Meet Ashley Glasper | Owner of the Candle Company Melanin Flames

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Glasper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, why did you pursue a creative career?
I am a true creative ever since I was a young girl. Growing up I was always into crafts such as crocheting, painting, and any other arts and craft projects I could get my hands on. Being creative became my therapy, and with that, we all know the saying, if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Being creative is what I love.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I create candles with scents that are based off of black culture and experiences. As black people we all share common experiences such as being told to “go lay down,” when we were sick, as a form of medicine. My company celebrates our experiences and black people as a whole. We utilize amber glass jars to represent our brown skin. I’m very excited to have a candle brand curated just for us, even with the critics telling me to keep the theme broad. To niche down was a hard choice to make because you don’t want to exclude any “potential customers,” but I’ve learned the power of the black dollar and I’m excited to be apart those that keep circulating the black dollar into our community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m more of a homebody so I don’t go to too many places, but when I want to be out and enjoy a chill vibe, I love going to Apache XLR for spoken word and live music.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shout out my man Jesse. He pushed me to becoming an entrepreneur and encourages me everyday to keep going.

Website: Melaninflames.com

Instagram: Melaninflames