Skandinavisk founder Shaun Russell on making a lifestyle brand from candles

Skandinavisk is trying to sell the experience of Scandinavia in a scent.

The brand launched in 2012 with a line of candles that tried to embody different aspects of Scandinavian life. Current scents include "Skog" ("calm of the boreal forest"), "Fjord" ("carved from glaciers") and "Regn" ("after the rainfall"), among others. Some of these scents showcase literal things, like local trees, others try to give a sensory experience to more ephemeral attributes.

Its founder, Shaun Russell, originally hailed from the U.K. but found himself in Denmark and Sweden around twenty years ago, and fell in love with the region.

"It kind of gets into your blood," he said. "I felt the secret of Scandinavia is in balance -- in the balance with nature, the domination of nature that surrounds the region; the balance within society, which it is famous for; but also the balance of the individual, balance of the self." This realization of what made Scandinavia different as a region was the starting point for his brand, Skandinavisk.

Russell joined this week's Modern Retail Podcast and spoke about his brand's growth over the last decade.

Since its founding, Skandinavisk has expanded beyond candles into diffusers as well as bath and body care. And it's also worked on becoming an international brand beyond its Copenhagen roots. The company has a thriving DTC presence, but has also expanded its wholesale presence into stores like Selfridges and Sephora U.K.

Russell is proud of Skandinavisk's retail expansion, but still sees it as one of his biggest challenges. "Distribution is one of the hardest challenges for any business -- both creating it and then managing it," he said.

But one thing that has helped Skandinavisk get in front of more eyeballs is its B Corp certification, which requires approved companies to prove they follow strict social and sustainability practices while maintaining the highest form of public transparency. Companies must go through a rigorous process to receive the certification. Skandinavisk sought B Corp approval in 2019 -- "it was one of the hardest things we've ever done," Russell said.

And while Russell is happy to have received the B Corp stamp of approval, he said it hasn't led to a huge increase in sales. Instead, Russell said the certification is more of a B-to-B marketing tool. "It draws a different type of person to you," he said -- whether it's a candidate looking to work at a more socially responsible workplace or a retail seeking out more sustainable brands.

Today, Russell said Skandinavisk has expanded in ways he didn't expect. But it led him to a useful entrepreneurial lesson. "If you're starting your own brand, you have to be open to opportunity," he said. "You have to have your ears open, and you have to catch chances if they pass you -- even if not necessarily what you were planning."