Meet Rikki Sabiniano | Filipino & Asian Inspired Candlemaker

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

Hi Rikki, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In Summer of 2020, I was looking for a gift online and wondered if there was an Ube candle available for purchase. I quickly found out that there weren’t any, which sent me down the rabbit hole of researching candles that were inspired by Asian and Filipino scents. In the multibillion dollar candle industry, there was very little representation for scents and flavors that I grew up with. I decided to become the representation I sought for, and spent around 6 months formulating unique scents like Mango + Sticky Rice, Green Tea + Lychee, and of course, Ube Cake. My first large popup market was at the 626 Night Market in Arcadia in the summer of 2021, and I was met with an overwhelming amount of people who were excited to see candle scents that brought them nostalgia and a sense of home and community.

What should our readers know about your business?
Rikki’s Wickies is all about Asian and Filipino representation. We do our best to have our candles smell exactly like the scent. We also have started a monthly collaboration with fellow Filipina artist, Alex Cabal, and our goal is to share Filipino Mythology. Filipino Mythology is not commonly known, due to hundreds of years of colonization in the Philippines. We are so excited to reconnect with our roots and honor our ancestors who were not able to pass down their stories and traditions.

Rikki’s Wickies opened 2 years ago, and I am grateful to say that people have always been supportive and willing to buy our products. The struggles I have faced were more internal. For the first a year and a half, I continued to work full time for a different company and would overcommit myself to both my business and my job. I would work my 9-5 job from Monday through Friday, and then worked my night markets from 2PM-1AM from Friday-Sunday for multiple weeks at a time. I fell victim to “Hustle Culture” and I sacrificed a lot of my physical and mental health to keep the momentum of the business flowing. However, since then I have become a big advocate for mental health and setting boundaries with yourself. My goals in my business has evolved into only creating from a place of intention and love, rather than operating from fear of losing momentum.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of the go-to places I would suggest to go to if you’re in the area is Smorgasburg LA on Sundays, and not just because I work the event! They have an amazing list of curated food vendors, a family friendly beer garden, and so many interesting shops to visit. Some of my favorite food vendors there are Mano Po, Be Bright Coffee, Macheen, Lei’d Cookies, and Wanderlust Creamery. And my favorite shops to visit there are Shop Astrior for the cutest dresses, Sweet Peony for gorgeous flowers, and Bohemian Bowls for sustainable home decor. Some other restaurants I highly recommend is Joy on York in Highland Park for great Taiwanese food, Spoon and Pork in Silver Lake and Bone and Kettle in Pasadena for Filipino fusion food, and Wolf and Crane in Little Tokyo for great cocktails and Japanese Whisky. If you’re looking for something in Nature, any hikes at Griffith Park are fun.

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?
I would like to thank my parents for raising me to be hardworking, resourceful, and proud of my Filipino culture. My parents immigrated from the Philippines when they were teenagers, and worked hard to build their own successful small business and a loving family. Their story inspired me to believe in myself, while still prioritizing family and friendships (something that is easy to let go of during the growth of starting a business). I would also like to thank my husband, Matt. He has been with me since the very beginning, and not only has provided his never-ending support and belief in me, but has offered his physical support, like staying up with me until 4am pouring candles, working hot summer days outside for our events, and a plethora of all the little things that has helped me build the business this far.

One role model that sticks out to me is Krystl Fabella who is the podcast host of Filipina on the Rise. She highlights the journeys of other Filipina women, and listening to her podcast has helped me be even more proud in my cultural identity.

I also would like to thank Smorgasburg LA for having me on their weekly market as a permanent vendor. I’ve done many popup events, and their passion to elevate small businesses is unmatched. I am so grateful to have a community of small business friends and a place my shop can call home before we have a physical location.

Website: https://www.rikkicreative.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rikkicreative/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@rikkicreative