Meet Kaurie Raye | Owner of The K Kollection

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

Hi Kaurie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
For me, candle making started out as a hobby that only helped with my anxiety and depression. Staying busy is the one thing that had kept me from going crazy and allowed my mind to be put at ease. I started with a simple, glass mug and just let my creative mind flow. Eventually, it turned into a business once my family and friends saw how unique my candles had become. My thought process at the time was to keep coming up with new ideas and improve my work every single day. Looking back, I am extremely happy that I made the decision to keep going. It was never about the money for me. I just wanted to share my art with others and put a smile on someone’s face.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My candles are all hand made to order. I love making candles from scratch and providing clean candles to all of my customers. My candles are made with soy wax which is one of the safest waxes to use. In addition, they are also organic and paraffin free. My candles are not the average candle that you may see everyday. I make candles that look like food/drinks and they smell just like it too! When I started this business, it was important for me to do LOTS of research and be okay with trial and error. My first candle was atrocious when I first started but, I just had to push myself to get better. This helped me plan out exactly what I wanted to do when I was ready to start selling and knock out any issues that may come about. Starting a brand does not come easy. You will have some hardships but, as long as you stay motivated and consistent I promise you, it will pay off.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in the city of Tampa, Florida. There is so much to do here! I would first start off by taking them to “Mr. and Mrs. Crab” for a good seafood boil. They have THE BEST seafood and the music is always a vibe. During the day, I would show them this place called “Armature Works” which has a variety of food spots inside. Then I would take them to Sacred Pepper which is a nice upscale restaurant for dinner. In terms of going out I would take them downtown to the International Mall and tour the Riverwalk with them. I would also get some tickets to the “Tampa Bay Buccaneers” if they were into football!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to shoutout my mom (Yaqarah Durham), my dad (Raymond Durham), and my boyfriend (Daunte Harris). Without these people in my life none of this would be possible. I owe it all to them because they supported me when I was at my lowest and still motivate me today to never give up. Also, shoutout to my son, Princeton Harris for always putting a smile on my face since the day you were born.

Website: Thekkollectionbykr.com

Instagram: Thekkollectionnbykr

Other: TikTok: @Thekkollectionbykr