Meet Vanessa Barrios | Pumarosa Founder CEO (candle maker)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vanessa Barrios and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanessa, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
The name Pumarosa holds dear memories of my childhood with my mother, who passed away when I was 12 years old. In the garden of the house where I grew up, there were two large Pumarosa trees, and under their shade, my mother and I spent a great deal of time together. Under those trees, I enjoyed countless hours of play, learned to read, and had my mother read me the most fantastic stories. With the flowers of the Pumarosa tree, I played and made shampoo and perfumes. I climbed its branches and felt its leaves embrace me. I savored the sound of the wind and the rain touching its leaves. Those trees gave me my first job as I collected all its dry leaves and, in exchange, my parents gave me coins that I later exchanged for ice cream or candy at the nearby store. A large part of my life revolved around that wonderful tree that gave us an exquisite tropical fruit every year, which we shared with family, neighbors, and friends. Without a doubt, the Pumarosa tree is the purest example of generosity and abundance.

As an immigrant and being away from my family and my customs, the Pumarosa tree has helped me rebuild myself. It is a part of my rebirth and personal reconstruction. In each of the candles I make, I put the love of all my memories, and I also create new ones.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
At Pumarosa, we make organic candles using 100% soy wax and high-quality fragrance oils and wooden wicks. Our candles are free of paraffin, additives, phthalates, preservatives, or emulsifiers. We focus on offering an honest and high-quality product. Our candles are rustic and designed to set and aromatize small spaces. However; our purpose is to elevate experiences and help create new memories.

You can find us www.pumarosacandles.com or Instagram @pumarosacandles

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For those visiting Seattle, I would recommend taking a walk around Pioneer Square and the Downtown area, having a delicious breakfast at Arosa Café on Madison Park or Pike Place Market, taking a walk along the Waterfront of the city until ending at the Olympic Sculpture Park, visiting the Space Needle and the Seattle Center, going kayaking on South Lake Union, and enjoying the beautiful view from Gas Works Park. If it’s summer, taking a bike ride through the city would be a great option. In the afternoon, I would recommend taking a ferry to Bainbridge Island to visit their beautiful local shops, the art museum, and have wine and delicious food. We would return from the island at night to be able to appreciate all the lights of the city from the ferry. The best way to end would be to visit Kerry Park located in Queen Anne.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a shoutout to my parents for their true unconditional love, my aunt Nina for her maternal love and prayers, my life partner Jon for always believing in me and supporting me in all my processes, and my psychologist Cesar for always helping me put my thoughts in order.

Website: https://www.pumarosacandles.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pumarosacandles/