Meet Tristen Barker | Candlemaker

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

Hi Tristen, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve always been a pretty creative person. My senior year of high school six of my eight classes were all elective art classes. There’s just something magical about creating something with your hands, your heart and your mind and it’s incredibly fulfilling. I wasn’t going to get that from any math or english class. When you’re creating art you don’t really THINK about it, per se, you just kind of FEEL it. So when hobbies started dropping to the wayside in lieu of building a career, a lot of that fulfillment became dust in the wind, as do many other things when adulthood sets in. It’s funny….I found an old journal of mine from my early 20’s and I had written a list of things I wanted to start doing or learning. One of them was to learn how to make candles! It took me a decade to get around to it but I know it’s been in the back of my mind for a long time. I think that’s why my “little” candlemaking hobby turned into a small business! They say you never work a day in your life if you love what you do. I wholeheartedly agree with that quote because starting a business, creating a product I’m passionate about, and having the freedom to build my own brand has been so fulfilling. Except tax season. That is not fulfilling and I really should’ve taken more math classes! Anyway, moral of the story is….I just wanted to create something for myself and then it turned into creating for other people….now people are giving me their hard earned dollars in exchange for a little jar of joy and I think that’s pretty cool.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
One of the lessons I’ve learned along the way is to not worry about what other people or companies are doing. When you start a business you are likely creating or selling something that another company has sold a million of already. Very early on in my candlemaking journey I was doing a lot of research and educating myself using the knowledge provided from other candlemakers. When you start out you are just trying to find your way and build your brand so your slate is clean. You start taking notes, saving pictures, and drawing inspiration. I started seeing so many ads for other candle companies which led me down a rabbit hole and made my head spin. It started to stress me out because I was constantly comparing myself and my business to everyone else’s. How long have they been in business? How many followers do they have? How pretty are their labels? How unique are their scents? You get to a point where you’re like an obsessed ex-boyfriend who needs to just move on and worry about himself! Lookin’ at you Kanye. So that’s what I did. Once I started focusing solely on myself, my own business and my own product the stress just melted away and I really began to flourish. This isn’t a race or a competition. It’s a journey that should be fun, creative, and fulfilling. I really don’t care how many followers I have or how my product compares to others. That might bite me in the ass later on but I’m having a great time doing my own thing and I’m pretty proud of that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Right off the plane I’d take her to The Attic for some lunch and drinks to melt away the stress of traveling. The view from The Attic would set the stage for an amazing week! We’d probably spend an afternoon in Downtown Scottsdale checking out the shops, grab lunch at Hula’s Modern Tiki and obviously go sniff some candles at The Merchantile. At some point I’d get her up on a mountain to see the entire city and all the beautiful mountains. I feel like a day trip to Sedona or Jerome would also be on the agenda despite them not being “in the city”, with stops at the kaleidoscope store and Caduceus Cellars. If we wanted a fancy night I’d take her to Platform 18 for cocktails and then across the street for dinner at Beckett’s Table. The grilled cheese appetizer is a must! Some country music at Dirty Drummer would also need to happen at some point. Last but not least I’d probably take her to Desert Botanical Garden to show her how beautiful Arizona’s flora is!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I go by Tristen SHOUT on social media (a nod to the Beatles song ‘Twist & Shout’) so I was BORN for this segment!! You’re gonna need to queue the Academy Awards music to get me off stage. Here we go!!

First and foremost, I want to give a huge virtual hug and shoutout to my beautiful mother. If it weren’t for her I obviously wouldn’t be here on this earth and if it weren’t for her love of candles I never would’ve started my olfactory obsession at a young age which led me to making my own candles! She has been my biggest supporter since day one and I couldn’t do life without her. Love you ma!

Secondly, to my amazing boyfriend, The Lumberjack, who is not only the muscle behind this operation but the emotional and mental support system that I so heavily rely on. Thank you for listening to me ramble on about candle stuff what I’m sure seems like 24/7, for hauling away my eleventy billion cardboard boxes, for sniffing testers, providing opinions, installing shelves, giving me ideas, listening to me vent and so so so much more. This business would not even be a thing if it weren’t for you!!

Third, to my AMAZING friends who have been my sideline cheerleaders not just during this candle journey but throughout the entirety of this crazy thing we call life! Marlo, Nicole, Chelsea, Polly, Val, Debbie and so many more. Thank you for all the love, support and encouragement!! You mean the world to me.

Shout out to my CCco Fam Club! Anyone who has followed this journey via social media, signed up for the CCco newsletter, ordered candles, shared content, or spread the love via word of mouth….y’all are the MVPs!! I appreciate the crap out of you all and couldn’t do it without you!

To the shop owners and other small business owners who took a chance on selling some random girl’s handmade candles, thank you! Joel, Kim, John and Amanda, Marianne, Heather, Laurie, and Elisa. You are all playing a pivotal role in connecting our communities and for that I am so very thankful.

Last but not least I want to mention how impactful the internet and its online communities have been in learning this trade, managing a business, and connecting me with other candlemakers and my customers. You can learn how to do pretty much anything at the University of YouTube, find an answer to any question through Facebook or Google, and connect with people halfway around the globe using social media….and that’s pretty incredible.

Website: www.crasscandleco.com

Instagram: @crasscandleco

Facebook: www.facebook.com/crasscandleco

Image Credits
Image credit for the Clay Cactus candle and Amber Cactus candle go to Chanelle Sinclair/The Fates Co. @thefatesco