Life does NOT always go as planned and rarely does the outcome look in accordance with the painstakingly formulated path. Brice Oates, aka Brice the Candle Guy, imagined waxing poetic would be the journey, though slightly less “on the nose.”  Growing up in Wyoming, one of his most vivid memories was his mother’s mirrored perfume tray. There was something indescribably appealing about opening each of the delicate glass bottles, unusually shaped vials of fine fragrance, that would waft through the house anytime there was an important family dinner party, parental date night or grand holiday gathering. Accenting each occasion with a definitive punctuation, each wedding, funeral or significant life moment seemed inextricably accompanied by some type of olfactive finery. Intrigue, nostalgia and allure surrounded the concepts contained in each beautifully and distinctly crafted bottle. The smell of his mother’s embrace still sits close to the forefront of his childhood memories, while the bouquet of his grandmother’s morning routine lingering on her Chanel suits and cotton robes fills his distant memory of her life and love.  Leather, cedar and wool still remind him of the unconditional love and tireless work of his father’s traveling sales position while minty shave gel and spicy musk transport him to early Sunday mornings as his grandfather gathered the family for church on the windswept Wyoming plains. In hindsight, or rather hindscent, those unnoticed and seemingly insignificant sense memories were leading to something that would become his life’s centerpiece, the mold into which he would pour his early life’s work. 

After being accepted to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, Brice loaded the sum of his worldly possessions into the back his car, leaving the pine covered mountains and sage dotted plains as reflections in the mirror, background in pursuit of the screens and stages of Hollywood. He still recalls opening his door for the first time upon arriving in LA. Like falling into a tropical oasis, the humid June heat enveloped him, marked tones of seagrass and greenery, backed by the sweetness of night-blooming jasmine and the sharp metallic dusting of concrete, diesel and urban sprawl.  It was almost as if his senses were fully attuned to what was coming on life’s twisted journey, without fully disclosing the fragrant diversion to come. Outfitted with his performing arts diploma in 2008, he hit the audition circuit and fell into a series of day-jobs, before getting the serendipitous call from one of his first acquaintances and employers in Los Angeles, the owner of what would become the world’s largest store of luxury home fragrance. As with many of his life’s defining moments, what started as something inconsequential, quickly developed into a path and a passion that would shape the next eighteen years of his life. 

His first role in luxury home fragrance as a part-time stockboy would quickly develop into regular appearances on the sales floor of the iconic fragrance boutique, his work eventually becoming unfettered immersion in the monde of the olfactive. As with his mother’s perfume tray, Brice found himself encapsulated and enthralled by the unimaginable stories, intricate packaging and painstakingly curated layers of each of the impeccably designed niche collections and globally renowned brands. Each fragrant story and olfactive epoch inspiring his ever further descent into a reality consumed by smells. His work would garner him a reputation as a fragrance industry expert boasting unparalleled experience in building an unmatched retail sales floor while defining many home fragrance norms over nearly two decades. His work publicly exploring the inseparable relationship of scent and the human condition would see the retail store become the single highest volume retailer of luxury home fragrance with an almost cult like following on social media of tens of thousands and an in store and e-commerce database of more than one hundred thousand individuals. He would not only see the business through two global recessions and a pandemic, but would eventually grow into the positions of general manager, buyer and lead consultant before mounting three separate bids to acquire the store. Brice would also establish the private label and consultation segment of the business, ultimately helping to create, design, develop and launch more than one hundred projects. Unbeknownst to him, this retail journey would become the catalyst and foundation to many of life’s changes, successes and transformations. 

Brice was stocking shelves and working the cash register in 2006 when a beaming and brilliant light of a human being strode into the boutique. Jason Larimer, a budding interior designer, instantly became a store fixture and a friend. Both Jason and Brice watched each other blossom and grow into powerhouses in their respective careers and lives over the next seventeen years. While all good things take time, the stars and their stories would align and the two would find more in common than beautifully crafted wax in jars. Combining their light and their passion they would find a single purpose, a unified pursuit. After their marriage in May of 2024 they began crafting their lives together, creating a future built on their mutual respect for high design and simply refined goods. When their final attempt to purchase the store where they met proved unsuccessful, they refocused their vision by combining their talents, creating the design studio and lifestyle brand BRUTALLO.  

One lingering question met Brice at every turn after leaving an eighteen year undertaking behind, would he let his experience in luxury home fragrance go to waste? A plain but loaded question given the many attempts to build on his career. After brief but deep reflection it became evident that in addition to his interior and lifestyle design pursuits, he would need to redouble his efforts in the home fragrance sphere. With two decades backing his business knowhow, but beginning from a point of virtual scratch, he began drawing on his past experience to consult with emerging and established brands in the development of new projects, designs and ideas. Working with manufacturers across countless sectors, Brice contracted his expertise and business acumen to individuals and brands looking to create customer centric and easily marketable products. While this has served the home fragrance industry in many fun and innovative ways, he found his experience translatable across many fields, products and focuses. Just weeks after leaving his position behind he was tapped to consult on the creation and implementation of branding courses and curriculum centered around individual practices and ethical business fundamentals. These courses are slated to be released in spring of 2025. 

While it has become apparent that life does NOT always go as planned, beauty does exist in the smaller moments and success is possible in even the most unlikely circumstances. Passion lives in the heart of pursuit and beauty flourishes in the fires of worthwhile endeavors. Love never detracts from an exchange and means will always follow purpose. Brice has found immeasurable gratitude for the extraordinary experiences he has been afforded and quiet respect for the challenges and transformations that life places on the journey. He has discovered that while things may seem insurmountable or unsolvable, there is always a way. Creativity, kindness and integrity are the foundation to which Brice grounds his attention and unwaveringly applies his focus. He has come to the understanding that the more creative one gets in the process of solution, the grander that solution may eventually become. He hopes to find many more lessons on this journey and to help others in the pursuance of personal discovery and illumination.