Later tonight, The Hundreds is releasing a collaboration with LA-based vegan candle makers, P.F. Candle Company. While our normal product offerings can be touched, seen, and sometimes tasted, this release tingles a different sense, as it’s our first custom scent, inspired by the early morning meditative waves that Bobby catches before work.

Our new fragrance WAVES opens with notes of violet water, pink pepper, and vanilla orchid. As the scent develops, the aromas of sea salt, balsa wood, and cedar leaf are grounded by warm notes of sandstone, driftwood, and musk that gently linger in the atmosphere. WAVES is perfect for post-surf rituals and moments when the need to slow down and enjoy the little things of everyday life arises.

A collaboration with P.F. Candle Co. just makes sense, as both of our brands hail from LA and honor the best of DIY culture. Plus, we’ve been using their products for years and have been dreaming of coming up with our own fragrance. And now, thanks to co-owners Kristen Pumphrey and Tom Neuberger, our dreams are becoming a reality.

We caught up with Kristen and Tom, leaders of a diverse team of Angelenos hand-crafting the best candles and incense on Earth, to find out a little more about how they got started.

Tell us a little bit about the creative process when coming up with new products.
Kristen: Inspiration frequently starts with a specific plant, note, ingredient, or even a feeling. We have five team members on the Development team, including myself. Any one of us may pitch an idea – say for example, a citrus and herb scent. From there, we ideate with fragrance oils, either in house or with our perfumery partners, and do rounds of smelling and testing, bumping up different aspects of the fragrance to be just what we imagined.

Fragrance is a science, but it’s also an art – one that makes you feel something. Often, I know I like a scent not by the way it smells, but by the way it makes me feel. The last part of the creative inspiration is creating a visual moodboard to create the world of that fragrance. My Development Manager, Jade, who’s been with us for over six years and started out as a Production Assistant making the candles, is particularly adept at creating these insane moodboards that you just want to live inside.

Through all of the changing trends in the home goods industry, how have you stayed authentic to your brand?
Kristen: I’m always open to evolution for a brand – exploring new looks, products, or ideas that will push the boundaries for your customers – but you have to tap into the core of who you are and why your brand exists. That core identity should remain the same and be recognizable to your customers, because it’s why they come to you.

There have been years we’re really experimenting with a different creative direction or a new line, or trying a little bit of a trend here or there. As a creative person, it’s an itch I have to scratch to try something new. So really, it’s a personal challenge – how do you stay creatively engaged living within a single brand identity for so long? We found areas it’s safer to take risks – on a photoshoot, for example, we can respond to trends, but our packaging should remain classic.

How has community played a part in the growth of your brand?
Tom: I think community is in the heart of everything we have ever done. I’m speaking for Kristen here, but it was the community of small business owners and makers that inspired her to start Pommes Frites after being laid off in 2008. It’s the community of customers that we sold directly to during our craft fair stage who gave us real-time feedback on our products. It’s the community of people who have decided to join the team, and push us in new directions everyday.

There’s a famous saying that “failures lead to success.” As a candle company that’s been in business since 2008, can you share what some of those failures look like?
Tom: I agree with this statement because failure is the status quo in the universe. Flexibility is key to handling failure. If you can make a change, you will navigate yourself to success.

One failure is certain product launches. We never know how our customers will respond. We’ve released what customers request, and they don’t purchase them. We’ll get great reviews on scents from staff and beta testers and negative reviews online. I think it’s all about putting what you have out there, getting that real-time feedback, and being able to adjust as you go.

In sales, we’ve relied on a couple of accounts for all our business. When they change their business model, that can significantly affect us, which has happened a few times. To handle this, we are always looking to diversify and hedge our business to stay towards our goals.

We know you started off as a one-woman shop. What advice would you give to young women entrepreneurs who are just starting out?
Kristen: Find a peer or a mentor that you can bounce ideas off. These relationships are so fulfilling for both parties (s/o to my “mentee” who has turned into a business friend, Tiffany, owner of the hair accessories brand Chunks). Entrepreneurship can be extremely isolating, especially if you’re a digital brand. When it was just me and I didn’t have any staff members – before even Tom came on board – the loneliness of running the company was hard. I loved doing markets and dropping off orders in person to get that connection. Having someone in a similar industry or position that you can reach out to, bounce ideas off, and get inspiration from will get you through those hard times.