Meet J Chino | Candle maker & scent sorcerer

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

Hi J, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
So at first, it was me wanting to learn a new & also useful hobby. because, well thirties hit & I felt the need to try all the hobbies. But then, friends and family around me liked what I’d created so much, that it gave me the confidence to make more and try to share with even more people

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My biggest goal for my little business, Haunted Embers, is to let creating new, different, even weird, fragrance blends that you can’t quite find anywhere else (without it having to be Halloween time) be what makes my shop standout. And honestly, anytime someone gets a sniff of something I was able to create and they like it, that makes me feel so proud and excited to keep creating.

I like to think my want to create, and love of art, started with painting ceramics alongside my grandma as a kiddo. Painting made a comeback for me, like a lot of us, during the pandemic while we were all stuck indoors. After a bit, it was out of my system and I’d for what other craft or DIY I could learn about or try.
Then came candles. Candles are something I personally use a lot of both to have my home smell good, but also for spiritual reasons, so it was the perfect thing to try, knowing I’d get use out of what I was creating. Once I’d made more than a few (dozen) and tested how everything would smell when it warmed up and finding the perfect pour because, who knew candle making was messy, I found the confidence (thanks to my closest loved ones) to create a business and share it with others. And here we are!

Biggest lesson I’ve learned through my journey so far is that my business won’t go far if I myself don’t put my all into it, specifically with promotion in my case, (I’m working on it but, have been notoriously bad at things like self advertising in the past).

Lastly, I’ll leave ya with this. Haunted Embers is the place where I get to create the stuff I can never quite find anywhere else (like fall scents in the spring/summer) & I hope that you’ll take a sniff and love.

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.
Okay first, coffee. Brick road Coffee, New Penny Café, and Dark Hall Coffee are all so wonderful and tasty!
Also Dark Hall Coffee because that vibe is so, so cool!
now if you’re a brunch person, Hash Kitchen. Their breaky is pretty unique and worth the hype.
Other than food, I’d take them to some of my favorite witchy/herbal shops like The Astrology Store and Tangled Root Botanicals!
Oh and I feel like a few musts that more people should know about are Jade & Clover (the cutest freakin’ plant shop with a build-your-own plant bar), the Hungry Hound Cafe (hang out and give treats to animals in the care of the Arizona Humane Society) and Thrift To Thrive (a cute thrift shop and coffee shop)!
Dinner type places I’d recommend The Churchill. they’ve got plenty of different food spots inside and it’s right in the middle of downtown so you’re sure to find a cool shows or events like Full Moon Festivals, First Fridays. or even Ziggy’s Magic Pizza Shop. Not only is their pizza fantastic and nostalgic, but they also have a speakeasy style pinball bar right behind a freezer door!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My best friend, Amber. In the simplest terms, she’s one of my biggest cheerleaders with anything I’ve wanted to do, try, go…you name it. Between her confidence rubbing off on me & having a different set of eyes and ideas, I love being able to have her as my go-to person to bounce ideas off of.

Website: https://hauntedembers.etsy.com