From interior design to the world of fragrance, Kendall Hamill gives us a look at her journey as an entrepreneur.
We love entrepreneurs and small business owners at Honeycombers, which is why we’ve created Launchpad, a digital networking platform with IRL benefits. It’s a privilege and pleasure to learn from so many talented folks! Looking for inspiration? Check out how Kendall Hamill, the founder of Temple Candles, gets it done like a boss.
Tell us the story behind your business.
The idea for Temple Candles came from something really simple: I wanted to find the perfect Singapore-inspired gift for visiting friends and family. As an interior designer with a deep love for home fragrance, I felt compelled to create something that captured the glamour and magic of Singapore; a meaningful memento that would evoke memories of travel and could be easily taken home.
When I arrived in Singapore in 2013, I couldn’t find anything that truly captured the region through scent in a high-quality, sophisticated way. So I decided to create it myself. From day one, my vision was to design something truly premium, made right here in Singapore, that reflected the essence of the region in fragrance and craftsmanship.
My journey into fragrance began in Grasse, France, the perfume capital of the world, where I studied perfumery and discovered the powerful connection between scent and memory. Arriving in Singapore, I was immediately inspired by the richness of the region: its lush tropical beauty and deep cultural layers. I knew I wanted to create something to reflect all that.
With a background in interiors and a lifelong love for Asia, I set out to design a luxury range of oriental-botanic home fragrances that feel elegant, transportive, and truly reflective.
What are some milestones or achievements you’re proud of?
A major highlight was being approached by Raffles Hotel in 2017 to create their bespoke fragrance range. It’s been a dream come true. That partnership is still going strong today, and the fragrance I created for them remains unchanged. Every year, hundreds of guests take home those beautiful scented mementoes, a connection to their time in Singapore, and I often receive the most beautiful emails about how much it means to them.
I’m proud that as a small business, we’ve built a solid base of returning customers and experienced steady growth over the last eight years. To me, that loyalty is the ultimate testament to the quality of our products and the level of customer service we work so hard to deliver.
I’ve always believed that customer service is everything, whether it’s a thoughtful note, delivery flexibility, or surprising someone with a little unexpected gift. Especially in an online world, that’s what truly sets a brand apart. There’s something magical about retail when you can go beyond what’s expected and create a moment that someone didn’t even know they needed.
I’m also proud that we’ve built our production facility in Tai Seng. I’ve achieved what I set out to do – to create a brand from scratch that’s genuinely made in Singapore and supports a circular economy.
Share a setback that taught you a valuable lesson about running a business.
I’ll admit I was pretty naive in the early days. That sometimes worked in my favour, because I felt limitless in what I could achieve, but it also led to a tough lesson at the start. When I was designing product vessels offshore for the first time, I assumed every production partner I worked with held the same high-quality standards I did. I quickly learned the hard way that they didn’t. It wasn’t until four massive pallets of totally unusable stock arrived in Singapore that I learnt I needed to hire a quality control agent to act on my behalf.
Now I know how crucial it is to have a QC agent on the ground – someone who speaks the local language and checks everything firsthand before it leaves the factory. Learning the ropes through baptism by fire and knowing manufacturers’ blatant non-accountability was a costly and embarrassing rookie mistake. Today, written quality control benchmarks are non-negotiable when working with manufacturers, and letting them know this is how you work beforehand helps, too.
Describe a typical day in your life and what you love most about it.
Life looks a little different now that both my boys are at university in Australia. I miss them a lot, but not setting a morning alarm is amazing! These days, my week is a mix of office days and factory days where I’m hands-on with production planning alongside the team.
Most weekday mornings start around 7.30am, woken by the pets, followed by a few relaxed coffees with my husband. By 9.30am, I’m at my desk checking emails. Product development and social media take up a good portion of my time, so on planning days, I spend a few hours troubleshooting product design developments, shipping issues, and inventory orders before heading to the factory. The day can vary with in-store staff training sessions, replenishing store visual displays, or meetings with our perfumers at Firmenich to discuss upcoming fragrance ideas. No one day is the same as the next.
I have time two days a week for lunches out and mahjong with friends. Dinner is usually around 7pm with my husband most nights. The day always ends with golden retriever walks around our neighbourhood. It’s a quiet, grounding time I look forward to. Most nights I go to bed much later than I should, but those late hours often bring my most creative work, though I know I’ll pay for it the next day! I always write my to-do list before bed; it helps me sleep easier without waking up in a panic.
What’s your favourite book, movie, or TV show that has influenced your entrepreneurial mindset?
I love hearing the stories of bootstrapped companies and the obstacles their founders have overcome, especially Sara Blakely, the creator of Spanx. Her journey resonated with me. What I admire most is that she never lost sight of her aim to create a truly problem-solving product. Her “never take no for an answer” attitude, even though she knew nothing about the industry she was entering, is incredibly inspiring.
Two books that stuck with me are The Spanx Story and Getting There: A Book of Mentors. They reminded me that knowing yourself and playing to your strengths is just as important as having a vision. It’s not about being in the spotlight; it’s about building something authentic from the ground up with determination and tenacity. That isn’t an unusual path; it’s actually how a lot of amazing businesses are built.
I also enjoy Shark Tank when I remember to catch it. There’s usually a nugget of practical advice that lands exactly when I need to hear it.
Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Every space is crowded, so it doesn’t matter if there is 1 or 100 other businesses doing what you want to do. What matters is that your idea has a strong point of difference. Be crystal clear on what sets you apart; your point of difference is everything.
You also have to love what your business is about, because you’ll go to bed thinking about it and wake up thinking about it. If you don’t truly love it, it’ll quickly become a burden you’ll wish you’d never started.
Your tenacity, determination, the support of loved ones, and a good sense of humour will carry you through the highs and the hard days. Don’t buy into the idea that life must be perfectly balanced to be fulfilling. If you’ve got that fire in your belly and the support around you, go for it. Taking breaks is okay, too. It’s not a race, and it’s certainly not worth your physical or mental health.
Finally, try not to look around at what everyone else is doing. Comparison is distracting, so focus your direction forward. I’ve always found it best to put my head down and just get on with building my own thing.
Top tip for maintaining a good work-life balance?
Accept that there is no perfect balance! The narrative around maintaining a “balanced life” is pretty unrealistic, especially for entrepreneurs. Starting a business takes hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of focused work. There’s rarely a shortcut. So if you don’t have a perfect work-life balance, it probably means you’re doing something right!
The key is not to chase balance, but to stay aligned with why you’re doing it in the first place. That, and knowing when to rest, before burnout forces you to.
Favourite thing to do on weekends?
Alfresco Aperols in the sun, Orchard Road, Botanic Gardens walks, and sunsets outdoors.
Tell us one fun fact about yourself that not many people know.
I grew up in a tiny country town in South Australia and come from a proud three-generation agricultural family. While I work with luxury fragrances now, my roots are in wide-open paddocks, tomboy ways, and good old-fashioned country values.
Get in touch with Kendall Hamill online.
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