We recently connected with Denise Reese and have shared our conversation below.

Denise, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

When the idea for Grace The Collection first came to me, it wasn’t from a business plan, it was from a moment.

I was on a beach vacation, reading an article where Melinda Gates talked about extending grace to others. That word—grace—stayed with me. I chose it as my word for the year, not knowing just how much I would need it. What followed was a season of personal loss, a global pandemic, and a collective reckoning around race. Grace became more than a word—it became a way of navigating life.

At the time, I wasn’t thinking about launching a brand. I had a full career in technology and business services. But I’ve always loved fragrance and how scent can shift your mood, create a sense of calm, or completely transform a space. Somewhere along the way, the idea clicked: what if I could create a brand that brought that feeling of grace into people’s everyday lives?

That was the spark.

From there, the process wasn’t overnight, it was layered and very real.

I started with research. Late nights, weekends, asking questions, reading everything I could about candle formulation, fragrance oils, and the business of home fragrance. I knew I didn’t want to be a hobbyist and that I wanted to build something that felt elevated, intentional, and scalable.

One of the first major decisions I made was to partner with a manufacturer rather than produce everything myself. That allowed me to focus on brand building, customer experience, and growth, while ensuring the product quality met the standard I had in mind.

At the same time, I was building the brand from the ground up—defining the identity, developing the scent profiles, working through packaging, pricing, and positioning. I wanted every detail to feel considered. Luxury, to me, isn’t just about price—it’s about how something makes you feel.

There were a lot of unknowns. I had to figure out sourcing, minimum order quantities, shipping, e-commerce, and how to actually get the product into customers’ hands. I built the website, set up fulfillment, learned email marketing, and started showing up on social media—sometimes figuring it out in real time.

And all of this was happening while I was working full-time.

There wasn’t a single moment where everything felt “ready.” At some point, I had to make the decision to move. To trust that I had enough to begin…so I launched.

What I’ve learned since then is that execution isn’t a one-time event…t’s ongoing. You launch, you learn, you adjust, and you keep going. There have been pivots, supply chain challenges, pricing decisions, refining the product line…but each step has brought more clarity.

Looking back, the biggest shift wasn’t just going from idea to execution, it was becoming the person willing to take the first step before everything was figured out.

That’s really where it begins.

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 background and context?

I’m the Founder and CEO of Grace The Collection, a luxury home fragrance brand designed to bring a sense of calm, intention, and everyday luxury into people’s spaces. I’m also a global go-to-market and strategic growth leader in my corporate career, with over two decades of experience in technology and business services.

In many ways, my journey sits at the intersection of structure and creativity.

I’ve spent my career helping organizations grow, scale, and navigate complexity. At the same time, I’ve always been drawn to experiences that create a sense of ease, spaces that feel intentional, grounded, and restorative. Fragrance became a natural bridge between those two worlds.

Grace The Collection was born from a deeply personal place. What started as a guiding word during a challenging season in my life evolved into something much bigger; a brand centered around the idea that grace isn’t just something we extend to others, it’s something we should experience ourselves.

Through the brand, I create candles, room and linen spritzes, and wax melts using custom fragrance blends designed to transform everyday moments into meaningful rituals. Whether it’s unwinding at the end of a long day, resetting your space, or simply creating a moment of stillness, the goal is to make luxury feel accessible in a way that’s both elevated and intentional.
What sets Grace The Collection apart is the experience.

From the scent profiles to the packaging to the unboxing, every detail is designed to feel considered. This isn’t about mass production, it’s about creating something that feels personal, thoughtful, and aligned. I also take a very disciplined approach to the business itself, ensuring that while the brand feels beautiful, it’s also built to last.

I think another differentiator is the perspective I bring as both a corporate executive and a founder. I understand growth, operations, and strategy at a high level, but I’m also in the day-to-day—engaging with customers, fulfilling orders, and building the brand in real time. That combination allows me to move with both intention and agility.

What I’m most proud of isn’t just the products, it’s the fact that I’ve stayed the course. Building a business while leading in a demanding corporate role hasn’t been easy. There have been moments of uncertainty, challenges with supply chain and scaling, and times where things didn’t move as quickly as I would have liked. But through it all, I’ve remained committed to building something sustainable, something I own, and something that reflects my values.

I’m also incredibly proud of the community that’s forming around the brand. Customers who come back, who share their experiences, who see Grace The Collection not just as a product, but as part of how they care for themselves and their spaces.
If there’s one thing I want people to know, it’s that this brand was built with intention and it’s continuing to evolve with clarity.

Grace The Collection is about more than fragrance. It’s about creating space to pause, reset, and return to yourself. And that’s something we all need.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

One of the earliest decisions I had to make was whether I was going to manufacture the products myself or partner with a manufacturer and that decision shaped the trajectory of the business.

When I first had the idea for Grace The Collection, I didn’t come from a product manufacturing background. I had to learn everything—from wax blends and fragrance oils to safety standards and burn performance. I spent a lot of time researching, asking questions, and understanding what it would actually take to create a high-quality product.

Early on, I realized that while I could learn to make candles myself, that wasn’t the highest and best use of my time if I wanted to build a brand that was both elevated and scalable.So I made a very intentional decision to partner with a manufacturer.

Finding the right partner took time. I wasn’t just looking for someone who could produce a product, I was looking for a team that understood quality, consistency, and the level of detail required to bring a luxury experience to life. I asked a lot of questions, tested samples, and made sure there was alignment not just on the product itself, but on the standards behind it.

Today, our products are hand-poured in Atlanta in partnership with our manufacturer, which allows me to maintain a high standard of quality while staying focused on building the brand.

Of course, manufacturing comes with its own set of lessons. I’ve had to navigate minimum order quantities, shifts in supplier requirements, and broader supply chain challenges that impact cost and availability. What I’ve learned is that building a product-based business requires both creativity and discipline. You also have to balance your vision with the realities of production and margin.

There’s also a level of patience required. You can’t always move as quickly as you’d like, especially when you’re working with production timelines and inventory cycles. But those constraints have also forced me to be more intentional in how I plan, launch, and evolve the product line.

Looking back, choosing to partner with a manufacturer was one of the best decisions I made. It allowed me to build Grace The Collection in a way that feels aligned with the brand—elevated, thoughtful, and designed to last.

And I’m still learning. Manufacturing isn’t something you figure out once, it’s something you continue to refine as your business grows.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Funding Grace The Collection has been a very intentional journey from the beginning.

I bootstrapped the business myself, using bonuses and stock vesting from my corporate career to fund the initial stages. That gave me the ability to move at my own pace, make thoughtful decisions, and build the brand without immediate external pressure.

In the early days, every dollar had a purpose. I was investing in product development, packaging, inventory, and building the foundation of the brand all while learning what it really takes to operate a product-based business. There’s a different level of discipline that comes with self-funding. You’re constantly balancing vision with practicality, making sure each investment is moving the business forward in a meaningful way.

Over time, I’ve had two friends invest in the brand, which I’m incredibly grateful for. It wasn’t just about the capital, it was about having people who believed in what I was building and were willing to support that vision. But outside of that, I’ve made a very conscious decision not to take on large external investment. That decision has been rooted in ownership and alignment.

I had a conversation with my business attorney who reminded me that slow, steady, sustainable growth, while protecting as much ownership as possible, should remain the goal. That guidance stays with me, and it continues to shape how I think about funding and growth.

I’ve been thoughtful about building at a pace that allows me to retain control of the brand and ensure that every decision—from product to positioning—stays true to the original vision. It also gives me the space to build something sustainable, rather than feeling pressure to scale prematurely.

That doesn’t mean the journey has been easy. Bootstrapping requires patience, resourcefulness, and a willingness to reinvest back into the business continuously. There have been moments where additional capital could have accelerated growth, but I’ve learned that not every opportunity needs to be rushed. For me, it’s about building something that lasts.

What I’m most proud of is that every step of this business has been built with intention. From the initial investment to where the brand is today, it reflects a commitment to both discipline and belief in the long-term vision.

And as I look ahead, I remain open but selective. Any future investment would need to align not just financially, but strategically and philosophically with where I’m taking the brand. Because how you fund your business ultimately shapes how you build it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gracethecollection.com
• Instagram: @gracethecollection
• Facebook: @gracethecollection
• Linkedin: www.lilnkedin.com/company/grace-the-collection

Image Credits

Lifestyle Photos – Crystal Byrd Uqdah of Crystal On Brand
Product Photos – Marissa Godinez