A candle is the perfect thing to set the mood in any space for any given occasion. True Hue embraces this mentality by embodying an earthy Northern vibe inspired by the natural landscape of the land of 10,000 lakes. We chatted with True Hue founder Griffin Overbye about how he started his business, where he draws inspiration from and his favorite scents.
What got you interested in pouring your own wax candles?
Growing up, I was often called the elephant in the family due to my keen sense of memory. And because our sense of smell is the quickest to help up recall memories, I thought, Why not encapsulate my own memories into scents so people could enjoy them and create new memories of their own?
How does True Hue differ from other candle companies?
True Hue has strong morals. We use environmentally friendly and biodegradable packaging as well as clean and chemical-free bases in our formulas. I began making this stuff around family members and thought, I certainly wouldn’t want to be harming those around me, let alone me, the one who is breathing them in every day. I’ve also worked tirelessly on our brand identity, and True Hue has really become a culture and could easily be integrated into many platforms and products other than just home fragrances.
You sell your candles both locally and internationally. What prompted that and how do those sales reflect your brand as a whole?
To be honest, it all just happened so quickly. I’ve been really fortunate that the majority of the almost 200 retail locations our brand is in have all just reached out to me via Instagram or email. A majority of sales come from within the United States, and most of our strongest retailers are actually here in Minnesota.
Where do you pull scent combinations and inspirations from?
Scent curating is both my favorite and the easiest thing about my company. For some reason, I just have a very picky nose and am confident in finding just the right scent combinations. Going back to my sense of memory, most of my scents are inspired from growing up here in Minnesota. Wandering through forests as a kid, running through the field of wildflowers we had in our backyard, drinking lemonade on summer afternoons — these memories have all found their way into my fragrances.
What is your goal for True Hue as a brand in the next five years?
So much! Looking back on the short two years since our beginning, I can only imagine what the future has to hold. Right now, my two amazing staff members and I have been talking a lot about other home fragrance products and what they will look like for True Hue. I want to be able to offer people an all-encompassing True Hue experience.
What’s your favorite scent? And are there any new scents on the horizon?
We actually just launched the Soirée Collection a couple weeks ago. Being the third collection in the line, it is inspired by grand gatherings and sophisticated fragrances for the home. Each scent has been curated for over a year. I write a lot of poetry, so each scent has a little poem that comes with it to help paint a mental picture of that scent. I wanted this collection to have a more tactile and emotional experience. My personal favorite at the moment is Palo Santo, but I’m very excited for what’s to come.
