We recently connected with Mimi Daraa and have shared our conversation below.

Mimi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?

How a Soldering Iron, a Leased Car, and a Lot of Love Sparked a Movement

It was the tail end of COVID—the kind of liminal moment where the world was waking back up, but no one really knew how to be in it yet. My partner Red and I, along with our two dogs, packed up and left Austin for NYC, unsure of what we were searching for—just knowing we needed to move.

We leased a car just to take the trip. No big strategy, no brand plan—just a call from within to go. Somewhere between grief and hope, we felt the urge to spread something meaningful.

Along the way, we picked up a soldering iron. And not for the usual reasons. We started using it to hand-engrave names into our Palo Santo sticks—mostly yoga studios and specific teachers we found listed on websites. These were people and places that had held it down through the unknown, that kept showing up with presence and grace when the world felt upside down.

We also stopped at some of the restaurants that had managed to stay open—places that nourished people’s bodies while teachers were nourishing souls.

We didn’t charge anything. No product pitch. Just a quiet offering: a bundle of engraved Palo Santo sticks, gifted with love, showing up in cities like New Orleans, Birmingham, Richmond, New Jersey, and finally NYC. It was our way of saying: we see you. We thank you. You made it.

The reactions caught us off guard. People cried. People hugged us. People clutched the sticks like sacred talismans. Many had never even heard of Palo Santo—and they asked questions, deep ones. Where does it come from? How do you use it? What does it mean?

That was the spark.

Somewhere between those emotional exchanges, the late-night hotel room yoga sessions (yes, I made Red do yoga in nearly every city), and the miles of highway conversations, a new vision began to form.

What if we could do more than give people Palo Santo?
What if we could guide them through an experience—one that educated, activated, and inspired?
Something sensory and soul-stirring.

That’s how Palo Santo Sacred Journey was born.

Today, it’s one of our signature offerings. A blend of movement, breathwork, sound, and storytelling—all anchored by the sacred scent of Palo Santo. It’s a chance to reconnect to your breath, your body, and your own sense of inner wisdom.

But its roots go back to that road trip—two people, two dogs, a soldering iron, and a trunk full of love. No business plan. Just heart. Just presence.

And sometimes, that’s all it takes to light a fire.

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

I’m Mimi Daraa, co-founder of Maison Palo Santo—a lifestyle brand that’s grown into a spiritual awakening for many since we first began our journey back in 2016. My path into this work wasn’t linear. I come from the world of restaurants—high-paced, high-pressure, and full of fire. That world taught me discipline, resilience, and the power of sensory storytelling. But over time, I felt a deeper calling—one rooted in nature, ritual, and healing.

Red (my partner in life and in this mission) and I started creating Palo Santo products by hand—candles, sprays, sticks—each one crafted with intention and deep respect for the land it comes from. We’ve spent years working alongside communities in Ecuador, where Palo Santo grows wild and sacred. The wood itself has to fall naturally and rest for years before its healing aroma is ready—a reminder that some of the most powerful things in life come only after patience and time.

Maison Palo Santo is more than a product line. It’s a movement. A way of reconnecting to ourselves and the earth. We now offer immersive experiences like the Palo Santo Sacred Journey, which blends yoga, breathwork, sound, and storytelling—all anchored in the ritual use of Palo Santo. We also host private ceremonies, retreats, and activations for communities, studios, and festivals.

What makes us unique is our devotion to beauty, integrity, and intention. Every offering—from our hand-engraved sticks to our immersive classes—is created to support energetic alignment and offer people a grounded, sensory-rich experience of self-care. Our products are clean, sustainable, and meant to be part of your daily rituals—not just something you burn once, but something you return to.

One of the proudest moments in our journey was a spontaneous cross-country trip. Red and I hand-engraved Palo Santo sticks with a soldering iron, gifting them to yoga studios and teachers across cities like New Orleans, Birmingham, Richmond, and NYC. It wasn’t a marketing tactic—it was pure love. That road trip became the spark that ignited Palo Santo Sacred Journey, now one of our most beloved offerings.

To anyone discovering us for the first time, know this: Maison Palo Santo is a love letter to the forest, to self-care, and to the power of presence. We’re here to offer tools that help you slow down, breathe deeper, and reconnect to what truly matters. Whether it’s through scent, movement, or sound—we invite you to come home to yourself.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I met Red by pure chance in Central Park during a heatwave—one of those serendipitous New York moments where something shifts and you just know. Ten months later, we were married. Two years after that, we had already launched our first business: a Moroccan rug shop called Magik Carpets, inspired by Red’s roots in Casablanca and our shared dream to create something meaningful together.

We ran it out of our tiny NYC studio apartment—no car, barely any space, and not a clue what we were doing, just a fire in our hearts. We received our first funding through a Kiva loan, moved all the furniture to the walls to take product shots, and taught ourselves how to use what were, at the time, very clunky online tools to build our first website.

We’d trick taxis into taking us to markets with all our rugs and displays in tow—anyone from NYC knows how that goes when you’ve got a bunch of stuff to cram into the trunk! It was scrappy, it was wild, and it was ours. That season of life built our muscle for creativity, hustle, and purpose-driven business.

That’s where our love story became a creative partnership—one rooted in freedom, impact, and working on our own terms. Over time, Palo Santo entered the picture. At first just as a ritual. Then as a product. Then as a way of life. What began with textiles has now evolved into Maison Palo Santo—a lifestyle brand, a movement, and a sacred offering of beauty, healing, and connection from our hearts to yours.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maisonpalosanto.com
• Instagram: @maisonpalosanto
• Facebook: @maisonpalosanto
• Linkedin: @mimidaraa