Meet Maiya Guidry | Creator/Owner – Revival Candle Company

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

Hi Maiya, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I first began churning out ideas for Revival, it was the beginning of the pandemic, I had just moved back to Houston from NYC and I had this newly acquired free time on my hands. I had taken a candle making class a few years back and had never really put away the idea of starting a candle business. So, I started to purchase supplies and dove deep into the YouTube candle making community to refresh my memory on the process. It really is such an art and science to make a good candle. I thought for weeks about what to name my new candle company and one night stumbled upon the name Revival. I knew I wanted the name to have significance to me and this candle business was a revival of my creative pursuits that I had neglected for years. And, that’s how it stuck. I was still hesitant about going all in with the business but, once I landed the name and realized what it meant to me, I knew I had to pursue it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My current role is with Amazon as a Stylist for their Personal Shopper program. I’m incredibly proud of the work I get to do & excited to be working for a company that has so much impact globally. My career timeline is like a game of Chutes & Ladders (if you remember that). I started off working fashion retail, made my way to the corporate fashion world working for companies like Fila, Michael Kors, and Macys then, pivoted completely. I landed a role as an Office Manager for a non profit where I found an affinity for HR/Operations, worked in HR for a school district then, did another pivot & went back into fashion. If there is anything have learned from all of the changes throughout my career is that you can always start over. You get the chance every single day to re-write your story. If you’re not fulfilled, appreciated, recognized for your talents or, encouraged to grow, something better awaits you. It’s never too late to try something different

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’m a huge foodie and everyone that knows me knows that! So, if you ‘re coming to visit me, you’re coming to eat! For breakfast, I’d take them somewhere different each day. Some of my favorite spots are Snooze in Montrose, Brothers Tacos in EaDo or, The Kolache Factory (a lot of places don’t have kolaches & folks in Louisiana actually don’t know what they are lol); I’m obsessed with them. For coffee & delicious crepes we’d go to Retrospect in 3rd Ward. While we’re there, we can check out the Monopoly exhibit across the street at The Station Museum. It’s by local artist Marc Furi. For lunch and dinner my go-to spots range from Bebidas on Edloe, Tacos a Go-Go (any location), Kau Ba in Montrose which is one of the best bar/dining experiences in Houston – shoutout to Nicole the GM!! (You can also find my candles in their bathrooms!) and last but not least, La Esquina @ East End Backyard for some authentic tacos. For nightlife, the most fun spot for dancing and great music is The Flat on Commonwealth. If we’re feeling fancy, there is a new upscale cocktail & wine bar in River Oaks called Clarkwood & it’s the most chic & elevated bar experience you could ever have. For a casual and relaxed night I’d show them Axelrad for a no frills spot with great drinks and atmosphere.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not be where I am today without the help and continuous support from my friends & family. I can’t thank them enough for purchasing candles, reposting my content on social media, spreading the word, gifting my product, and helping out at markets over the past 2 years. Revival would literally not be what it is today without the love from my village of folks. They truly lift me up & inspire me to see going.

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revivalcohtx/

Image Credits
See Lun (HTX Market)