We were lucky to catch up with Tiara Gray- Akintunde recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tiara, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
My idea to launch a self care brand came about midway through 2020. I had just gotten out of a toxic relationship, lost my job due to the pandemic and was going through my own mental health struggles after birthing my stillborn son just a few months earlier. I was in a dark space and had been having such a hard time grieving. I just knew I needed to get out of that darkness so I began burning candles and journaling to do so. I made it a daily habit and began noticing that my Walmart & Bath & Body Works candles were leaving black marks all over my walls. After researching more about the pollutants and toxins, I began making my own candles and products which turned out to be extremely therapeutic for me. WaxT & Co. was born on January 21, 2021. Here we are today, 3 years strong!
Tiara, 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?
Hey Scenties, new & old! My name is Tiara Gray- Akintunde. I am the CEO & founder of WaxT & Co., a brand dedicated to helping you discover the true luxury of self care. My own mental health struggles and self care journey unleashed my passion for self care a few years ago which led to me developing a brand that is safe for anyone who is on their own journey. Today, WaxT & Co. offers a variety of products that are dedicated to self care & setting the perfect mood through fragrance. Some of our #1 selling self care products include our Signature Body Glaze which was designed to not only build confidence with irresistible, healthy, glowing skin but to amplify any self care routine & our one-of-a-kind self care journals which were designed & created by me. We also offer candles, wax melts, car diffusers, body polishes, bath salts and more. Seeing my growth from 2021 to now I’m so proud of how WaxT & Co. has blossomed but something that I am MOST proud of is the number of men & women I have helped along their journeys to self love. I’m beyond grateful that my passion is helping others in such a tremendous & life changing way.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I’ve been in business for 3 years and haven’t quite reached 2,000 followers on any of my social media accounts, but putting the brand out there and gaining that traction is a process. One way that I have worked to build WaxT & Co.’s current following is by constant promotion of our social media accounts and website. I also have marketing materials in place that have our social media and of course, I’m always building connections for WaxT & Co. with other brands, businesses and customers. I think one of my favorite ways that WaxT & Co. has gained a social media following is by current Scenties tagging us and sharing posts. Not to mention, when you have a collection of amazing and yummy smelling products like we do, Scenties, new and old, will continue to come back and continue to support and share with their friends and family.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
One thing about WaxT & Co. is we are always posting and sharing stories just to give our Scenties a chance to keep up with us, learn about the products and just kind of see what happens behind the scenes. We also have an active email list where we update our subscribers on upcoming markets, events, new products, restocks, and more. As a businesswoman, I think it’s very important that I give people an inside look on Tiara as well and not just WaxT & Co. because at the end of the day, I am part of the brand as well. I try to be transparent, give people an inside look on my family, friends, hobbies, likes/dislikes…..all that. I believe that’s what helps people really get to know me, especially if they have never met me in person or if they primarily support online.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://waxtandco.us
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/waxtandco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaxTandCo