Meet MARISSA SANCHEZ | Intentional Candle Maker & Herbalist

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

Hi MARISSA, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I originally was working as medical biller for a surgeon’s office and struggling deeply with my own mental health and anxiety issues. I thought getting into a career in the medical field where the main goal is to help other people’s quality of life improve, I would find a way or a resource to help with mine as well. I quickly became overly bored and unreasonably anxious in that career so I would bring essential oils, herbs, and teas to work with me to help boost my mood and improve the quality of my day. Not long after I realized that this job and healthcare environment were not helpful to my own mindset and mental health. I left my job on two days’ notice to figure out how to put myself and my health first. I didn’t know what I would do but I knew I had to work for myself. I grew up watching my dad have his own business, and watching how the freedom of creating his own path opened many doors and opportunities for him. I knew how draining it was for me to be so tightly controlled in a regular work environment, and how much joy I got out of playing with my essential oils and making my teas. I tried a couple of business ventures first, none of which panned out very well. And then one day I was scrolling on Instagram and saw a person I followed talking about the benefits of CBD. It clicked then for me that I could take my interest on oils, herbs, etc and find a way to turn that into a business.
I spent the next year learning everything I could about herbs, herbal healing, natural plant remedies, and eventually found an herbalist to apprentice under that helped me fine tune my craft. The business started as a need to find peace for my own mental clarity, and ended up giving me direction for my future.
Working with herbs energetically turned into working with crystals , which turned into intentional candle making and herbal remedy making.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business comes from the heart, as so many other women owned & poc businesses do. I believe what sets me apart though is the fact that the business comes from me. It is very personal. Everything I sell is its own work of art and personal story. I make intentional candles that carry different energies for healing purposes. Each one of my candles comes from a different time in my life where I need to call on certain energies for help. Each one is a piece of the timeline of my life and how I have grown, struggled, or bloomed throughout the years. I am proud of the fact that these candles or pieces resonate so much with customers.
There are many times where I have been dealing with heavier emotions, or felt more embarrassed than proud about what I was going through. And when I turn those emotions into a new candle, and people are drawn to it and gravitate toward the same healing energy because they are going through something similar, that is very validating and satisfying to me as a creative and business owner.
I also love teaching other people how to make their own intention candles and how to work with the energy and emotions they’re feeling and channel that into making art. My workshops are unique in the sense that they learn the basics and science of candle making and candle safety, but also learn about the magical side of candle making where they can pour their emotions into a candle. They can then use their candles as prayer candles, or as reminders of certain emotions or ideas that they want to work with. They can also set goals or wishes into the candles. It’s so fun because I get to meet and work with like-minded individuals who also want to face their feelings and turn them into something tangible and beautiful.
At times, growing the business or moving from one level to the next bigger one has gone wrong and I have had many unsuccessful moments. But allowing myself time to grieve and accept, then re-plan my approach helps me achieve better success the second or third times around. I often struggle with the notion that if I put my best foot forward, I will be met with immediate success. It can become very discouraging if I keep that mindset for too long.
Usually taking a break completely from the work, whether it be a day or a week, will give me fresh perspective. One lesson that I have currently really integrated, is that there is always a planting season, and it is not immediately followed by a big harvest.
For example, if I launch a new website, it will not be an immediate overnight success and draw in 10x the customers from the day before. There is groundwork that needs to be done first. I need to still actively advertise, promote, talk about and share about my new beautiful website. There is a time that happens between the planting of the crop and the harvesting of it, and I cannot be impatient when I don’t see immediate results.
I want the world to know that my brand is very much me, the individual who creates it all. All of the work you see is very personal and near to my heart. It is an outward expression of the inner work I do, and I do it as a way to relate to others as well as give them tools to work through their own lessons in life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If someone wanted to come visit, I would definitely be the friend to go to for finding a good cup of coffee or a good farmer’s market. I love to spend any free time I have buying flowers from a farmer’s market or thrifting second-hand furniture. I’m a sucker for a new couch or credenza and am always re-decorating my home.
I don’t normally go out to hang out or visit places, I am always working on perfecting the ultimate cozy home experience.
I don’t have a week’s worth of fun things, but I can definitely come up with a day’s full of antique malls and good eats.
My favorite antique mall currently is King Richard’s in Downey, but I also love Habitat LA for furniture and home decor. There’s also a local tea house called Hojas that has really good tea and coffee. I’d recommend the hot Masala Chai or their Vanilla Latte.
The Torrance farmer’s market is also somewhere I’d take them to. They have good food and so many flowers! There’s also a giant selection for fresh produce, eggs, and honey as well which is a must.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My 8 year old son, Isaiah who has been the most patient and helpful boy as I grow my business. He attends markets and meetings with me, helps me organize and label inventory, and has grown his own deep knowledge of herbs and crystals over the last four years. My two best friends, Christian and Maddy for consistently showing up, helping me with product design, show room set ups, marketing, and talk me out of my doom days by reminding me why I started it all. They have consistently saved me over and over again since before I even started the business, but even more so in the last four years.

Website: www.yaisnaturals.com

Instagram: @yaisnaturals

Facebook: @yais.naturals

Other: tiktok: @yaisnaturalsshop