Today we’d like to introduce you to Rajanique Swain.
Hi Rajanique, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born in 1988 and raised in Los Angeles, CA (Harbor City, CA) with my mom and siblings. I grew up in a family that had a heart to foster and adopt youth. I received my BS in Human Services while serving/building a foster/at-risk youth mentoring organization in LA County that I’d been a part of since I was 19. At 26, I became the legal guardian of my uncle (little brother) after my grandparents fell ill. (great story, ask me about it sometime)
In 2017, I moved away from everything I’d known and we relocated to Sacramento looking for a change. It started off great, I started my MBA program, was building something historical, and thought I was building my dreams. But after 3 years, we found that it wasn’t the place for us and that we needed to be back closer to home. My little brother was struggling, sad, and missing family closeness and I was working all the time, missing family, depressed, and found myself in an unhealthy situation.
In January of 2020, I had the opportunity to move us back and I took it! When I came back, I was in a bad space. I’d lost “everything“ and had to start from scratch. I was dealing with depression/anxiety, unwanted weight loss, inability to find a job, and of course on top of these things, this is the year Covid-19 shook the world. I was lost and needed a way out and the only thing I knew would help rebuild me out of the rubble was Self Care + Self Love.
I got myself a therapist, I joined a PrayHer call, start accepting help, got back in school to complete my MBA (which I did), started cooking and baking again, I started researching and educating myself on building a business (lots of trial and error), reconnected with community, implemented boundaries, picked up fitness routines including running and spin, started meditating, praying, and journaling amongst so many other things.
I saw the place that I was in and thought about all the other black women like me and others that I’d come in contact with over the years and hadn’t met, that needed the permission to choose themselves and know they were more than their current circumstances. So, I created M & MP Self Care Co., now known as Master Peace. I’ve faced many things on this journey and I wouldn’t change any part of it. As the journey goes on, times just keep getting better.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not in the slightest was it a smooth road. Building a business from the ground up after losing “everything” is hard work. Especially when you don’t have anyone close to you that’s done it before. Every time I think I have something under control, a new lesson greets me. Honestly speaking, Master Peace was born out of a struggle and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I always like to remind myself that nothing that’s great comes easy.
Some of the struggles I’ve faced (in no particular order):
* Physical and mental health issues causing me to start and pause.
* Going from having a suite to not having one because it was financially draining.
* Was laid off and couldn’t find a job.
* Not having access to funding for hiring, space, products, events, etc.
* Doing many things myself, such as finances, creating products, social media, marketing, pop-ups, etch.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Master Peace is a self-care company specializing in candles and rooted in the community. Ultimately, my dream is for Master Peace to become a luxury spa. After a disheartening day for myself and a group of black women at a well-known spa in LA amongst others and the experiences so many have faced, it came to me that there weren’t many spaces such as these for black women in LA nor affordable, so I began to dream.
I started off with and perfected candles and people love them! They speak of not even having to light them because of how beautifully fragrant they are. Fast forward, I’ve created more self-care products such as body scrub, CBD candles, room spray, rose water, and other self-care accessories. I wanted to create products that are clean and good for melanated skin because I’ve had my share of unfortunate run-ins with products and services that weren’t created for my skin.
My sister Ni Swain of Sewni and I have done a lot of this work alongside each other. For self-care, Ni loves to sew and style. There’s nothing she can’t create, so who better for me to journey with. We’ve had a suite together that we eventually had to let go of, but it served its purpose and we did it! So many things were born out of that space and now we have online stores and do pop-ups around LA County. We’ve kept each other going and are looking forward to what the future has in store.
I’m most proud of my brand because as I grow more authentically and confident into who I am, so does it. Master Peace is for all those Masterpieces in search of loving themselves more and longing for peace. Master Peace wants everyone to know they are worthy of self-care and self-love, no matter what season of life you are in. Master Peace is hard at work for you and for us; to build a brand and space you can heal, be seen, heard, loved and restored.
What does success mean to you?
I define success by showing up and knowing I did my best with every good intention. I define success by having self-care product orders when I didn’t use to have any. I define success by my great friends and family showing up to help my sister and I with our first big vendor event. I define success by showing my nieces, nephews, and godchildren they to can build a business and thrive, no matter what the circumstances.
I define success by talking to people or them writing me to tell me how much they love my self-care tips and products. I define success by seeing my candle creation’s in a spa in Napa. I define success by me still going and not quitting when I’ve wanted to so many times. I define success by being featured here because I couldn’t have imagined this for myself. What an amazing opportunity and time to be alive.
Pricing:
- Candles between $15-$60
- Body Scrub/Room Spray $15
- Rose Water $20
- Retail Clothing + Accessories from $15 + up
Contact Info:
- Website: mmpselfcare.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/___.masterpeace.___/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/100071514158732/
- Other: https://sewni9119.co/
