Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyleene Brown.
Hi Tyleene, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I graduated for college in 2019 with a degree in Respiratory Therapy. For those who don’t know, the job of the RT is to manage the airway and respiratory system of critically ill patients. Most of my patients were on life support in the ICU. I moved to New York right after graduation in hopes to experience a new city and grow in my career. In March of 2020 COVID was at its peak and had hit New York horrifically. It had taken thousands of lives, shut down a city that never sleeps, and sent me into a deep, dark, and lonely depression. I was at the forefront of the pandemic as a new graduate in the field. It was one of the scariest and hardest things I have ever had to face and there was nothing that could have prepared me for it.
I had to find a way to cope. I was either at work watching people die or stuck inside of the house due to the conditions of the world. I decided to pick up a new hobby – candle making. I initially picked it because I was unable to do my monthly candle purchases at Home Goods. Lighting a candle after cleaning the house was a ritual for me and still is. I had no idea where learning the science of candle-making would take me.
I did a lot of research on the science and intention behind candle making. I started to formulate scents and play around with different types of wicks and waxes until I built a formula I really liked. During this time, the world was also healing from the malicious murder of George Floyd. Although I was supporting the cause by donations and protesting, I wanted to help in another way. I decided to create a candle and a campaign behind it. The “Forever in our Hearts” campaign. The campaign consisted of ONE candle that I sold and donated ALL of the profits to various foundations fighting for equal justice rights and reallocating funding from the police to other areas that could help fight police brutality. People were so moved by this campaign the candle sold out in two days.
From there I decided, “I’m kind of good at this” … creating products and putting a message and experience behind them. So I decided to actually start a business. I did all the preliminary things to make us an official business and I got to work. From there, I birthed the Metta-tation Edit – my first collection of intentional candles. I decided I didn’t just want people to buy the candles, I wanted them to really experience them. I decided to begin hosting candle-making classes where they could learn about what intention setting is and how it can be used to help manifest a life you love while actually making the candle. I then got certified to be a Master Fragance Artisan with Maison Chemin and I added bespoke parfum blendings to my offering suite.
So now I am a certified perfumer and chandler who specializes in sensory experiences that incorporates wellness and fragrance. I’ve cultivated a community of people who are all about living with intention, basking in luxury, and elevating to their highest self.
It’s so interesting to look at my timeline because before everything fell into place, I would cry constantly begging the universe and god to just show me what I was supposed to be doing, but I knew what I was supposed to be doing all along… I just needed the confirmation.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This road has been the furthest thing from smooth. It has been a long journey of peaks and valleys but all serving a necessary purpose. One of the hardest things I struggled with was comparing my growth to others. I would see other people on Instagram or TikTok have their business blow up overnight from a viral video. I definitely had to learn that everyone’s journey is different and everything is not what it seems. I had to begin to focus on my growth to actually see it.
Another thing I struggled with was confidence. There was a time I wouldn’t talk about my business because it was not where I wanted it to be or I didn’t feel like people would be interested. And through that time, the business never grew. I had to learn to be confident not only in my vision and creativity but also in my gifts. Being able to formulate scents and create art is a gift that I possess. Once I acknowledged that and once I understood that even if 1,000 other people own candle brands … there will never be one that is like Metta … because I created it and no one on this world has the ability to think like me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I founded, own, and manage my own fragrance brand, Metta Wellness. I work in partnership with Maison Chemin to curate exquisite one-of-a-kind fragrances for the home and body, as well as plan and execute luxury sensory experiences with wellness and fragrance elements.
I am primarily known for my Intentional Candle Making Experience and Bespoke Fragrance Experience. Both are intimate experiences that help our community set intentions for how they want to live and lead their life while using artistry through fragrance to create meaningful products. Once you create a candle and the other, you create a fragrance for the home and body. These items are completely customized to each person, so no one has access to your unique formulation.
I am most proud of what Metta is growing into and the footprint we are leaving in the wellness industry. I started this brand with one candle and the idea that I wanted to help people and make an impact in my community. I have stayed committed to my initial intention for the brand and from there, I have continued to think of new and innovative ways to show up in the wellness space. I am currently in the middle of rebranding Metta to relaunch fall of 2023. I am super excited for the new product development, experience offerings, and partnerships that will be birthed from this rebrand.
What sets me apart from others is my vision and my work ethic. I feel it is rare for people to be really good at both. I’ve noticed that most people who are really creative have a hard time planning and executing the ideas they have. For those who are really good at planning and executing things, they tend to struggle with the creative component. I am exceptional at both and it took me years to realize being multifaceted in that way is a gift, and it is the reason people resonate so heavily with my brand and the message behind it.
What does success mean to you?
I define success as freedom. The freedom to do what I love and am passion about so I never feel like I’m at “‘work”. The freedom to be creative with my purpose and the products I put out into the world. The freedom to make my own schedule and do things on my own terms. When I feel I have the freedom to ‘become’ in every area of my life, that is when I will know I have reached the pinnacle of success for myself.
Pricing:
- Bespoke Fragrance Experience – $175
- Intimate Candle-Making Experience – $75
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mettaxwellness.com
- Instagram: @mettaxwellness
Image Credits
The Visionary, Mood and Theory
