In this biweekly series, WeWork’s director of digital community selects a WeWork member to get to know better, sharing her fun findings with the rest of the community.
As a candle aficionado, I had to reach out to Tashah Johnson about her company Candlessentials. Big on soy and other natural ingredients, this WeWork Commons member opens up about her holistic lifestyle, meditation, favorite scents, and why making products by hand is important to her.
Where are you originally from?
I was born in Tallahassee, grew up in Miami, but for the last eight years, I’ve called Los Angeles home. After I graduated college, I wanted a change. I spent a little time in NYC, but it was way too cold there for me, and I’d always viewed L.A. as this beautiful, fantasy sort of place. I was working in the fashion industry at the time, and outside of New York, L.A. is the next place in the United States for fashion. As soon as I got to Los Angeles, I fell in love with the city and decided to make it home. Currently, I split my time between L.A. and Miami.
What inspired you to start Candlessentials? Why soy candles versus other types of wax?
I started Candlessentials because it was the last semester of my MBA program, and I’d worked on previous projects with my family. I had a successful blog I was running with a partner, but I wanted something I could [do] on my own. I’m naturally a creative person, and I wanted to start a company I could brand and build out, but a product I could make with my own hands and would also have a positive impact on others. So I decided to make candles. I did tons of research, went through lots of trials and errors, but once I perfected the process, I knew I’d be able to build a brand and a product I loved!
I try to live a very holistic and natural lifestyle. I’ve been vegetarian for a little over 13 years, and I use natural ingredients in as many things as possible. When I was researching candle making, I educated myself about paraffin wax, which is the most widely used wax in candles. But I noticed soy wax was becoming very popular. A lot of companies were moving towards using it because it releases fewer toxins, burns cleaner, and you can use it as a moisturizer. It’s more difficult to work with, but it is much better in general. So in keeping in line with my holistic beliefs, I wanted to make a product I believed in and that I would want to use as well.
Favorite scents? Are you able to incorporate them in your products yet?
Of course I love all of my scents. But I tend to personally gravitate more towards very unisex, heavy, earthy scents, like sandalwood, bergamot, and oakmoss. I have one scent in my collection called “Indulgence,” and it’s a heavy, rich, earthy scent and by far my favorite in the collection. I don’t have any traditional lavender or vanilla type scents. They are more along the lines of sandalwoods, lemon, brown sugar, and gardenia-inspired—a little more unique.
You manufacture the candles in Los Angeles. What’s that process like?
I’m still in the business stage where I personally hand-pour and package all the candles. The longest part of the process is waiting for the candles to cool after being poured, which takes 24 to 48 hours. I normally use that time to assemble the plantable boxes. Once the candles are completely cooled, I label the container and carefully place each candle in the packaging. Right now, the candles are made in both Los Angeles and Miami.
When you’re not working out of WeWork, what do you like to do for fun?
I like to eat and meditate! I’ve been working on my work-life balance as well. I’m back and forth between Miami and L.A., and I’m spending more time in Miami this year. I love exploring new restaurants and I feel the vegan community in Miami is really growing right now. So after a workday, I like to go out, meet new people, and explore the city. I usually end my day with a grounding meditation session to help decompress from the busyness of life.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I try to live a very organic and holistic lifestyle, and one of my goals is to communicate that through everything I do. I hope to inspire people to live their passion and purpose, learning to relax and incorporating work-life balance between health and everything else in life. Live lightful!
Photos: Giovanny Gutierrez