Meet Britta + Carli Garsow | Founders of Dyad Candle + Clean Coats

We had the good fortune of connecting with Britta + Carli Garsow and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Britta + Carli, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
We had always wanted to start a business together, so as soon as we could we started setting money aside for our future endeavors. Growing up we were obsessed with candles and would often go to the Yankee Candle store at the mall (options were limited in the Midwest) and smell each and every candle- just for fun. So starting a fragrance brand seemed like the perfect fit for us. We’ve always loved the idea that memories are tied to smell and you can be immediately transported to a time or place with one sniff.

At the time we noticed that there weren’t very many brands offering luxury candles at an accessible price point, and we wanted to fill that gap. At Dyad we focus on balanced, complex fragrances. We’ve always felt like most affordable candles are very one-noted and lack performance, and we wanted to remedy that. Our candles come in a black and white luxe ceramic vessel that can be re-purposed. We wanted to create something that was timeless and would fit into any decor style.

After we launched Dyad in 2019 we got to thinking about what else we wanted to create. What did we care the most about? The answer that immediately came to mind was our dogs. We had been on the hunt for a fragrance-free pet shampoo with efficacious ingredients, in a chic bottle, and could not find ONE. So we used our background in product development to start working on Clean Coats.

At the time we had several haircare clients that were using really interesting active ingredients in their formulations, and we noticed no one was utilizing these technologies in the haircare space. With Clean Coats, our goal is performance first, always. All of our products have active levels of powerhouse ingredients that actually treat your pet. For instance, our shampoo includes an ingredient that kills bacteria on the coat, so it helps control odor over time.

Chic, minimal packaging is also a pillar for us because pet care doesn’t need to be cheeky or medicinal looking.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As mentioned earlier, at Dyad we specialize in balanced, complex fragrances. We work with world-renowned fragrance houses to create custom scents that are unique to us. Since launching with candles in 2019 we expanded to perfume oils in 2020, and then eu de parfum in 2023. This was a big leap for us since we weren’t sure our customers would be interested in these products, but we had faith they would trust our taste.

To our surprise, the personal fragrances were a hit! I think the thing we’re the most proud of is HIGHS + LOWS. It’s the fragrance that took us the longest to perfect and it’s the most unique, in our opinion. It has freesia and lotus top notes but quickly dries down to ambrette, musk, and vanilla. It’s a very warm skin scent that smells better as you wear it. When we sell in person literally EVERY SINGLE PERSON that tries on HIGHS + LOWS comes back to purchase it. We take that as a huge win that we’ve created something that is so universally liked.

When we started Dyad we worked with a local manufacturer who poured our candles. We realized if we took the time to learn how to correctly pour candles ourselves it would mean a huge cost savings. It took us a full year to master the skill but we actually enjoy the art of candle-making now.

In general, we learned a lot from starting Dyad that we applied to Clean Coats. When we started Clean Coats we decided to launch with only two SKUs- a pet shampoo and a brush. That way our upfront cost was less and now we use revenue to fund future products.

A major pillar of our brand is giving back to rescues. Both of our dogs, Terry and Luna, are rescues so when we started Clean Coats we knew that it had to be a huge part of our story. We donate 10% of profits to rotating dog rescues, mainly in the LA area.

We’re very lucky because when we are faced with challenges we have each other to lean on. We’re always 100% honest with one another, to a fault at times. If we disagree we’re able to hash it out quickly and move on because nothing is left unsaid.

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.
OK, we love this question! We’re big foodies and Los Angeles has the best food in the country, hands down.

The Hollywood Reservoir is such a hidden gem so we would suggest starting your day with a walk by the lake and then having breakfast at Beachwood Cafe. It’s the best cozy, neighborhood breakfast spot.

Bacari Silverlake is perfect lunch spot. It’s indoor/outdoor and feels like you’re in a treehouse no matter where you’re seated. They specialize in small plates and the food is amazing.

For dinner, you can’t go wrong with Mother Wolf in Hollywood. They have incredible Italian food by Evan Funke. We suggest the Prawns and the Arriabata pasta. It’s housed in the old Citizen News building so the details are incredible. After dinner walk over to Desert 5 Spot for a cocktail- it’s one of Hollywood’s best rooftop bars.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We would not be where we are without the love and support of our long-term partners, James and Tommy. From day one they’ve helped us with whatever we have needed, with no complaints. Tommy even physically assembles our table for us at each and every market we participate in (we are not folding table gals). We are so grateful for them!

Website: https://www.dyadcandle.com/ + https://clean-coats.com/

Instagram: @thegarsowtwins | @dyadcandle | @cleancoats

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/thegarsowtwins

Image Credits
Athena Teschendorf