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

Hi Whitney, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?

Of course! In addition to helping customers find peace within themselves through the power of scented candles, The Whitney Collection has collaborated with Covenant House of California, a national non-profit youth shelter that provides shelter for unhoused and trafficked youth who are dealing with their own mental and physical struggles. With the purchase of one of our Covenant House candles from our website, a donation goes back to Covenant House to provide them with the educational and vocational services to support their youth who are experiencing homelessness.

One of the things I am most proud of is our candle collaboration with Covenant House of California. I have been a supporter of Covenant House since my days working in talent management, and I wanted to be able to incorporate this organization somehow into my new business. I met with their youth in person in 2021 and spoke to them about their experience living at Covenant House and their plans for the future. After speaking with them, I was inspired. I had this idea of creating a candle for Covenant House where their youth would be able to express their story through creativity.

Recently after I launched the collab candle, a Los Angeles real estate agent purchased several for his clients to put in their homes. He loved the candles so much that he and his partner met with Covenant House Los Angeles to see how they could help build an apartment complex for their unhoused youth. When he told me this story it gave me chills. I couldn’t believe how great of an impact one single candle could make. Hearing these stories are the greatest gifts that I’ll ever receive. I’m so proud of the social impact we’ve made within just two years of our business.

What should our readers know about your business?

What a lot of people don’t know about me is that my career started in the entertainment industry where I was working in talent management with very high-profile clientele. There were many things I loved about that job, but I specifically remember how excited I would get when it was someone’s birthday or the start of a production because I loved gifting and finding the perfect luxury gifts for clients. As someone who has been an avid candle lover and an expert at gift giving, I knew I could create a brand that would be able to combine the two. Two years after launching The Whitney Collection, I made the decision to leave the entertainment industry to pursue The Whitney Collection full time. It was an extremely difficult decision, leaving a job that was stable and familiar, but I loved running my own business. Even though I didn’t know anyone in the retail industry, I knew I would figure it out. The universe was telling me that there was something greater out there for me and an untapped market of what I was doing. I’m so proud of the risk that I’ve taken. It’s created so much space in my life to do what I love. I am so thankful for my time in the entertainment industry because it not only gave me a creative edge, but it prepared me to be an entrepreneur in the world of luxury gifting.

I founded The Whitney Collection during the COVID-19 pandemic while I was in search of an escape from the ‘real’ world; a place where I could go to receive mental clarity and peace in an ever-changing environment. Traveling was always that release for me, but with travel restrictions in place, I chose to seek comfort from within. The collection was created to honor the beautiful scents from different locations of my travels abroad. Our brand’s intention, along with its affordable pricing and luxury packaging, is to bring a sense of comfort and peace to a space that fails to otherwise. For those who are seeking a mental escape or for those who are in desperate need for a vacation but can’t travel, my hope is that my candles will be able to transport you to a world outside of yourself, even if just for a little.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
After living in Los Angeles for 13 years, here are my favorite spots!!

During the Week:

Gigi’s Hollywood (Dinner)
Show @ The Pantages (Musical)
Dan Tana’s (Dinner)
Croft Alley Melrose Place (Lunch)
Tower Bar (Dinner)
Greet Theatre (for a concert)
Forma Santa Monica (Dinner)
Lakers Game (Activity)
The Getty Museum (Activity)
Little Dom’s (Dinner)
Vintage Clothes Shopping on Melrose Ave (Activity)
Jazz Nights @ LACMA (Activity)

On the Weekend:

Café Stella in Silverlake (Brunch)
Shefayoga in Venice (Yoga + Soundbath Classes)
Taverna Tony’s in Malibu (Dinner)
Getty Villa (Activity)
Griffith Park Observatory (Hiking Views)
Gjelina (Brunch)
The Edition Hotel Rooftop (Pre-Dinner Drinks)
Walk/Bike along Venice Canals (Activity)
Nobu Malibu (Dinner at Sunset)
Hollywood Bowl (for a concert)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
While there have been so many people who have supported me along my entrepreneurial journey, and I’m so grateful for them, my mom is the person who I dedicate to my shoutout to. She is the greatest woman I’ve ever known. She sacrificed a lot for me to be able to live out my dreams and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t recognize that. She has been my guiding light through this entire process and always encourages me to do what makes my soul sing. I love you mom!

Website: www.whitneycollection.com

Instagram: @thewhitneycollection_

Image Credits
Olivia Brooks, Whitney Brooks, Damion Lloyd Photography

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