Light Up Your Days With Mar Mar Los Angeles
INTRODUCTION BY SARAH KIM:
Marissa and I met through her husband Zac and his platform Th—oughts (helping mentees ask mentors questions for life).
As new Angelenos, Mar and I connected over being creatives in a city that had so much to offer, while wanting to continue to grow in our established relationships/friendships, our marriages, and now both on to motherhood.
When she launched Mar Mar, it embodied her and her elevated and beautiful taste, while also integrating her best sustainable practices from jump. New city. New company. New baby on the way. Big moves for Mar Mar.
BUY HER CANDLES HELP SUPPORT HER BABY :)
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your brand so we can get to know you better?
I’m Marissa, aka MAR MAR. We design, create, package, and distribute coconut wax blend candles right here in LA. The MAR MAR brand is rooted in the idea of “future memories” - a potent mix of past experiences and hopes for what’s to come. Each candle is poured at the Exceptional Children’s Foundation in Inglewood, which employs disabled adults via a partnership with Light 4 Life.
We sell candles online and to a really great collection of stores all over the US.
What’s the inspiration behind MAR MAR Los Angeles, and what aspirations do you have for your company moving forward?
I’m a deeply sentimental person, and I wanted to create a line of something scent-oriented to reflect that, but I didn’t want my memories to be imposed on others. That’s just the worst, ha. I want our customers to smell a candle and connect it to something they haven’t experienced yet, but maybe they want to. Candles are ephemeral, a lot like moments in life, and I wanted to celebrate that.
Big picture, we want to slowly expand the line, work with stores all over the world, and keep our environmental impact as low as we can.
Do you practice a sustainable/low impact/zero-waste lifestyle? If so, how do you practice it and what are your motivators?
I could definitely always do better, but I try to live a low impact lifestyle.
For MAR MAR, we pour our candles in reusable unpainted glass vessels and package them in reusable low-impact, mud-dyed cotton pouches. We’re rolling out a photo campaign soon to show customers the best ways to repurpose these items, from cocktail glasses to eyeglass pouches, etc. The wax is paraben-free, made from a food-grade coconut oil blend, and is among the first sustainable wax options to hit the market. We use recycled and repurposed shipping and packing products whenever possible.
We try to follow those same ideas at home too. I’ve been shopping almost all secondhand (clothing, baby items, furniture, etc) for the last two years. My partner and I went without a car for a year and a half (first out of necessity, then just because we liked it) while living in DTLA and learned SO MUCH about the city while walking and taking public transit more. Since getting a car again I’ve been looking for other ways to offset that.
My biggest motivator is thinking about the world we’re leaving for the next generations. It’s scary and can create a really helpless feeling.
What’s one small change humans can do to show a little love Mother Earth that they may not realize?
Just taking an extra moment to think about how my small choices impact the larger world community has been helpful. I try to look past the initial convenience of things – do I really need 1-day shipping, a brand new whatever, a to-go container, an Uber? For me, that translates to just planning better, so I’m not making those decisions in the moment.
Also, make sure you’re registered to VOTE and go out and do it.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? What’s the greatest piece of encouragement?
My buddy Ben is fond of saying “If you do something, something will happen," and it has become a mantra of sorts. Getting started on a project is always hard even if it’s something you’re passionate about, but there will always be good people around who want to lift you up. Trust that they’re out there, get them in your corner, and just keep going.
What are you excited about? Is there anything fun coming up for you?
We have so many exciting things on the horizon. My partner Zac and I are welcoming a baby (!!!) at the end of November. Looking forward to traveling more in the new year, working on closer relationships with our stores and expanding to a few more, and some other fun projects. :)