Today we’d like to introduce you to Nina Burke
Hi Nina, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In July of 2007 my eldest sister passed away from colon cancer. After her death family members found candles all over her house, she loved them. I started Chayil Candles as an outlet to deal with the situation, it gave me something to focus on. I have always been a creative person and Chayil was a way to let the skills bloom. I started to do research on creating a cleaner, purer product and Chayil was born. So on August 18th 2008, I launched Chayil with about 10 scents and one year later, via a trunk show at a local store in Montclair, NJ I launched ccBlaQ & Co. (Chayil Candles BlaQ). Where Chayil is more light floral based scents such as french vanilla, red roses or peonies, BlaQ is more calculated, recipe based – scents like Ivory and Onyx have a blend of 14 organic oils each. In 2018 after more than 40 years in the east coast, I packed a bag and moved to sunny San Diego. I still have a client base in the east coast and I am building one here in San Diego.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When starting any business there are challenges, and as the world changes those challenges will contine to evolve in one area or another. In my opinon there is no such thing as a smooth road. I think the greatest hurdle I have encountered is constant reiteration of the fact that Chayil/BlaQ is not the average big box store candle. We are a small business with a high quality organic product. When you purchase Chayil and burn it you are going to get a complete burn; the vessel will be empty at the end. Even unlit your will get a strong lingering aroma in your space. With so many mass produced scent based products out these days, it is hard to convince people of the quality of your brand until they take it into there space and see the difference. The other huge hurdle I dealt with – particularly during COVID was getting glass vessels from distrubutors overseas that was affordable and not requiring an initial order of a massive quantity that would require a storage facility to house the vessels.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
It’s funny that with options that there presented – I fit them all! I think I have worked in almost every industry. Television, telecommunciations, advertising, fashion magazine publishing, banking and governmental affairs. When I was in my teens I modeled a bit which gave me my first taste of the fashion it industry. After being bit by the fashion bug, I found myself in that industry for the better part of my career in some form or fashion (no pun intended). During the down turn in the economy, because I have an administrative skill set, I was able to take that to other industries such as governmental affairs. However my passions always bend more to the creative such as the adverting industry, magazine publishing, interior design, or personal stylist have always been more of my niche in life. Since moving to San Diego and getting myself acclimated I have been more in the governmental sector. I am definitely known for my style, creativity and organizational skills. I have styled from lay people to celebrities to award winning authors however, what I would say I am most proud of is the consistency and quality of the brand I created as well as it’s constant growth and evolvement.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
As far as support, I think that is simple enough – follow and repost our social media pages; FaceBook, X, Twitter and TikTok. Visit our website, which boosts or site’s traffic and pushes www.theluxeconsortium.com up in the Google searches. For collaborations, we have a contact us page on our website – reach out to me there or via email at chayilcandles@gmail.com and let’s talk!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theluxeconsortium.com
- Instagram: @chayilcandles
- Facebook: Chayil Candles
- Twitter: chayilcandles
Image Credits
Nina Burke – all product pictures
June Kim – the picture of Ms. Nina
