Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chaunda Walls. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chaunda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

There are some moments in life that move you in a monumental way. The birth of Tupelo Rose is one of those moments for me. My story actually began with a 120-pound weight loss journey. I struggled to lose weight after a traumatic childbirth experience in 2001. I wouldn’t find my way back to health until 2007 when I finally embarked on a major life-changing journey in which I lost 120 pounds through diet and exercise and started a company to help others do the same thing-The Bella Fitness Group. Fast forward to 2020 when the Pandemic hit and I was forced to take my fitness company business exclusively online due to Covid. This was a blessing in disguise because the time saved by working from home allowed me to create a second business that would bring so much joy, peace and well…. the start of a new destiny. This was the birth of Tupelo Rose Candle Boutique.

I have always been a passionate collector of candles- the more exotic and luxurious, the more I loved them!  I began researching and obsessively studying the craft of candle-making for almost a year and finally put fear aside and started making candles. What I discovered was the immense joy and fulfillment that candle making has brought me. I am a creative at heart. I love designing and bringing my visions to life. I combined all the things that I adore into the Tupelo Rose brand;  all things life, love, hope, activism, social justice, music, art, culture…and faith.

We create candles that mean something; Candles that say something; Candles that evoke feelings and moods that last long after the wax has burned away, just like a good book; candles that move something in the soul.  Many of our collections pay homage to exceptional people who have left indelible legacies to the world, such as Bob Marley, Marilyn Monroe, President Obama, Dorothy Dandridge, Frederick Douglass, MLK,Jr., Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin and many others. We also offer candles that lift the heart like our Healing Soul Collection which highlights self love, healing of heart and mind; and our Ephesians 3:20 collection which honors faith, hope and God.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have always been a passionate collector of candles- the more exotic and luxurious, the more I loved them!  I began researching and obsessively studying the craft of candle-making for almost a year and finally put fear aside and started making candles. What I discovered was the immense joy and fulfillment that candle making has brought me. I am a creative at heart. I love designing and bringing my visions to life. I combined all the things that I adore into the Tupelo Rose brand;  all things life, love, hope, activism, social justice, music, art, culture…and faith.

We create candles that mean something; Candles that say something; Candles that evoke feelings and moods that last long after the wax has burned away, just like a good book; candles that move something in the soul.

The esthetic beauty and quality of our candles is something we are very proud of at Tupelo Rose. We source unique vessels that are designed to be recycled and reused which is a very good thing for the environment. We only use the highest quality, phthalate-free fragrance oils and essential oils, 100% cotton and hearty wood wicks in our candles, as well as a variety of Coconut and Soy wax proprietary blends to create luscious olfactory experiences. Most of our scents are one of a kind. Our signature scents are mixed by hand and tested to ensure the highest of quality in each of our products. We are black-owned, woman-owned and a family run business where we put a personal touch on every product we create.

What also sets us apart is the style of our vessels and candle label designs, but mostly the fact that every single candle mantra is meant to encourage, inspire, motivate and instill a sense of peaceful bliss, happiness or enlightenment once that flame is lit. We value the under-rated practice of self-love, self-care and the art of slowing down in this life to really LIVE.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

17 years ago, I was a different person. After years of being a wife, stay-at-home Mom and battling clinical depression, I weighed over 230 pounds. Remotely, I went to see a psychiatrist every 3 months to restock my prescribed supply of Prozac. I did that for 8 years straight. I slept most of each day away, because it was the closest thing to death. Oddly, I remember very little about that period of my life.  I wore a version of the same outfit most every day- a “Just My Size” t-shirt in a size 3X and black elastic waist pants in a size 2X. I couldn’t feel. My heart was shrouded in darkness and despair most days. I wasn’t living, I merely existed. I ate crap and did not exercise my body. I’d lost sight of my goals and my dreams. The rude, hurtful comments people would make about me being so fat, would play over and over again in my head every day. My identity was that of an invisible woman. I had lost… ME. 8 years later, God woke me from that season of obesity, depression and despair. God said, ” It’s time for you to walk into your destiny” and I began a journey of a thousand lives to overcome obesity and reclaim my life. What did it take?? Precisely what I teach my clients and the world today: IT TOOK CHANGING EVERYTHING. I had to put myself first. I had to learn how, what and when to eat. I had to learn how to exercise and lift weights. I had to remove toxic people and relationships from my life. I had to change my mind and make the decision to go forward. No matter how many setbacks, no matter how much weight I had to lose and no matter how many people said I couldn’t do it, I did it.
It took me 18 months to lose 120 pounds. I now cherish that time because even though it seems like a long time, it allowed me to learn how to eat and to move in order to heal my mind and body.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tupelorosecandles.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/tupelorosecandleboutique
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/tupelorosecandleboutique
• Linkedin: LinkedIn.com/bellafitnessgroup
• Other: Bellafitnessgroup.com Tupelorosecandles.com