From Legacy to Light: The Story Behind Gilded Whisper

On September 2nd, we celebrate the birthday of a woman who forever changed the way we see life, courage, and love. She wasn’t just my friend’s mom. She was a powerhouse. A self-made businesswoman who built her dreams from scratch. A philanthropist who gave as much as she built. A woman who laughed easily, loved deeply, and carried empathy like a crown.

She was magnetic. The kind of person who reminded you that beauty isn’t just in art or objects, but in kindness, resilience, and the joy of living fully. Everyone who met her felt her light. She embodied strength and softness at once, proof that you can be both a warrior and a nurturer.

A Legacy of Strength and Bravery

Her story was one of resilience. She built her own business with nothing more than vision, grit, and determination. She wasn’t handed opportunity, she created it. She showed us that success is not simply about profit, but about creating something meaningful, something that outlives you. She was brave enough to carve her own path and generous enough to reach back and pull others forward with her.

For those of us who knew her, she wasn’t just a role model, she was living proof that leadership is about heart. She taught us that empathy and success are not opposites, but partners. That joy and laughter are just as essential in building a legacy as strategy and hard work.

The Birth of Set Forth Candles

When she passed away, her spirit lit the path that led to the birth of Set Forth Candles. My friend, her daughter, founded this candle brand in her mother’s honor, carrying forward everything she represented: warmth, resilience, generosity, and a love for life that outshines even the darkest moments. I was honored to join her as cofounder, and together we poured our hearts into creating a collection of hand-poured candles designed to celebrate legacy, love, and light.

From the beginning, we knew Set Forth would be more than a candle brand. It would be a living tribute to her, a reminder that light is eternal and love is meant to be shared. Every flame represents not just fragrance and beauty, but memory and meaning.

Gilded Whisper: A Candle Inspired by Her

One of our most meaningful creations, Gilded Whisper, was inspired directly by her essence. Its glow is golden, elegant, and steady, just like her presence was. The fragrance is layered with warmth and sophistication, designed to evoke comfort, grace, and strength.

Lighting Gilded Whisper is more than ambiance. It is ritual. It is memory. It is laughter carried through time. Every flicker of the flame whispers of her legacy, reminding us that beauty lives not in grand gestures, but in the way someone makes you feel seen, loved, and valued.

Candles as Symbols of Love and Legacy

Candles have always been symbols of remembrance. We light them in celebration, in prayer, in reflection, and in love. They illuminate the darkest rooms and remind us that no matter how heavy life feels, light will always return.

For us, Set Forth Candles is not simply a business. It is a vessel for memory, carrying forward the lesson she left us with: to live boldly, to love deeply, and to leave behind more than we take. Candles are our way of holding onto those truths. Each one is a story, a tribute, a moment captured in wax and flame.

A Lesson for Us All

This birthday, we honor not only her memory but also the way she lived. She taught us to love without hesitation. To cherish our loved ones while we have them. To share joy and kindness every single day, the way she did so effortlessly.

Her life was proof that empathy is strength, that laughter is healing, and that love is not meant to be hidden. Love is to be shared, always.

As we light Gilded Whisper on September 2nd, we remember her, but we also extend her legacy forward. We invite others to light candles for their loved ones, to celebrate the people who shaped them, and to create rituals that keep their memory alive.

A Birthday That Lives Forever

Happy Birthday to the woman whose light will never fade. She is the eternal whisper behind Set Forth, the inspiration that keeps us moving forward, and the golden glow that will always live in our hearts.

With love,
Renata, Co-founder of Set Forth NY