We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cetine Dale a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Cetine, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

RITVAL Candles began as a hobby in 2018 when I was without full time employment and had extra time on my hands to dabble and get creative. I didn’t know what to do with myself when I wasn’t booked on a tv or film set, and I needed something to put my energy towards. I honestly believe that candle making found me when I needed it most, rather than the other way around. I have always been obsessed with fantasy, fictional literature, video games, and magick and candle creation became an outlet that would encompass everything I love. And after months and months of research and experimentation, I created what is now the RITVAL candle. And to this day, candle making continues to be an evolving process for myself where I can be creative and design magical handmade luxury candles to share with everyone

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?

Absolutely. My name is Cetine and I live in Los Angeles, CA. I’ve practically worked in every industry that makes LA unique: film, television, modeling, retail, video games—I’ve done it all. LOL. But when I started making RITVAL (pronounced Ritual) candles, I finally had something of my own that I created from scratch and could share with people.

RITVAL candles are made with the highest quality of care and ingredients. Having worked in retail, I know what candles of this caliber are valued, but I wanted to share the same quality at a fraction of the cost—essentially, they are luxury candles at an affordable price. Every single RITVAL candle is hand-poured and assembled by yours truly, including the packaging, visuals, and scent ideas. I find inspiration everywhere, from the smell of the pomanders my mom used to brew in her cider for holiday parties, old Hollywood films like Auntie Mame staring Rosalind Russel, to the voodoo queen herself, Marie Laveau. I try to create scents that transport with candle magick and that’s a quality that’s hard to come by. I work hard for the people who love my shop and I hope I give them the same joy that they give me when they order RITVAL candles.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Although social media is a great way to get the word out, I feel that word-of-mouth has been my biggest savior when it comes to my business. A lot of my customer base is from other customers who have bought my candles and have spread the love.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I have used Etsy for RITVAL Candles since day one. It was a convenient way for me to display my products and update my brand and listings without the hassle of minutia. Although I started RITVAL before I had fulltime employment, as someone who currently has a full time career, convenience is definitely key. There are a lot of nickel-and-dime expenses that Etsy charges, which do add up, but the price of convenience has kept me there for several years now. Will RITVAL be there forever? Probably not. But it is a very accessible way to start a small business or a labor of love

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ritvalcandles.com
• Instagram: ritvalcandles