Nya Kam has dedicated her creative talents to helping others find peace, through her candle line Love Notes. Love Notes candles are hand poured in Kam’s Brooklyn home, using all natural soy wax and cotton based wicks. The new company, only four years in the making, is working its way up—recently being featured in ESSENCE and sold at West Elm.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Kam has been in touch with creativity from a young age.
“What I enjoyed most in the memories of my childhood was soulful music,” says Kam. “My mom grew up in the ’50s/’60s, I was born in the ’70s, so artists like Otis Redding to Miles Davis, just in that era of Motown is what I was raised on.”
This creative/music filled childhood would contribute to Kam’s ability to create new things in the future. However, Kam didn’t know that she would be going into the candle business until very recently. Growing up, Kam had a variety of dreams and aspirations from the sciences to fashion. Love Notes, however, came from her own day to day post-work routine and an inspiring romance.
“Love Notes candles started from a really good place of love,” says Kam. “I realized what I would do as part of my little routine to decompress: it was listening to R&B music, lighting up a candle, and waiting for my lover to speak to. The impact of music, the exercise of burning candles, along with a romance I was in; it all fell in line.”
From this place of love and serenity, Kam started creating candles in her own home while still working a 9-to-5 job. Today focusing solely on her business, Kam has found fulfillment in her work. Still, with the candle industry being full of competition, Kam knows she has a lot to face with her small, young business.
“I am still excited because of the opportunities that are ahead and present, I’m scared because it’s a very very small business and my business savyness still needs to be nurtured and strengthened. But, I feel like I am smart enough to make some good decisions along the way.”
Kam’s business may be small, but she has no doubt her company will be able to compete in the candle industry. With the support Kam has gotten from other young professionals, coupled with the caliber of her hand crafted work, Kam is certain Love Notes brings something special to the table.
“When you are still working out of your home,there is a lot of quality that you are making sure that the consumer gets versus mass,” says Kam.
Kam is continuously growing her business, working to provide customers with unique fragrances that make them feel comforted. She has always focused on helping her customers take care of themselves, and this is apparent in her new line of natural bath and body teas called Self-ish.
“Self care should really be done everyday, or when you can take a minute to create an environment for your own happiness at home.”