We were lucky to catch up with NyAsia Russell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi NyAsia , thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

When people find out that I make candles they either ask two things: “OH! Can I smell them?” Or “What made you start doing this?”. While I love the first question question, because yes, you can smell the candles. I admire the second question the most. It may just be a candle to some, but to others, it’s my story. In hopes of finding a new coping skill for my Anxiety and Depression, I came across the idea of candle making. The thought of melting the wax and deciding your own fragrance was interesting to me, so, I tried it out. I fell in love with the process of making candles, and the love grows daily.
Grounded By NyAsia isn’t just a candle business. It’s an outlet to advocate for mental health. Not just my mental health, but the mental health of those around me. I use my business to show others that life can be beautiful and that you matter. Yes, it may just be a 9oz wooden wick candle, but it’s my candle. It’s my story.

NyAsia , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi friends! I’m a twenty two year old college student from South Carolina! Over the past two years, I have been perfecting my craft of candle making! Grounded By NyAsia is a small business that provides non-toxic, soy wax candles. We use wooden wicks to provide a calm, crackling sound when burning the candle.
My business is something to be proud of in itself. When considering myself as an individual, I am often shy, can be quiet, and afraid of change. When considering Grounded By NyAsia, I see a business that continually makes something new and different every week! A business that isn’t afraid of change. While I can’t control the world around me, I can control my business. I can decide what we stand for, what we advocate for, and most importantly, what to make! My business allows me to bring out the creative side within myself that isn’t always shown, and for that, I will always be grateful.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

For individuals who have been with me from the beginning, they know that I started literally from the ground up. At my first market, I showed up with only a table and a box of candles. As I had never been to a market before, I knew nothing about having a tent, decorations, or any other market needs. For the first two months of the summer markets, I stood in the hot sun trying to figure out when and how I was going to set up my booth the way that I wanted to. Eventually, I built created a Pinterest board and decided to go from there. While things, weren’t always perfect, or I didn’t always have what I needed, I had to improvise. And while I was silently panicking, customers were still buying and expressing their love for my candles.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients and customers has been putting myself out there. I learned that if I don’t share my products, then no one will. When you begin to put yourself out there, then others start to talk about your business, leading you to new customers. In the aspects of owning your own business, you have to be honest. People like when you share what works, what doesn’t work; they like when you are vulnerable about what you do. When you have a love for something, often times, you don’t even think about your next move, you just do it. I think by doing it, by putting myself out there, it’s built not only my sales, but my social media presence as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://groundedbynyasia.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groundedbynyasia/?hl=en
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/groundedbynyasia/