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

Alright, Kyra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

The best thing I have ever done to show my customers I appreciate them is to never lose sight of the fact that they are the most important part of my business.

The Penrose Apothecary customer experience takes precedence over anything else. I spend countless hours testing and creating quality products that my customer can truly fall in love with, without fear of investing in a fly by night company.

I often gift my product to a customer if I see they truly love it and just can’t make the financial sacrifice to gift something to themselves at the time. If my customer lives within 20 miles of me, I offer to hand deliver their order to them. I go out of my way to remember their names, or their favorite scent, or where we first met.

I always want Penrose Apothecary to feel like home to my customers.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi there! Name is Kyra Lumpkin, I am a perfumer and chandler by trade and I own and operate Penrose Apothecary, a small perfume house that offers niche perfumery and luxury hand poured candles.

Penrose Apothecary is a product of pure love of legacy, warmth, and home, wherever that may be for anyone. The Penrose experience is so much more than buying an amazing perfume or candle (and they are amazing); at the heart of Penrose Apothecary lies a deep love cultivating a sense of community, healing and a safe space for all those who patron.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Every single product Penrose offers is made by my hands, including the vessels that house our candles. Before staring my business, I didn’t know anything about creating ceramics or working with concrete. I learned everything I know from HOURS of trial and error and via the university of YouTube.

The handcrafted element is very important to me because human connection is very important, especially now a days when people have become accustomed to viewing the world via a phone screen.

While I am sure I could find manufacturers to create the vessels or pour the candles, that is not what I envision for Penrose. I always want Penrose to be deeply personal and initmate.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn is that my presence in my brand cannot be minimized.

I am an extreme introvert and when I started business I was very resolved to keep my physical presence as far away from my brand as possible. I hid behind my product. However, I quickly learned that people want to know about the mind behind the brand. People were investing in me as a person, not just the products I offer.

It helped me realize that my worth extended well beyond just being of service. It taught me that I actually am someone people would love to know and laugh with. I have really learned how to love myself more through allowing myself to be seen.     

Contact Info:

• Website: www.PenroseApothecary.com
• Instagram: @penroseapothecary