We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Silianise (Cece) Moise. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Silianise (Cece) below.

Silianise (Cece), thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?

My mom is my hero. She is a dignified Haitian woman with strength beyond measure. Until this day, I stand mesmerized by her beauty, intelligence, strength, tenacity, and resilience. She did it all; indeed, like many mothers, she busted her butt and raised ten incredible children on her own while my dad was working hard in California. My parents have sacrificed so much for their children, but it is easier for me to celebrate my mom’s hard work and sacrifice because she was my mirror growing up. She is my definition of strength. She is my definition of grace. She is my definition of what it’s like to be street-smart (I did not inherit that, lol), and she ruled with such an iron fist.

Again my mother could turn water into wine and leaves into dollar bills just so her children did not know she was struggling financially. She was a hustler, for sure.

After my father went to America to seek a better life for his children, mom continued forging a future for her and her children on her own. She worked her fingers to the bone to ensure we had everything we needed. It still amazes me how she carried us through after my dad left Haiti. Honestly, my older siblings also sacrificed a lot for the betterment of the family, but my mom was the rock. I have nothing but honor and respect for my mom.

She is my why. I learned how to make candles at home with my mom in Haiti as a tool for illumination during power failures, so we could study and do homework. Today, I’m making aromatherapy candles for home décor and therapeutic purposes right in my kitchen. I plan to eventually name the company after her to honor her for being the inspiration and the force behind Refined Candles. And publicly acknowledge the impact she is still having in my life and the lives of my siblings.

Mom, I wish words could express how truly honored I’m to call you mommy. I will forever be grateful that God assigned you to bring me to this life and be the role model and hero I needed to move through life gracefully. I’m who I am because of the woman you are. I pray that you know how special you are, not just in your children’s eyes but so many others. Words and actions can tell you how much I love and adore you. Although I know I could never amount to being half the woman you are, I will forever be grateful and honored to tell the world that you are my mommy.

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

“Refined Candles is a luxury lifestyle brand to help you live artfully.” When I started Refined Candles during the pandemic, it was a way for me to reminisce about the good old time I spent with my mom making candles in Haiti; it just so happens to take a life on its own.

As a mental health therapist, I recognize the need for clean-burning and sustainable candles. So, when I realized a need for my candles, I sought to ensure that Refined candles was not just another brand of candles. Instead, I wanted a chic brand of beautifully decorated candles that would light your senses to a new standard. Lighting a candle is like making my favorite cup of ginger tea after an episode of IBS; it’s a much-needed ritual.

Refined candles is a carefully curated collection of art decor pieces of candles. Each piece is meticulously crafted to satisfy our love for all things artistic, luxurious, and refined. Our one-of-a-kind concrete candle vessels add a quintessential touch of glamorous sophistication to any room. We aim to inspire and elevate not just the rooms in your home but also your mood.

Our fragrances are meticulously sourced to provide you with an exceptional experience by artfully blending exciting and unique notes.
I wanted to create candles that not only smelled differently, but I needed to make candles that I could comfortably use around the house after a long day. Our candles do not use toxic ingredients, and our beautiful new concrete vessels are true treasures, hand-crafted by me and ecologically friendly. I promise you will never throw them out. Instead, you can re-use our vessels for your jewelry, plant, or home décor.

Our candles are beautifully decorated in case you are looking for that light to create a warm and inviting radiance in your home. Also, they are great if you are looking for a gift for someone special.

These candles were created for your simple pleasure. So grab your favorite blanket, a good book with a cup of your favorite tea, or a glass of wine and light up one of Refined Candles for your relaxing pleasure.
We aim to help you take good care of yourself so you can take care of the world around you.

If you want candles that feel like it was made especially for you, try Refined Candles.

They are great if you are looking for a gift for someone special as well.

Disclaimer: Each candle is handmade by me in Florida, and because all of them are handmade, they may have some imperfections such as minor discoloration of the wax, slightly off-centered label, tiny markings on the outside of the jar, minor bubbles on the concrete vessels, which makes them perfectly unique. To be clear, none of this impacts the quality of our candles. Please also be aware that some fragrances promote rusting inside the candle tins, which is normal.

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

Yes, we make our candles at home because we are a small business, so it is economically friendly but also fun. Making candles at home helps me reconnect with when I used to make them at home with my mom in Haiti, and it helps me control the ingredients that go into Refined clean- burning candles. This means that our candles are paraffin and lead-free. Our essential oils are high-quality and phthalate-free, and we use cotton wicks for a cleaner and less smoky burn. Making candles at home is adventurous because we produce some of the vessels from scratch.

Our beautiful new concrete vessels are true treasures, hand-crafted by me, and ecologically friendly. I promise you will never throw them out. Instead, you can re-use our vessels for your jewelry, plant, or home décor.

We buy all the ingredients in the USA and make sure they are specifically designed with our customers in mind. Each candle is hand-mixed and poured right here in Florida. Combining scents is one of the best parts of candle-making fun. However, it can also be very overwhelming and frustrating when the combination of scents does not blend well. The fragrance blends are 100% free of phthalate, paraben, mutagens, and toxins. We make our luxury candles with 100% soy and coconut wax and non-toxic fragrance for a beautifully clean burn without toxins because we care about your health.

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

Honestly, this question got me a bit emotional. My answer would have been different if you had asked me this question six months ago. A few months ago, my sisters and I strategized how we would take Refined Candles to the top. Then, I worked day and night to ensure my business thrived.

Everything came to a halt after my dad got sick. Working a full-time job, helping to care for dad, and running a business was added stressor that I was not willing to entertain. I needed to sacrifice something for my mental health, so the decision was clear. I paused Refined Candles. As a business owner, I needed to protect my business reputation. I did not want my customers to wait for weeks for orders to be shipped to them when I knew that I wouldn’t have had the ability or strength to cope with losing my father and worrying about my business simultaneously. So I paused.

After my father passed away in July, I was not excited to start marketing again. Finally, small business owners would understand how hard it is to return after a break. It was already problematic before the break; can you imagine how hard it would be to start over again? How much money would I have to spend on marketing to be able to reach my target audience? Instagram is now making it harder to reach your followers, so Imagine how much time, money, and energy I would have to invest in getting potential customers on social media.

I’m not a quitter, but I questioned whether it would be worth continuing the journey. I wanted to pause indefinitely. After all, if I needed an excuse, I had one.

I quickly understood that it is easier to quit than to keep going. When things are uncertain, your brain wants to tell you to pause. Quit.

Although pausing can be a good thing, there’s much to be said for persevering through adversity.

Shortly after dad passed, I received an email from Erika offering me this feature. I was uncertain, but I didn’t want to decline the offer. I decided to be honest with her and shared that my dad had just passed, and my sisters and I were taking mom to Mexico and would reach out to her upon my return. I came back from Mexico with the intent of emailing her back right away. Instead, weeks later, she reached out to me again before I even had the chance to reach back out to her. So, I agreed to be featured.

Sometimes, all we need is a little push. Resiliency is about persevering in the face of absolute challenges and adversity.

So, what have I learned since:

1. Invest in self-care.
2. Allowing myself to feel all my feelings.
3. Take joy where life offers it.
4. Control the things within my control.
5. Looking for meaning and purpose in the things that I do.
6. Don’tDon’t withdraw in tough times.
7. Stay motivated and deal with one problem at a time.
8. I’m not a superwoman; things can wait until I can attend to them.
9. Celebrate my wins, no matter how small.
10. Feel less afraid of uncertainty.
11. Reframe my negative thoughts.
12. Express gratitude even when I don’t feel like I have anything to be grateful about. Waking up is sufficient enough.
13. Being confident that a solution will present itself even when one is not immediately apparent.
14. It takes time to create a successful brand, and I need to be patient with myself and shouldn’t expect everyone to believe in me or my dream the way I should. It’s MY dream, after all.
15. I ooze out fabulousity everywhere I go simply because I am me. I GOT THIS. PERSEVERE CECE.

There’s nothing easy about being an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship has many critical twists and turns that I did not expect. As a business owner, I have reached many plateaus and walls that seem impossible, but whatever the obstacle was, I was ready to keep pressing toward pursuing my dreams. If there is one thing I know how to do is to persevere. I’m not going to allow the unknowns to stop me. I want my business to thrive, and I need to dedicate the time and energy to Refined Candles so it can be successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.refinedbysm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/refinedbysm/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Refinedbysm/
• Linkedin: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ACece+Moise&s=relevancerank&text=Cece+Moise&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
• Twitter: https://www.pinterest.com/refinedbysm/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT6U-tBAhz5YgDja9n3jIiA
• Yelp: www.cecemoise.com
• Other: www.beautywithoutborders.org

Image Credits
Silianise Moise Pictures taken by Georgette Moise Candles pictures taken by Cece Moise