Meet Tiffany Kindred | Founder & Maker, Walker Street Candle Company

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

Hi Tiffany, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had my first child during the peak of COVID-19 in November 2020, and I took an interest in candlemaking when I felt like I needed something to reclaim my identity. Becoming a new parent in quarantine was isolating at times and I picked up candlemaking as a hobby to decompress in the evening after work. I quickly realized that it was a very expensive hobby, so I started making and selling wax melts to purchase supplies and test my candle recipes. In September 2022, I launched my first line of candles and the rest is history.

What should our readers know about your business?
Walker Street Candle Company is a small-batch home fragrance company based in Norcross, Georgia. We specialize in candles, wax melts, and room sprays.

Our candles are made using vegan coconut soy wax, phthalate-, paraben-, and carcinogen-free fragrance oils, and lead- and zinc-free wicks. They are clean-burning, non-toxic, and intentionally scented with people sensitive to strong fragrances in mind. We strive to craft a unique sensory experience for your space and make luxury fragrances accessible to everyone. We ship nationwide and can be found at local pop-ups across the metro ATL area.

We are entering our second year of business, and this year has definitely had its ups and downs. One of the biggest challenges this year was losing access to my workspace for nearly three months after the winter storm in December displaced my family. We came home from vacation to find that the entire first floor of our home was damaged due to a frozen pipe that had burst. Business-wise, it was a tough season to recover from because I felt like I had lost so much momentum; however, it has allowed me a chance to slow down, rebrand, and rethink how I want to design the business for long-term growth.

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.
Ooh, I like this question. I always like to take friends visiting the area to one of the many food halls/mixed-use spots around the city – Ponce City Market, Krog Street Market, The Works ATL, or Halcyon. I like to provide different options for food and drinks, and these places always hit the mark.

For breakfast or brunch, the comfy chicken biscuit at HomeGrown will always be my go-to, and the Hashed Out at Rising Son in Avondale Estates is another favorite. In a pinch, Waffle House will always do the job.

For lunch, one of my favorite places to grab a good simple burger is at NFA Burger in Dunwoody. It’s near my office, so I have to use great restraint to not eat there every single week.

For dinner, I always love a good Korean BBQ and Gwinnett County has no shortage of good spots to eat. If we’re feeling a little fancy, Delbar (Inman Park & Alpharetta) and Kimball House (Decatur) are favorites, too.

If we have time, a day trip to the North Georgia Mountains is a must to check out the wineries and maybe squeeze in a hike.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband Chris is always so supportive of my crazy ideas. It was no different when I told him I was thinking about starting a candle business. He gets really involved in the process, too. He tests every scent, gives feedback on the branding, and helps me set up and break down at markets.

Website: www.walkerstreetcandleco.com

Instagram: instagram.com/walkerstreetcandles

Facebook: www.facebook.com/walkerstreetcandles

Image Credits
Personal Photo: Jillian Morn Additional Photos: Tiffany Kindred