Exploring Life & Business with Nijeria Thompson of TAP Candle Co.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nijeria Thompson.

Hi Nijeria, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I love music, I listen to it every single day. And I love fragrance, from perfume to candles to room and linen mists. Anything that adds scent to a space is right up my alley. So during the pandemic, while living in Delaware, those two loves collided into one question: what would happen if you could smell your favorite song?

In 2022 I moved to LA, and that random idea graduated into TAP Candle Co.: the home fragrance company that turns your favorite songs into scents. All of our products are all natural, nontoxic, and sustainable, because our spaces should smell amazing without harmful chemicals.

Every product is named after a song and paired with a unique QR code that links you directly to a fully curated playlist that begins with the scent namesake. We call it a scentrack. It’s not just something that smells good. It’s a song you can light.
That idea has grown into a Grammy Museum placement, brand partnerships with Nike and Tinder, and artist collaborations with people like Samara Cyn and SIAT and hopefully many more to come. We are your favorite artist’s favorite candle. I’m so proud of what I’ve built, because at the end of the day I get to give back to artists and fans by sharing with them a whole new facet of their music and the music we all love.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No. Not even a little bit. And honestly? I wouldn’t want it to have been.

Losing a six figure salary job that I had genuinely prayed for and then turning around and betting on a hobby; that’s not a small thing. There was no blueprint. I had to learn how to source materials, price correctly, and fund a business largely out of my own pocket all at the same time. Capital is one of the realest challenges in entrepreneurship and it does not stop being a challenge just because you start winning.

And then there’s the other side of it. A part people don’t really talk about. There is an assumption that because my candle is $29, that $29 is just landing in my pocket like it’s pure profit or someone sliding into my DMs asking for a discount like the product loses its value because it came from a small business and not a big retailer. The quality of our ingredients, the sustainability, the intention behind the fragrance; none of that changes based on the size of my operation. We are worth every dollar.

The road has been hard, but hard has a way of making you certain.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about TAP Candle Co.?
TAP Candle Co. is the home fragrance company that turns your favorite songs into scents. But more than that, we are a music culture brand. The candle is the vehicle, but the destination is always the music.

Everything we make is all natural, nontoxic, and sustainable. Our spaces should smell incredible without us having to compromise our health to get there. That part is non-negotiable for us.

What sets TAP apart is how deeply we translate music into fragrance. Every note in every candle is intentionally selected to embody the essence of the song it’s named after. The mood, the feeling, the moment the song gives you, we find that in scent. And with every product paired to a scentrack, the experience doesn’t stop at the burn.

We specialize in bringing music to life through fragrance across genres some include R&B, Hip Hop, Pop, and Country but we want to expand to J and KPOP, Reggaeton and many more. We are your favorite artist’s favorite candle.

What I’m most proud of though? We are shifting how people listen to music and build community. No matter the moment, a person is going to put on music and we have a product that matches or elevates whatever that vibe is. We already associate memories with songs and with smells separately. TAP is where that magic collides. That’s what we’re here for.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Honestly, this one goes to my mom Tracy, my auntie Georgia, my best friend Prentyce and my customers that have turned into friends. There is something magical and uber special about having an idea and people you know support you but even more is the people that you DON’T know support you and keep coming back!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tapcandles.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tapcandles
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tapcandleco

Image Credits
Nijeria Thompson