Good Intentions began while Kelsee Swenn was working by day as a marketing manager and freelancing as a graphic designer and entrepreneur, selling her illustrated tea towels and mugs at the downtown boutique Eclectic CO.
Her creativity soon turned toward candles, sparking a love for fragrance design. In her home studio, Swenn’s exploration of fragrance opened a new direction for her work. “I made a candle fragrance that I loved so much, I wanted to wear it,” she says.
That moment shifted her path from graphics to fragrance and eventually led her to develop a full line of perfumes and candles. As her collection grew inside Eclectic CO., Swenn quickly ran into space limitations.
“I’ve received very few angry emails throughout the life of my business,” she says. “One said something along the lines of, ‘How dare you remove Coastal Cowgirl from Eclectic CO.’”
With limited shelves forcing her to rotate products, it became clear Good Intentions had outgrown her space inside Eclectic Co. and needed a home of its own.
Along the way Swenn became the voice behind marketing for Downtown Partnership, taking the job in 2023. That role gave her a close look at what helps local businesses thrive while deepening her ties to the community she now invests in as a resident and entrepreneur.
The new Good Intentions shop is designed to be playful and whimsical while keeping a refined edge. It is located in the former Brown’s Shoe Fit. Shoppers will find the full line of candles and perfumes, along with new fragrances Swenn has been saving for the right time. The store also carries a diverse lineup of natural skincare and cosmetics from woman-owned companies, including cleansers, toners, moisturizers, lipstick, blush and mascara.
As a downtown resident, Swenn saw an opportunity to fill a gap in daily essentials. “It’s such a pain when I run out of concealer or moisturizer — there’s nowhere downtown to get those things,” she says. Now residents and visitors alike will find high-quality products within walking distance.
Swenn says that her role at the Downtown Partnership has also given her a front-row view of what makes local shops thrive. “It’s not just strong operations but building relationships with the community,” she says.
For those dreaming of launching their own shop, Swenn has clear advice: Build your business around passion and remember who you’re serving. “Your business is for your community first and yourself second,” she says.
Good Intentions also introduces a new experience to the downtown mix: perfume classes. In the store’s dedicated workshop area, guests can design their own signature fragrance. The first class takes place Oct. 18. Stay tuned to Good Intentions Instagram for future class dates.
119 N. Tejon St.
@goodintentionscos
