We were lucky to catch up with Britney-kay Sloley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Britney-kay, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Being from a Nigerian and a Jamaican household, culture is a big part of our lives. Telling the stories of our respective roots and bringing that to life in our products is what drives us every single day. Not to sound demeaning or condescending, but not many Americans know much about Africans or Caribbean’s. That’s not necessarily the fault of any American; it’s the same as me having little to no knowledge about Asian or Latino culture. So, our mission is to spread knowledge of our various beautiful cultures while expanding our knowledge about others.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Britney-Kay Sloley, co-owner of Mounne LLC, together with my partner, Olamide Oladapo. I am Jamaican and he is Nigerian. I have always been crafty and drawn to arts which I am currently getting my bachelors in. We decided to get involved in the luxury line of candle making but with certain things to differentiate us from the pack. While doing our research for our business, we noticed there are no African or Caribbean luxury candle business out there. Of course, that is different from just having an African or Caribbean candle business owner. We wanted our company centered around the fact that we are African and Caribbean. My partner and I feel there are many untold and unknown stories about the continent of Africa and the many beautiful myths, ingenuity, innovation, history, and talent that arise from this beautiful continent. Many Americans may be familiar with the Caribbean because of vacationing there but many do not really stay to appreciate the diverse cultures, believes, and why it is a happy place to be. So we decided to make our candles different from the rest, first making sure it’s a glass square jar instead of cylindrical containers, second, we complimented it with a double crackling wooden wick, and last but not the least, we intentionally made sure the names of our candles invoke both curiosity and a conversation.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I realize it may be unwise to go with this specific question because it is so personal but it is a risk I am willing to take in other to show our potential customers/fans how real and ordinary we are just like any other American.
I met my partner on a dating app called BLK. Yes, go ahead and get in your 15 seconds of laughter but that’s the way to meet anyone nowadays. He actually wasn’t initially interested in dating but he had an open mind so I took advantage of that and was persistent in making my intentions known to him. After a few curry chicken to entice him and showing him I can get down with some fufu and egusi, I eventually won him over. After 2yrs of dating, I brought the idea of getting into the candle market to him. He resisted at first but I was persistent in my idea and passion, so again, I eventually won him over.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I was a dental assistant prior to us starting our business, while my partner is a respiratory therapist. When we decided to fully commit to the business, he told me to quit my job so I can focus on managing the business full time while going to school for my bachelors in arts. So he worked multiple night shifts and we had to forgo a few luxuries in order to save. So after a few months, he came up with the initial capital for us to start the business and he has been self funding our business ever since. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mounnecandle.com
- Instagram: @mounnecandle
- Facebook: mounnecandle