this story Because it hasso many Different elements to
it and you can see, even thoughpeople had Different roles to
play, they definitely cametogether when, when it was most
needed.
And that's what community isall about and that's how you

(07:39):
build, build your legacy again.
I just want to touch on thisshort story real quick and I
might do more of these.
I might elaborate more onpurpose and alignment and the
side hustles and the businessside of that.

(08:00):
Until next time, thank you forlistening.
Bye.