Meet Raven Silas-Willis | Chief Chandler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Raven Silas-Willis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Raven, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Prior to Breathe Enlight, I actually owned a total different business. I was an Event &Community Organizer for Blk Wmn Build. I hosted virtual conferences and trainings for small businesses. Breathe Enlight was a passion project I started because I could no longer afford my candle buying habits after being laid off from my full time job. I found candle making therapeutic and as a way to express my creativity. One day I just decided to drop everything I normally do and try something new by putting my all into making my hobby into a business.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Breathe Enlight was birthed during one of the most uncertain years of my life, 2020. I was laid off from my job in March 2020. My layoff triggered my anxiety and sent me through a depression. However, I allowed me to spend some much needed time with myself. I went through a total spiritual and mental cleanse during this time and started doing yoga, meditating, and saying affirmations during this time. I also launched myself into creative projects such as candle making. Candle making became a therapeutic release during this time. I had a hunch to share my new passion with the world as I felt it could help many people around the country who have found themselves in the same space as me. I paired my affirmations with my candles and created a brand around it. It was something totally different than I’d ever done but I wholeheartedly believed in the success of it. My living room in our one bedroom house became my candle studio and I worked very eagerly on making it a success. I recorded everything and posted on Tik Tok and less than 2 months after launching, we went viral on Tik Tok which helped us to reach a wide audience around the states and even out the country. I put my whole self into Breathe Enlight and I’m very intentional with the energy I put into my products because I feel like I am giving a piece of myself in every handcrafted product that we make.
I am most proud of the way I have never given up. Even when things were slow and I had no money, I still pushed forward to give my full transparent self in my brand. I am also proud of how transparent and vulnerable I allow myself to be to those who support my brand (customers).
Nothing has been easy. Every challenge we’d learned from and overcome. Our home was destroyed in the 2021 Hurricane Ida during the time I was still working 100% out of my home office. This tested my resilience and forced me to face my fears and grow where I was able to lease my first office space to work out of and host events.
I’ve learned during this journey to have faith, remain positive, and never stop falling in love everything with what I do. I want the world to know how hard we’ve worked and grown despite the many adversities we’ve faced on this journey. I also want the world to know how much love and positive intentions we put into our brand!

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.
New Orleans is an amazing place of culture and love! I’d have so many things to show off in this city! We’d go plant shopping at Crazy Plant Bae, grab breakfast at Botanicals NOLA, catch Fantasy Tacos for an amazing food truck lunch, visit VUE Orleans, New Orleans African American Museum, and Backstreet Museum to give them a rich cultural visit. We’d head down to Dream House Lounge for conscious cocktails at night. Have crawfish on the Lakefront and eat at Mr. Taco on Freret Street for dinner one night. For the local/tourist experience I’d take her down Frenchmen Street to enjoy a fun night out and a stroll through the French Quarter after visiting Oceana during lunchtime.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Kadeem Willis has planned a big and hidden role in my journey! He offers his unconditional support of me and my business. My husband sees the behind the scenes moments when I doubt myself and stress about small things. He encourages me to keep going always. He shows his support by working the business table at local pop up markets, investing in the business, building displays, doing all the behind the scenes maintenance, making our company shirts, and coming up with ideas to make us better!

Website: www.breatheenlight.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/breatheenlight

Facebook: facebook.com/breatheenlightco

Image Credits
Nyejah Bolds Photography