Meet the Founder & CEO
Heeeeeey!
First, please allow me to introduce myself…my name is Laurethea and I am the Founder and CEO of Black Mama Fragrances.
I was born and raised in Linden, New Jersey, Exit 136, LOL! Those that are from Jersey, y’all know what that means! I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a cousin and a “gurl friend!” Professionally, I am a leader in the non-profit industry and I have been told, that I am your typical “August" Virgo!
Anyway, back to the business, Black Mama Fragrances, which launched in the Spring of 2022, started as an experiment during the pandemic. While everyone was "locked-in" on the nationwide "shut-down," my daughter and I decided to use this time to turn my love for candles into a business.
Being a single mother, a full-time executive, with a kid in “Zoom” school, trying to meet the demands of the hungry and those impacted by COVID-19 everyday, was hard. At the end of the day, I needed a “quiet” space. I needed “me” time and if I was honest, I needed a place to emotionally unload. I had to find some way to release my thoughts and my emotions, and be ready to be "Mom” again in the morning.
Candle making became that for me. Pouring candles at night, helped to me to release my stress. It was me, my wax and my 80’s music! Pouring candles allowed me to relax, to nurture my creativity and to laugh a lot! And you know what they say, laughter is good medicine? The laughs and the tears from laughing, came as I would reminisce on the funny things that my Mom and my Nana would say to me when I was a kid. Many nights I would laugh, cry and pour. It was the memories of the threats, the whoopings and the “punishments” that brought me joy, now as an adult….it didn’t then! I slowly began to fall in love with candle making. I thought, what an amazing way to share my experiences with others? More importantly I thought, what an amazing way to help others laugh from their experiences?
As a designer of “scentfully funny” candles, one of the goals of Black Mama Fragrances is to stimulate laughter. Laughter that comes from remembering those classic "black mama" sayings and the memories that surrounded them. Most of our candles are labeled with a classic "black mama" saying and all of our fragrance descriptions aim to ignite a funny memory.
We hope that you enjoy our products. All of our candles are hand-poured, scent-tested and Mother approved!
I would like to take a moment to thank my daughter, for allowing me the time to embark on this amazing journey. Thank you and I love you Mushie!
Sending my love your way today and every day!
Peace and blessings,
LauretheaFounder & CEO of Black Mama Fragrances, LLC
