Meet Andrea Franco Rey | Owner of Lennox & Grace Candle Company

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Franco Rey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, what do you attribute your success to?
For the longest time, I felt that the most important factor behind our success was our marketing. Technically word of mouth and our marketing efforts have really gotten us far. However the more I reflect and look back at the true success of our business, it has all been due to consistency and discipline. It is hands down the most important factor. You can have a killer marketing strategy, but if there’s no consistency behind it, it will fail. There are long work days involved in having your own business, especially in the saturated market that is the events industry. It’s easy to quit, easy to get discouraged, but having consistency and faith in your product and your business is what takes you far.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career path definitely didn’t start in entrepreneurship. I graduated as a journalist and have written for several national and international publications focusing on fashion, beauty, and entertainment. After some time in the industry I decided to shift my focus into PR and digital media marketing, where I solidified my brand as a digital media manager for worldwide brands in real estate, entertainment, and telecommunication services.

I have always had a love for all things weddings. When I was younger I thought I would become a wedding planner! But it wasn’t until the pandemic hit, that I was recently engaged and planning our wedding, that my very particular taste for candles for my wedding came about. I couldn’t find what I wanted anywhere in this market so we decided we were going do it ourselves. I figured if I was a bride looking for this, surely I was not the only one. We spent weeks, if not months, researching and working through trial and error until we found the best blend to create a perfect looking candle. Our living room looked like a science lab!

After thinking about all the possibilities, we decided to turn this quarantine project into a candle rental and staging business! Then, Lennox and Grace Candle Company was born!

This road has been beautiful, but it has definitely not been easy–although great things in life rarely are.

I went from advertising and managing digital accounts to starting a business in the middle of a pandemic all while planning my own wedding. It was a risk and a huge sacrifice, but I am grateful for every single challenge thrown at me. There has been a lesson behind each and every one of them. They have pushed me to learn more, grow more, and risk more. Not everyone will believe in you, or in your ideas. They will laugh at you, mock you, and sometimes even place barriers on the road for you to not succeed–move forward anyways.

There is so much opportunity available to all of us if we just stepped out of our comfort zones and took more risks. For so long I thought I had reached my limit, when in reality it was only the beginning. I never thought I would become a business owner in the events industry, and I’m just so proud to say that every single challenge I have lived through has brought me to this exact place where I get to live out my passion. I work parties for a living and decorate peoples most special days. It really is a blessing.

If I could give someone just one piece of advice: trust yourself and just do it. Go. Be so focused and determined that nothing gets in your way, and grow.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh! There’s so many, especially little hidden gems around the city.

For cocktails, I would say The Anderson has some great drinks! Definitely grab a bite at Mila or spend some time at the Design District for some good food and shopping. Spend the day at the Frost Museum.

For a nice lounge vibe, I’d take them to SAAM at SLS Brickell, and if they really wanted to party take them to LIV.

Really all depends on the mood. Miami has it all!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It’s a mother-daughter business. We came up with our business idea together and have worked tremendously to grow our business and our brand. She is most definitely my right hand and without her patience, guidance, and initiatives, Lennox & Grace Candles wouldn’t be where it is today. My husband has also been exceptional and the logistics and strength behind long event days and nights.

Our business definitely wouldn’t have been able to have been so successful without the support of our families and friends who have taken time to answer our questions, hear us out and offer advice and feedback.

At the thought of our growing success, there is no one we are more grateful for than our wonderful clients who trust us with their most special moments. Their continued support is all the motivation we need to keep growing.

Website: Lennoxandgracecandles.com

Instagram: @LennoxandGraceCandles

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lennoxandgracecandles

Other: Email: Info@lennoxandgracecandles.com

Image Credits
Michelle Barreneche Michelle Gonzalez Photography