Meet Tristina Cooper | Crafty Creator & Owner

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

Hi Tristina, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
So many thoughts went through my mind when coming up with a business plan. I was a single mom of 3 kids at the time looking to figure out how to balance work/personal life, how to make ends meet, what could I possibly make, sell etc. Initially I wanted to start an online business named Rich Peeples Closet LLC that sold school uniforms for sizes that were hard to find in stores. But the pandemic hit, kids started going to school from home online and I went back to the drawing board. I always had a thing for candles, buying them from different stores and always looking for them on sale. I said to myself instead of spending money on candles, I should learn how to make them and the rest is history! Rich Peeples Closet LLC makes all natural soy candles by hand.

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.
I work from home, take care of 3 kids, 5 dogs along with help my fiancé Jamaine on his food truck during the week and weekends, When I’m not doing those things, I am in my basement making candles, creating/printing labels, processing orders, checking emails, researching and expanding my knowledge in the candle business. Teaching myself how to make candles, testing my products for weeks, watching “You University” lol, taking notes from many different websites, using all natural soy products, offering a variety of fragrances and colors sets me aside from others. Believing in myself when no one else did or hearing people doubt you and say that “you can’t do it” or “that sounds crazy” was a challenge. At some point you wise up and say “you know what, I’m done sharing my vision with people”, I am going to do it! And that’s what I did, pressed forward and started Rich Peeples Closet LLC and named the company after my children.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well let’s see there’s so much to do in the city. I would definitely say visit the Varsity downtown and grab a burger or hot dog and a Coke to drink! Go to the Eastside of town to Moreland Ave to Starlight Drive-In and watch a good movie sitting in your car! If you like sports go to a Falcons or Hawks game, ride MARTA to State Farm Arena or Mercedes Benz Stadium.

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?
There are a few people that I want to dedicate my shoutout to. I’ll start with my mom Berthenia, grandma Wilma and auntie Beverly who has been there since day 1 teaching and showing me how to become the woman I am today. These ladies are strong black women who instilled in me the importance of putting God 1st, family, unconditional love and working hard. Next, my good old friend Twansa who I met almost 20 yrs ago at Georgia State University has been an inspiration as well. Twansa and I use to meet up at libraries and coffee shops to brainstorm, share and discuss our business plans/ideas with each other. Look at us now friend! Lastly but definitely not, gotta shoutout my fiancé Jamaine. Jamaine and I met back in 2020 during the pandemic and he has been a huge supporter of my vision for Rich Peeples Closet LLC. He has helped me with ideas, feedback, funding, testing and so much more. Thanks to all my family members and friends who continue to support me in my small business journey,

Instagram: @richpeeplecloset

Facebook: RichPeeplesCloset

Other: TikTok: Richpeeplesclosetllc