Erin Beck admits her coworkers at Witty Wicks don’t know she takes on more work or responsibility. When her coworkers pitch new candles and marketing ideas, Beck usually shuts them down immediately.
Last weekend, Beck, Witty Wicks’ production manager, surprised her “Work Homies” group chat at 5:15 a.m. with a list of label ideas. She pitched a new candle that smelled like “enough is enough,” “believing women,” “accountability,” and more.
The candle was to be called “I am Jane Doe.”
“I couldn’t sleep at all that night,” Beck said. “I’m so angry that nothing ever happens… so I’m like, ‘oh, we could make a candle.’”
Witty Wicks, a small, woman-owned business in Camillus, launched its “I am Jane Doe” collection last weekend, which got a strong response on social media. The candle aims to support the Cornell University student who came forward accusing seven male students of sexual assault in the Chi Phi fraternity house on Cornell’s campus in 2024.
All proceeds from “I am Jane Doe” candle sales benefit the Vera House, a local nonprofit organization aimed at protecting victims of domestic and sexual violence, Aubry Ludington, owner of Witty Wicks, said.
As the civil lawsuit filed by the student, named only Jane Doe, gained national media attention, interest in her true identity rose on social media. To combat the unnecessary harassment of Jane Doe, groups on social media started using the “I am Jane Doe” tagline to protect her identity. The “I am Jane Doe” movement has evolved as women across the country are speaking out about their sexual assault experiences on college campuses.
“It’s really unfortunate; we all know someone who has experienced this,” Beck said. “That trauma is so intense that for some people it takes a year, five years, 20 years, to come out.”
Beck, Ludington, and Cassie McNeil, Witty Wicks’ retail manager, are all mothers of college students. With six sons and two daughters between them, campus safety hits close to home for the Witty Wick’s management team.
Creating the “I am Jane Doe” candle was a no-brainer, they said.
Witty Wicks always tries to give back and address issues their community faces, McNeil said. Most recently, the gift shop donated $500 to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library after the beloved country star’s passing.
Originally, Witty Wicks made only 12 “I am Jane Doe” candles, because philanthropic collections usually don’t sell well, McNeil said. They launched the candles at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, and by 7 p.m. closing, Ludington had sold 18 in-store. Then the online sales came in.
With an overwhelming number of online orders, Ludington worked tirelessly through Friday night, pouring green tea and lemongrass mixes named “Exhale,” as well as eucalyptus and peppermint mixes named “Breathe,” to create the “I am Jane Doe” candle.
For the first time in 15 years, Witty Wicks ran out of wax.
“We pulled all the pickup orders, made sure we had enough candles here for people who’d ordered for pickup, and then we filled the counter,” Ludington said. “And then Cassie poured every last drop of wax we had for these candles.”
Witty Wicks opened at 10 a.m. on Saturday and conducted business as usual.
Their first customer arrived shortly after, looking for the “I am Jane Doe” candle he had seen on social media. The customer, a father, told Beck and McNeil he was on his way to his daughter’s soccer game and wanted to stop by and purchase the candle for her.
And the customers just kept coming.
“The line was out the door,” Ludington said. “It was like Christmas time here.”
When Witty Wicks ran out of candles, the team pivoted. The store offers a customizable candle that customers can personalize with any favorite witty label, no matter the scent. Ludington and her employees started sticking the “I am Jane Doe” label onto every “naked label candle” they could find, Ludington said.
Customers traveled from across central New York to buy the candle, and Ludington said the Witty Wicks staff didn’t want anyone to leave empty-handed. Meanwhile, online orders came in from all over the country. The “I am Jane Doe” candle is on its way to Texas, Michigan, Tennessee, Minnesota, among other places.
In the first 24 hours, Witty Wicks sold 298 “I am Jane Doe” candles. By the end of the weekend, sales had grown to 378 candles — 151 online and 227 in-store — generating $7,356 for Vera House.
Originally, the candles were priced at $22, with all proceeds donated. Now, $10 for every purchase will go directly to the Vera House. Witty Wicks announced Wednesday that the “I am Jane Doe” candle will remain in its Giveback Candle Collection, continuing its partnership with Vera House.
The overwhelming community response made the experience even more meaningful for the Witty Wicks staff. Beck said the support from previous customers and other local businesses emphasized the human connection small businesses need.
“It’s just empowering,” Beck said. “I just hope things change because of her.”