Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Ortiz.
Hi Tara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
We got started building Stappato when the world had thrown us into the rapid spiral of inaction- we were all in a shared global pandemic and the environment continued to have more drastic and devastating events that had become more regular than once-in-a-lifetime. We knew we couldn’t just keep sitting around doing nothing, but we were frozen, not knowing how we could actually have an impact.
Then we were reminded that impact is not made by one, it’s made by many. So, we took to building a business that would take small individual actions that we could build on by doing them together. We recycled bottles, both personally collected and those donated by local businesses and community members. We made them into something peaceful, warm, and inviting, with only the safest and best materials, that bring hope and light into folks’ homes.
From that humble point, we grew, and not just in sales, in impact. Thanks to the incredible community that believes in a better tomorrow, we have been able to repurpose what otherwise would have filled landfills and reforest the Earth with over 600 trees to date. Without the Eco Warriors that have lifted us and brought our candles into their homes, we wouldn’t have moved beyond a spark of an idea.
Now, Stappato is more than a candle company that makes soy candles from recycled bottles… it is a community that’s planted over 600 trees (one for every candle sold) and has come together to light our way to a better tomorrow.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course, not! Nothing good ever is.
I mean… have you ever tried to sell melting candles in Texas heat?
In all seriousness, our greatest struggles have been figuring out how to not only be different than other small candle businesses but get the message out that these candles are a tool to help us with our larger mission- contributing to a better world and building our community one candle and one tree at a time. We love candles… don’t get us wrong. And we arguably love candles more than anyone we know, but for us, they are just our medium to do more and have a larger impact. Finding our community has helped us share our message, but it’s slow-moving at times. Sometimes it’s hard to see the movement that you have made.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Both of our backgrounds stem from business management and the service industry.
I, Tara, am our head of social impact, marketing, and sales and lead chandler, have experience in multi-state regional management, business management, and marketing, and studied history at the University of Connecticut. I’ve also lived in Nevada, Rhode Island, and various parts of Texas, and am passionate about individuals and their stories.
Adrian, my husband, the head of our back-office operations, customer care, accounting, and our lead glazier, has studied business management and organizational leadership. His experience lies in corporate-level training and development, as well as multi-unit business management. More than anything, Adrian is a leader like no other, driven by seeing others grow into the person they were meant to be.
Together, we are passionate about people, our environment, and building our community up. We are so proud to be a part of an incredible community that knows how to get our hands dirty when everything else seems to be falling apart.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
When I was little, my sister told me that fairies were real. We lived in a lush place, with plenty of woods to explore. She would tell me how the spotted mushrooms gave them shelter, and the ferns were their trees. They would harvest dewdrops and travel on the wings of the butterflies and moths. She and I would spend summer days watching tadpoles slowly grow feet and hop away, and at night, on the warm summer nights, our mom would take us to a small field to watch and gather fireflies. We never kept them, as our mom warned us it would dim their lights, but we would catch them in our palms and watch in wonder as they twinkled like stars in the sky. I’ve held that magic closely in my heart and to this day, I am not fully convinced I won’t catch a glimpse of a tiny mystical fairy someday.
Pricing:
- Small Bottle Candle: $20
- Medium Bottle Candle: $26
- Large Bottle Candle: $30
- Refill: 20% off (any container)
Contact Info:
- Email: stappatocandleco@gmail.com
- Website: www.StappatoCandleCo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stappatocandleco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StappatoCandleCo/
Image Credits
Tara Ortiz
Adrian Ortiz
Tony Gonzales
YnotTonyMedia
Yvette Ochoa
