Daily Inspiration: Meet Adebessi Charles Wong

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adebessi Charles Wong.  

Hi Adebessi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In May of 2017, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. I was devastated, trying to figure out how I would manage to juggle life, as a mom of 4 kids, a wife, and a full-time career. Now added to the hustle and bustle was navigating chemo, multiple surgeries, and a host of seemly never-ending medications and side effects. 

In my quest to find some rest and relaxation in the midst of it all, I stumbled on a fascinating hobby making candles. What I had discovered is instead of finding a little relaxation, I had now found a way to relax for hours and hours through the art of a “Lighted Candle and Intoxicating Fragrances.” 

By creating an awesome experience of “Fragrances Forever” for myself and those that needed to relax, I had found the “Sweet Spot” on how to relax! This hobby has now turned into an amazing passion. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
While it’s been a fun ride creating new scents and watching customers find joy in each scent. The ride was not easy. Understanding your brand and the message you want the customer to connect with is critical for a successful brand. I found in the beginning of starting the brand, I created candles that I wanted because I could and enjoyed it; while this was therapeutic it led to lack of direction for the brand, and I ended up with an enormous variety of candles to make. Today I learned that it was easier to put making some of those candles on pause and focus on streamlining the brand focusing more a the best bestsellers and the direction these candles would take the brand. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have never actually thought of myself as an artist until now. I spent most of my life as a professional working in the finance and budget field. When I was not doing that, I was juggling life as a wife and mom; moving four kids back and forth to school activities, sports, and the day-to-day that came with my 9-5. I was most excited, though, that I found the courage amidst my cancer journey to do a few things that I probably would have never done before, especially tapping into creativity to become a crafter. I am known for blending fragrance to come up with some of the most amazing candles. I love to pull from my Caribbean background bringing some of my childhood scents to life in luxurious way. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Some of the most important qualities and characteristics have been patience, learning, and confidence. I had to give the brand’s reputation and products a chance to grow at their own rate. It can get frustrating to wait and chug along as your brand grows, but it’s worth the journey. You learn so much along the way. Prior to starting a business, I didn’t realize how much I still had to learn about marketing, brand identity, product quality, and so much more. Some lessons were learned the hard way but taught me how to better plan for the next one. I had to trust in my brand’s great quality delivery! I had to be confident that, despite working in an over-saturated market, my product is unique and stands on its own. My scents are like nothing anyone has ever smelled. They’re an intricate blend of typically contrasting or classical scents. Every scent is an experience. 

Contact Info:

• Website: diamondmelts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diamondmeltsluxurycandles/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diamondmeltsluxurycandles
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@diamondmeltsllc?lang=en