We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Christine Trinidad . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Christine below.
Christine , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
It was important I incorporated words that resonate with who I am and who I am becoming more every day along with relating it to my business. I selected VELA because of its Hispanic interpretation of Candle. Each letter in VELA signifies the following: V is for Vision (encouragement for creativity) E is for Empowered (owning our destiny) L is for Loved (loving ourselves with all our gifts and imperfections) and A is for Accepted ( Self worth is not determined by others)
BAE is dedicated to my granddaughters Bella, August, and Emory. It’s important to cultivate and grow entrepreneurship for future leader and business owners which are the backbone of our economy.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The Story of VELA BAE- MENTAL WEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY
OUR MISSION
“Inspire creativity, encourage self-care, and mental wellness by offering sustainable candles and candles pour events”
We are taking on the challenges of being a Latin owned candle company in a very saturated and underrepresented market and having open dialogues on mental wealth in our communities.
I believe in prioritizing our mental health because it is the foundation for how we show up in our lives.
Mental Wealth is vital to navigating all of the ups and downs experienced in life. I began making candles to release anxiety and stress during a time in my life where everything seemed to be going wrong for me with my career, my life at home, and my friendships. I was emotionally and physically drained. I am Hispanic and talking about mental health is still a taboo around family and friends. I spent many nights praying and believing for purpose in all of it. Faith over Fear Mi Vida! (My love). And just like that… (thanks to a Divine Power bringing the people I needed in my life who believed in me.) You know who you are!
I discovered hand pouring my own candles is relaxing, it provides a variety of options for creativity, it is absolutely fun, and it is an opportunity to grow a business in a very saturated market that is underrepresented. I found my flow, my mission and vision, and I never looked back! I spent the last two years mastering all things candle, sharing samples with family and friends, learning when things go wrong, and working the various Farmers Markets to grow VELA BAE Candles! I take great pleasure with hand pouring each candle because I pour my heart and soul. You can use these candles for self-care for releasing anxious thoughts, celebrating special moments and creating memories, and to focus on giving energy to what you do want in life.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I became a mom at a very young age and my path in life significantly changed from what I had planned. I learned to pivot through the challenges and to ask myself what can I learn from it? At one point in time, my mental health took a drastic toll and I had to make a decision on what was most important. I chose to begin therapy and it was vital to learning how I approached my life. Instead of victim mentality I chose to be a victor. My lens of people and situations changed. I started having open dialogues with my family and friends on mental wealth. I discovered my creativity with candles could be the platform to share with others.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I truly believe it’s about Authenticity. My followers see my true self through my videos and posts. I don’t shy away from conversations on mental wealth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://velabaecandles.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=7t3e4rb29q8s&utm_content=kosz0zs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VELABAELUXECANDLES
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/6mV5JlqSUR32GSngrv2CpQ