We had the good fortune of connecting with Renée Kuria and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Renée, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It was kind of an accident. A year ago, I went to a candle making workshop and absolutely loved it. Being able to smell a peripheral of oils, to curate the perfect scented candle had me living. I, then realized that I wanted to start making my own candles after seeing how simple the process was. My initial intentions were purely selfish. I wanted to make my own supply of candles as potent as I’d like. But as I had company, more and more of my friends would compliment my candles and ask for one for themselves. It got to the point my friends would return for more candles not just for themselves but for their family and friends. That’s when I realized I had something really special that I loved doing and can generate a profit from.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Pop Scents Candle Co. is a black owned wooden wick candle brand. Each candle is hand-poured using 100% soy wax! For a better candle experience, a wooden wick is used to heighten your relaxation by providing lite crackling sounds and a longer burn. Lastly, the scents available will be sure to fill the room! Even when the candle is unlit, the aroma of the candle goes unnoticed. I take pride in giving customers a personalized experience when buying a quality candle. I’m really proud of the joy I give people when they take a whiff of the Pop Scents Candle for the first time!

It hasn’t been easy, but I think being able to take my time and learning the ins and outs of the candle making process and having your own business has made things a lot more smooth. Of course, there have been struggles such as making candles that weren’t hitting before the launch. Either the candle wasn’t as potent as I would like, or the wood wick isn’t lighting. Those ‘struggles’ are really what make my candle great now cause I’ve learned what to do and what not to do. It has been a continuous learning process. Each restock, I’ m sure to incorporate improvements I’ve learned from the previous restock.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
You can’t be in Dallas and not do a Sunday Funday. I’d started off with brunch at Woolworth or Yardbird. Yardbird has some of the best fried chicken. And, of course you have to have make sure you’re washing it down with several drinks of mimosas. Then we’d head to Mesora for the margarita flights and queso. Then, head over to dibs for some good music and tequila shots. The night would end at my rooftop overlooking the city, snack of some food and laugh at the memories made earlier.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Ive received a tremendous amount of support from my friends and family but, I’d like to highlight two special people, my brother, Arnold Kuria and my good friend Jamesia Jackson. Those two make really encouraged me to believe myself and start my candle business. They were with me through every step of the process from giving me constructive criticism when I was experimenting with scents. To lifting me up when I felt discouraged and insecure about selling my candles. I probably would have been still making candle for free if it wasn’t for them.

Website: popscentscandleco.com

Instagram: instagram.com/popscentscandles/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ren%C3%A9e-kuria-09b14a10a

Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/solomondigitals/

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