Welcome to Jordan Porter, a home lifestyle company founded by entrepreneur Teri Hardenburgh. The company is currently offering a line of organic soy candles and reed diffusers with scents that evoke places, moods and memories.

To better appreciate the candles, it helps to know Teri, so in this inaugural article, we’ll learn more about her and her inspiration. Future articles will explore some of the candle fragrances and what you can expect when you buy a Jordan Porter candle or diffuser.

Teri was born in California into a military family, so did some moving around as a child but always considered California home. She ended up on the east coast, and then stayed after attending Virginia Tech, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, and later a Master’s in Business Healthcare Management.

This combination of majors led her to a long career with several pharmaceutical companies – including 9 years at Procter & Gamble – where she excelled in sales. After a break from the business world to raise her family, Teri decided that she needed a change from the grueling hours and travel expected for success in pharma sales. By now living in Arlington, Virginia, Teri opted for the flexibility of substitute teaching and soon found herself enjoying the pre-K and kindergarten classrooms.

But there was more in store, since Teri acknowledged that neither pharmaceuticals or teaching really felt like her calling. She had originally wanted to study textiles, since she comes from a long line of creative and artistic family members, but at the time, her practical nature won. Now, it was time for her entrepreneurial and artistic side to get its turn. She decided to combine her marketing savvy, creative passions and unusually sensitive olfactory powers to bring uniquely scented candles to the market.

When asked “why candles?” Teri readily admits that she’s always loved candles as far back as she can remember, and has always been particularly tuned-in to the power of olfactory memory. We all have certain scents that remind us of places, people or events – and Teri has a heightened ability to capture, recall – and now re-create these fragrances.

The name “Jordan Porter,” in addition to sounding elegant, combines the maiden names’ of both Teri’s mother and her mother-in-law.

There was only one thing – Teri had never made a candle before. Determined to move forward, Teri began researching the candle making process, understanding the ingredients and sourcing supplies. But what about the inspiration for fragrances? Her own olfactory memories were a natural starting point as she realized she could draw upon her favorite places and their associated scents to evoke those places for others.

Much of it was trial and error as she learned how to mix fragrances to capture the places that were special to her and would be appealing to others. Sourcing materials brought its own challenges, since Teri is adamant about using the highest-quality, organic ingredients for her candles. As a result, Jordan Porter soy wax candles burn longer and cleaner than mass-produced candles, which are often loaded with chemicals and preservatives.

In future articles, we’ll explore the difference candle fragrances and share some of Teri’s inspirations.

Proper Candle Hygiene

I get so many questions about how to properly care for your candles. How can I get the cleanest burn with the least amount of smoke and soot? Trimming your candle wicks is the most important thing you can do to keep your candle burning clean. Jordan Porter candles are all natural, including the wicks, which means they have no chemical coatings. This also means the wicks need to be trimmed regularly. You don’t need special scissors, any type will do. Snip the extra burnt tips and you are good to go!

Teri Hardenburgh