By Samantha Beidoun, Photos by Mary Bortmas
Meet Renata Portes, creator of The Universe Stuff; a holistic, creative brand of candles, teas, Reiki, tarot, and more. Originally from Brazil with a background in law, Portes found herself drawn to bring light and healing to people during her transition to life in the United States. I first learned of The Universe Stuff at an area Chamber of Commerce event I attended as a team member of Social Vines, and quickly found myself drawn to Renata and her friendly demeanor. Months later we have found friendship, and I have enjoyed getting to know more about her and her business. When not attending Chamber events, making candles, or meeting new friends for matcha, Portes enjoys making connections in the community, and loves her home in Ypsilanti with her husband and two cats. Her amazing journey is one to savor!
Describe your upbringing in Brazil and what got you onto the path of being a lawyer.
Renata Portes: I grew up in a family that deeply valued hard work, strong principles, and a sense of justice. We believed that through dedication and work, anything was possible. I basically grew up in courthouse hallways. My mother worked for over 20 years in the judicial system as a stenographer. Going to the courthouse with my father to pick her up after work was part of our routine. Everyone knew me there. I even have memories of falling asleep in the judge’s office while waiting for my mother during long court sessions.
Being in that environment so often, surrounded by people in different legal roles, hearing stories about real human struggles, and witnessing how the law could shape outcomes naturally sparked my interest in the field. I became drawn to the idea of helping people be heard, understood, and properly represented. I felt like this was the path I had been walking toward my entire life.
Over time, being so close to the legal world also taught me something deeper: behind every legal issue, there is a human story. Many people come to the justice system seeking solutions to external problems, but often they are also carrying emotional struggles that are harder to name—fear, uncertainty, or a sense of not being seen. Witnessing that from a young age shaped my sense of empathy and my desire to support people not only through rules and systems, but through understanding, presence, and care.
When and why did you come to the United States?
Renata Portes: I came to the United States in 2015 after my husband was transferred here for work. Over the past 11 years, his career has taken us through several moves, including time in different cities across Michigan and a year in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While constantly relocating was challenging at times, it also taught me adaptability and helped shape the way I connect with people and places. We now live in Ypsilanti, where we feel grounded and ready to build long-term roots.
When did you realize being a lawyer was not fulfilling and you needed a change?
Renata Portes: Shortly after moving to the United States, I considered returning to school to become a lawyer here. I completed a paralegal certificate program to better understand how the legal system worked and what that path might look like in a new country. As I moved through that process, I realized it wasn’t the right moment for me. At the time, my English skills were still very limited; I didn’t feel confident communicating efficiently, let alone following a university level program. Financially, investing in another degree was also not feasible. Beyond that, after completing five years of law school in Brazil and earning two master’s degrees, I felt mentally exhausted from formal education and wasn’t ready to return to that structure. I also recognized that I was emotionally drained from constantly dealing with people’s problems and conflicts, often without feeling adequately compensated for the responsibility and emotional weight that came with that work.
At the same time, moving to the United States gave me a rare sense of freedom—the opportunity to reinvent myself. That possibility felt exciting and empowering. Since then, I’ve explored different professional paths, including marketing, translation, journalism, and entrepreneurship. Each experience helped me better understand myself, until I found a direction that truly aligned with who I am and how I want to support others.
Tell me about how you got into Reiki and candle making and ultimately the birth of The Universe Stuff!
Renata Portes: Reiki came into my life through a book, purely out of curiosity. At that time, I was feeling a bit lost. I had explored many different career paths but I was still feeling unfulfilled. I decided to buy a book about chakras, hoping to learn something that might help me understand myself better.
Even though I grew up in a Catholic family, spirituality was always present in different forms. I had a Protestant grandmother, and another grandmother who was, in her own way, a bit of a witch; working with herbal medicine and energy rituals, even if she didn’t realize it at the time. I was also influenced by spiritualist family friends, and I’ve loved astrology and tarot since I was a child. So, learning about chakras didn’t feel strange to me—it felt like recognizing another branch of my spiritual tree.
After devouring that book, I wanted to go deeper. I searched for a Reiki course, attended the training, and began practicing with family and friends. They became my first clients, followed naturally by others. Still, I felt a strong desire to keep learning. I studied aromatherapy to bring more tools into my Reiki sessions, and later expanded into crystals, chromotherapy, and radiesthesia (the study of energy fields in people, animals, or places using a pendulum for feedback on the energy fields and giving way to see what needs to be worked on or balanced).
As my practice grew, my clients began asking for something they could take home, something that would help them continue their healing journey beyond our sessions. They wanted to recreate the feeling and environment they experienced with me in their own homes, almost like having their own sanctuary. That’s when I saw an opportunity to expand my work through natural products that could support self-care, self-love, and healing.
The first products I developed were essential oil blends. Through aromatherapy, people could gently navigate physical and emotional challenges while complementing the energy work. The very first blend I created was called Cycle, which I originally made for myself while dealing with menstrual discomfort. I tested it on myself and then shared it with friends. I began asking people, “If you could work on one issue in your life right now, what would it be?” From their answers, I created blends to support anxiety, depression, sleep issues, weight management, muscle soreness, mental clarity, respiratory health, and even joint relief for dogs. It became a joyful process of creating, listening, and witnessing positive results.
That creative energy opened something in me. I felt inspired, excited, and deeply aligned. If I could help people through energy work and natural medicine, then I started to think of how I could expand that. Teas, candles, bath products, soaps are some of the creations that started to come to play.
All of this brought back memories of my grandmother. She used to pick arnica from the backyard and place it in alcohol to create a tincture. Whenever I fell and had an open wound, she would apply it. I remember crying because I knew it would burn at first, but she would tell me to be brave because after that initial sting it would heal quickly. Remembering how she cared for me through nature and intuition, without ever naming it as “witchcraft,” still makes me smile.
What is your favorite part of what you do currently?
Renata Portes: My favorite part of what I do is production. I love hands-on work; creating, testing, and being deeply involved in the making process. While selling doesn’t come naturally to me, I’ve learned to lean into humor to break the ice. I joke that I sometimes have to put on a bit of a “clown mask” to feel comfortable, but once that connection is made, it flows.
My second favorite part is watching people smell my candles for the first time and seeing their reactions, usually followed by, “Oh my God, this smells amazing!”, and every time I think to myself, I know… I made that, and it still makes me smile every single time.
What are your future goals with The Universe Stuff?
Renata Portes: At this stage, I’m focusing my energy on growing my wholesale partnerships in a more intentional way. While I truly enjoy connecting directly with people through pop-up events, I’ve learned that building long-term relationships with aligned businesses is a more sustainable path for my brand. To support this growth, I recently restructured my wholesale program to include better discounts, lower minimum order requirements, and a streamlined reorder process. At the same time, I’ve discovered a deep love for teaching. Over the past three years, I’ve taken close to 30 courses, ranging from Reiki, aromatherapy, and herbalism to astrology, tarot, candle making, and natural product formulation. Some of those tools I use daily, others less so, but every course contributed to my growth. It became clear to me that holding all of that knowledge without sharing it would feel like a missed opportunity. That realization led to the creation of my workshops, which have become one of the most fulfilling parts of my work.
Moving forward, my goal is to continue growing a business that balances sustainable partnerships with education and creativity, while staying deeply connected to people and the healing, self-care journey that inspired it all in the first place.
What do you want people to get out of your workshops and products?
Renata Portes: With my products, I want people to find their way back to themselves. My intention is to support healing and self-care in a gentle, accessible way to help people slow down, listen to their bodies, and create small rituals that bring comfort, grounding, and balance into their daily lives. With my workshops, the focus is joy and connection. I want people to have fun, feel part of a community, and reconnect both with themselves and with others. I invite them to connect with their inner child, create without pressure, try something new, and allow themselves to slow down naturally. The goal is to relax, be present, play, and truly enjoy the process without expectations.
What do you want people to know about The Universe Stuff that they might not realize at first?
Renata Portes: Many people first discover The Universe Stuff through the products, but what they might not realize is how intentional everything is–from the ingredients I choose to the way each experience is created. Every product and workshop is designed to support people in slowing down, reconnecting with themselves, and creating small moments of care in their everyday lives. It’s not about perfection or trends—it’s about presence, quality, and meaning.
What kind of people or businesses do you love collaborating with?
Renata Portes: I love collaborating with people and businesses that value intention, creativity, and community. Whether it’s a small boutique or gift store, a yoga or wellness space, a spa, or another maker. I’m drawn to places that care deeply about the experience they’re offering and the people they serve. For me, the best partnerships are always built on shared values, trust, and mutual respect.
To learn more about The Universe Stuff and see the variety of products offered and upcoming workshops visit theuniversestuff.com or to more directly connect for collaborations, e-mail Portes at theuniversestuff@gmail.com.
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Meet Renata Portes, creator of The Universe Stuff; a holistic, creative brand of candles, teas, Reiki, tarot, and more. Originally from Brazil with a background in law, Portes found herself drawn to bring light and healing to people during her transition to life in the United States.