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

Krystal, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

The Space-In Between Co. is a name I hold dear to my heart. I wanted my Business’s name to reflect not only myself but towards my culture. This is a space where we can be our true selves no matter what path life is taking us. I believe we have to grasp onto our good and bad moments in order to truly understand who we are. The Space In-Between Co. also represents connecting with the situations that we have to face alone and honor its process, this is what makes us humble. Creating such an in-depth name has helped my customers feel like they are part of a collective and feel confident to come as they are leave behind the fear of judgment.

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?

My name is Krystal Lopez and I’m a creative. I enjoy endless conversations, long meditations, and early morning blogging. I would say that I found my passion for making vegan candles through my writing journey. I have always had dreams about making connections with my culture in a life-changing way but was too afraid to start something new, I first started publishing my blogs four years ago. I wanted to share my stories with the community while hoping to heal others through their daily struggles. Later on, in 2021, I decided I wanted to turn my writings into a whole collection and then candle-making came to mind. I had always loved the candle-making process but never thought of it as a business idea. I thought that there were enough makers in the world, why try? One day I went to a friend’s wedding and I was chatting with my friend Adrian about wanting to leave the job that I thought I loved and finally become a maker. He told me the simplest phrase I needed to hear from him, “Just do it”. Why did these three simple words light a fire in me? Ever since that moment, I have been making candles nonstop and I am loving every minute of it!

My vegan candles are filled with organic essential oils, soy wax. and good vibes! Each candle carries a curated personalized playlist according to its scent. My clients love the playlist part because it helps them through the mood they are in or changes their state of mind at that moment. Music is a great healing component, it either relaxes us or keeps us motivated in our situations. I believe by having this component with my candles makes a difference because my customers are taking the time to use all of their senses for their wholesome experience.

I am most proud of how I have made something so simple as a candle into a whole mental health healing experience. I have had customers come to me and share their moments and express how my candles have helped them overcome obstacles in their life. I remember someone ordering a candle for their grandma that is ill and telling me that her grandma now has had better breathing with her respiratory system because of the clean ingredients I was able to provide for her. It’s simple moments like this that keep me inspired to continue my journey with The Space In-Between Co.

I say this with all the pride I have within me, I have had some major failures. Shipments not going as planned, unsuccessful markets, money at loss due to inflation ( the word of the year), and the list goes on. But I have learned how to stop looking at my problems as mishaps and turned them into life lessons. We are constantly in this Yin-Yang rotation and there is no way of stopping it. The one thing we can control is how we move forward. If we never experience our tragedies, how can we heal and make an impact in our world? Ever since I learned to switch my mindset, I have been living in a state of true bliss.

My mission within my business has been to help others appreciate wherever life takes them, it is the one thing that makes us humble as a society. The more we can take a step into someone else’s shoes, the better relationships we can make with our culture. We all deserve love, and I strive to share it with my community throughout my walk of life.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

One thing that I am fascinated by is research. Not just for my business but mostly for psychological purposes. I believe we are constantly evolving and the only way to keep up with the process is by fueling your mind with what it needs. There are many books and resources that have inspired me throughout my journey with my business. The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van Der Kolkhas helped me change my mindset about how others perceive the world due to their life experiences. This has helped me to connect to my customers in a vulnerable way. Another book that I strongly recommend to all entrepreneurs is called The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier !! This book will take you on a ride! They have formed strategic methods and turned them into the most interesting versions of explaining the gap between business management and branding who you are. This has helped me grow as an individual!

I also have to give a big thanks to the Creative Mornings Community! This diverse group has helped me become more confident with everything I do behind the scenes of The Space in-Between. Creative Morning is a free resourceful platform that hosts events around the world! The community is filled with so many inspiring stories and eventful classes that make you want to learn about every subject out there! I highly recommend checking them out!

I cannot imagine my life without these resources.

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

Just like every entrepreneur’s journey, it has its downsides. It looks beautiful on paper to everyone but the truth is we take a lot of steps that have brought us through a few trials and tribulations. One point of my life that I always go back to during difficult times is when I had my second heart surgery. My doctor discovered that my heart valve which was fixed in the past had to be replaced again. I had a difficult time understanding my second surgery because I thought I had a few more years left with it but the universe had new plans for me. I was put into a place where I had to make my own plans, figure out what was the right method for me, and tell my job at the time that I had to quit because of limited time. I remember sitting down with my manager and as soon as our meeting started, I broke down in tears. Feeling helpless and having no control of the present moment tore me into pieces. Living through this dark experience taught me how to fly. The truth is that life will not always work out as planned, no path is linear! We have to grasp onto the moments that we do have and see the other side with a new perspective. What we were certain about yesterday might not be in today’s cards, and that is okay. We have the power of how we live in the NOW and no one can take this away from us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thespacein-betweenco.squarespace.com/
• Instagram: @thespacein_betweenco

Image Credits
Illustration created by Talisa Almonte.