Meet Lala Robinson | Chandler/Business Owner

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

Hi Lala, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think risks are a necessary part of evolution. I don’t think we can embark on any life endeavor without some risk, whether that’s finding love, moving to a new city or country or starting a business. All will essentially take risks because you’re stepping into the unknown. I have learned to embrace risks. I am a huge fan of planning, however when I plan, I expect that something will not work out and therefore I risk things falling apart. Yet, after plans have fallen through so many times, I also learned that sometimes, that’s for the best to make room for something even better. Starting my candle business, LINGERS Candles LLC, was no different. It started with me wanting to make a safe burning, strong scented lemongrass candle as a DIY project yet ended with me taking a huge risk at starting an ecommerce business. Here I am 3 years later and my candles have sold thousands, had multiple wholesale opportunities, are in small business shops and still expanding. So yeah, I embrace risk now because they often lead me to fresh possibilities, ones that are better than I could have imagined.

What should our readers know about your business?
LINGERS Candles was manifested out of my love for candles and my passion for contributing to the black community through wellness. The well-being of black people is so important to me because too often we are in survival mode and unable to experience joy, love, and have quality of life as others do. Reclaiming our well-being and centering our self-care has been a huge movement for us these past couple of years and I want to expand on that.

I see and hear about many of us using scented candles for our homes and wellness rituals but we tend to be unaware of the harm these candles can be causing us. LINGERS Candles offer candles that not only smell good but are made of good quality. My candles use natural, safe to breathe wax and phthalate free, paraben-free fragrance oils. My candles are handcrafted with our community in mind so we take care to test our candles to reduce soot and potential harm. I offer a loyalty program that permits subscribers to reuse their 20% discount in an effort to keep our candles accessible and affordable to our community. In addition to creating quality products for my community, each quarter I donate 10% of my candle sales to another black-owned business or organization that centers wellness.

The most important lessons I’ve learned while running my business is one, Believe In Yourself. You have to have a strong level of self belief because that’s what will keep you going during the ebbs and flows of business. Second lesson, Ask For Help. If you open yourself to receive assistance, mentorship, etc the opportunities will come. Never think you have all the answers but do have conviction because not all help is good or right for the direction of your brand and business. The third lesson I’ve learned, Keep Going. I love the idea of seeing just how far I can take this business. It’s still early and I have so many more ideas to playout so I just love the idea of playing into those curiosities.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a nature girl so I would love to show off Piedmont Park and maybe Centennial Park as well. We could walk the Beltline and even go to the High Musuem to check out some art. I’d definitely recommend the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and the Georgia Aquarium. For eats we would visit the Sun Dial, The Flying Biscuit, Ponce City Market, Krog Street and checkout some other eateries along Buford Highway.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am so grateful to have a support system of close friends and family that have supported me throughout this journey! My parents, my best friends Genia, DJ Savant and Jordan and even my ex partner who cheered me on. None of their cheers or kind words or even their financial support has gone unnoticed. I truly do appreciate the way they show out and up for me. As for books I would like to credit a book I read some years ago called Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, there’s a part of the book that talks about the importance of not putting too much pressure on your craft or the thing that’s in your heart to make you a living. It always reminds me to go slow and steady with my expansion and to enjoy the journey I am on with my business.

Website: lingerscandles.com

Instagram: @lingerscandles

Image Credits
Images by Lala Robinson