Meet Tasheena Salmon | Candle Therapist

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

Hi Tasheena, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. My culture and upbringing has a major impact on my life. The resilience, heart work and spirtual practices in my household through my mom, grandma and aunt left an imprint on my life. They were the driving force behind me becoming the person I am today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My professional life is not easy at all. I am a Clinical Social Worker with a focus in Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health. This is actually my second career. I was an Educator in New York City for over 15years. I loved being a Dean of Students, but I wanted a change. The transition was not an easy one at all, especially attending graduate school while working full time (crazy, I do not recommend). I tried my best to balance it all while managing my mental health but that was a major challenge. I increased my personal development and learned the importance of creating boundaries. The main lessons I learned along the way is “no” is a full sentence and there is nothing wrong with putting myself first.

Outside of my professional life, I focused on building my brand The Simple Pleasures Candle Co. My mission is to provide aromatherapy to homes and spirit. It is a perfect way to combine my passion to help others and also being creative. I’ve helped countless of people throughout my career with lots of talk therapy. Now I can reach even more people with my brand. I create my candles with natural soy wax and I specifically use fragrances that can beneficial mentally and spiritually. The fragrances tones help with stress relief, anxiety, relaxation and calm.

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?
I do enjoy exploring the city, so it will be super hard. My best friend would do a lot of eating and relaxing on the beach. The first place on my list would be House of Mac & Cheese in Wynwood, then we would explore the art, hangout at Afrocode to vibe with cocktails and good music. Now my best friend knows about my little wild side. So I might have been able to convince her to take a trip to Haulover just to step out of her comfort zone a little bit. Oh wait, what’s a visit without brunch. I have a few favorite brunch spot Little Hen, Ice Box, Shooters Waterfront and Morgan’s (there’s a lot more on my list). I would have another list for dinner. Please don’t judge me, my bestfriend and I really loves food. There would be a few activities like the boat tours, shopping, bowling, axe throwing, a day at the spa and more beach time.

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?
My inner circle is filled with amazing people who all played a role in my life. But I would have to give credit to my sister and my mother. They’ve been my main supporters through everything. My mother always encourages me to keep going. She would say as long as I have faith the size of a mustard seed everything will workout. My sister, is literally my reason for breathing. I dedicate everything I do for her. She was born on my 14th birthday (yes we share the same birthday) and since then I live my life for her. I try to be a mirror image for her, letting her see she can operate in this world being her authentic self without apology. She is my legacy.

Website: www.thesimpleasurescandle.com

Instagram: @thesimplepleasurescandle

Twitter: @iamTasheenaS

Image Credits
Images by: Christelle Eloi owner of eloiphotography