Conversations

Atmo Home has built a mission-led brand around a refined hero product: clean, refillable candles that feel as elevated as they are safe and sustainable. I had the opportunity to speak with founder Margaret Trainor, and the intentionality behind the brand and product development came as no surprise. Margaret lived in Germany for 10 years and was inspired by the culture of preservation. “There was an emphasis on caring for things that last over time, and that really inspired me in creating Atmo Home, with quality being a core pillar for us,” she explains. She studied abroad in college and moved back to Europe upon graduating to work in social change communications, later progressing to venture capital. “In general, Europe has really good social infrastructure and has just created sustainable systems that everybody adheres to as a community,” Margaret says. She collaborated with TU Berlin’s Chemical Invention Factory on product development to launch Atmo Home aligned with green chemistry frameworks. “We talk to our Chief Science Adviser about how we can actually make an idea happen. We get into the weeds on the chemistry to really understand how a product works, and then we look for opportunities to innovate and create a better product.” Bringing the business to the US in 2024, Margaret has had to debunk many myths around clean candles. “A clean candle really comes down to perfect combustion. Similar to a car engine, if the combustion isn’t perfect, you’re going to get exhaust in a car or smoke and soot in a candle,” she explains, “We optimize for the interaction between the fragrance, wax blend, and wick to be as perfect as it can possibly be.” They’re mindful of every ingredient, working with a certified toxicologist to develop safe, science-backed formulations that go beyond beeswax and essential oils. The stronger-fragranced candles include FDA-approved paraffin. “Paraffin has a bad reputation in the industry, but it’s a recycled byproduct,” Margaret notes. “It’s important that we remember that a lot of the things that we experience today, people had good intentions when they were making them,” Margaret says, explaining that plastic was developed as an alternative to ivory, which had impacted the elephant population. “We just know more now, and we can do better now.” “That’s why I’m so excited about the green chemistry frameworks. It brings together synthetic chemistry, which creates materials, and analytical chemistry, which measures impact. You bring these two together to start developing products that are environmentally benign by design.” “I do think that as a brand, I can build better so that people can enjoy without needing to worry about the impact on the broader world,” she shares. She sees the beauty in consumerism and has enjoyed building the business in America, where there is a “joyfulness and excitement” in experiencing novelty and sharing it with one another. Margaret continues to take “small, consistent steps over time” to improve sustainability within the business, conducting internal research on new materials and trials on new types of feedstocks. “I’m an impatient person, so this is hard for me, but we focus on incremental progress over time,” she says. Atmo Home will soon launch an updated website that allows customers to dive deeper into product science and sustainability, and aims to host more in-person events this year. “I really believe in pouring into the people who see something in you as a community,” she says, “and for us, our influencers are our community, so we’re going to treat them like they’re an influencer.” “I think when you lead with the impact that you want to have in the world, everything else will fall into place. You will find your people, and they’ll really respond to that authenticity.” Not overly rigid about routine, Margaret balances time at the gym and sauna with therapy and journaling, cooking at home, and going out with friends. “Most of my life is the preparation that I put into it,” she says, “I just try to give myself what I feel like I need.” Behind the scenes, the Atmo Home team continues to work hard, launching two new products this year: an introduction into air care and another to expand on their candle collection. They’re also working on a fragrance collaboration that is “pushing the boundaries” in product ideation. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You have to get really comfortable with the mentality that you will never be done,” Margaret shares. Shop Atmo Home when you’re ready for your next candle, and use Stéibel20 for 20% off your purchase! I love the lightness of the Atmosphäre fragrance for spring, and also highlighted the bestselling Santal fragrance in Worth the Shelf Space. You’ll be blown away by the quality! Shop

Dianna Cohen launched Crown Affair, an intentional haircare brand, in 2020 and has since become an inspirational entrepreneur to many, myself included. Crown Affair empowers consumers to redefine their relationship with haircare through simple, efficacious, non-toxic products alongside an educational community, implementing small rituals into moments of self-care. But she wasn’t an influencer with a built-in audience ready to support at launch; instead, she had built a steady career behind the scenes at a multitude of consumer goods brands that have influenced and impacted culture.¹ She was actually named to Forbes 30 Under 30 before launching the business for her expertise in brand marketing at high-growth consumer businesses.² Crown Affair is a culmination of all that experience, but high-growth start-up culture also informed her vision and philosophy. She didn’t chase growth at all costs. She built with an intention that takes time, weaving the brand ethos directly into the business. I was lucky enough to ask a few questions about her philosophy, as she was the first person I wanted to talk to about building the Steibel community. She built a brand where external values match internal culture, with care for the people who support it. I admire her commitment to that above all, and know this community will too! Intentional Consumption What does intentional consumption mean to you? “For me, that means fewer impulse buys and more thoughtful investments — a well-made brush, linen sheets, or a product that earns a permanent place in my ritual. It’s about valuing durability, usefulness, and how an object makes you feel over time, not just the moment you first see it. Intentional consumption is also ethical: knowing where something came from and that it was made responsibly matters just as much as how beautiful it is.” Sustainable Growth What’s your best advice for building intentionally while also pursuing business growth? “Clarity and boundaries are everything. You need to know not just what you want to be known for, but also what you’re willing to say no to in order to protect that vision. Growth can happen in a way that’s steady and deliberate — testing, learning, refining — without sacrificing the essence of why you started. My advice is to stay rooted in your north star, and let that guide the opportunities you pursue and the ones you let pass by.” Sustainability How do you think about sustainability across products, people, and the planet? “At Crown Affair, sustainability is about building thoughtfully at every level. We create products designed to last — from durable tools to formulas in recyclable packaging — so that our community isn’t constantly replacing or discarding. It’s also about the people behind the work: we care deeply about the partners we choose, the artisans and manufacturers who make our products, and the long-term health of the communities we touch.” Creativity & Inspiration When your creativity needs a spark, where do you turn for inspiration? “I go where the senses wake up: museums, quiet mornings by the water, or wandering in cities I love. Japan always resets me — the attention to craft and quiet design there is endlessly generative — and time in places like Boulder or the desert gives me a different kind of clarity, a reminder to simplify. I also return to collage, journaling, and my Substack; putting images and words next to each other often surfaces my next, small experiment.” Inspiration Who has inspired you as an entrepreneur? “I’ve learned so much from people who build with curiosity and patience — founders who care about craft and community. Early in my career, I was fortunate to work alongside people who taught me the importance of creating something that feels both useful and beautiful. Emily Weiss taught me how powerful storytelling and community can be for building a brand; that experience shaped a lot of what I try to do at Crown Affair. I also learned a ton from Ara Katz about grassroots marketing and the patient work of growing a product-driven company, and my time at Away showed me how a focused product idea can change how people think about everyday objects. Those lessons — craft, community, and thoughtful growth — are the through line of how I try to lead.” Thanks for reading, and shop on ShopMy to support this publication! Footnotes ¹ Dianna Cohen’s work experience includes Into the Gloss and Away, leading product collaborations with Madewell, West Elm, the NBA, etc. ² Dianna Cohen founded Levitate, a brand marketing agency, in 2017, working with Harry’s & Flamingo, Outdoor Voices, Buck Mason, etc.