We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexander Del Rae & Andrew Gleason and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexander Del Rae & Andrew Gleason, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We have always been fascinated with fragrance and design. Throughout the 18+ years Andrew and I have been together, we have designed countless spaces to call home. Finding the perfect balance between form and function is never easy and we found it even more challenging when it came time to scent a space. We struggled to find candles that went beyond a simple glass vessel and when we did the quality of the wax wasn’t there or the cost was simply too high for as many candles as we use. I think Adlan has earned so much success early on because we really are the consumer we were solving for.

Please tell us more about your business. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today business-wise. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
What I find our customers love the most, is our unique candle vessel. I was actually inspired by the design of traditional loose leaf tea canisters. So much so that I tracked down the factory and still work with them today to create stoneware candle vessels that tie in old world design and what we call fragrance artistry.

We are so incredibly proud of where we are today as a company and so immensely grateful for all of our customers and stockists who helped us get there. We have several new releases coming in 2025 that we are so excited to share!

Honestly, the biggest hurdle was getting out of our own way. Especially being self-funded, there are always reasons why something may be too risky or not right for business at this stage. We had to trust ourselves and never let imposter syndrome take over.

If you are able, stop hesitating to try something new. Adlan brings us so much joy, my only complaint is we didn’t start it sooner!

Even with as much success as Adlan has already seen, we are only just getting started. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a review from a satisfied customer or organically watching someone buy our candles. 2025 is going to be a transformative year for us and our loyal customers should be excited for everything we have in store for them!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
(Alexander): I’ve worked with Dr. Jonathan Leary, the CEO and Founder of the world’s first Social Wellness Club, Remedy Place for years. Without his mentorship, Adlan would have never existed and I remind him of that as often as I can. It’s rare to find someone who is as intelligent and successful as they are genuine and kind. The world needs more of that.

Website: https://www.adlanfragrances.com/

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

Image Credits
Andrew Gleason

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.