Alyssa Chambers, founder and CEO of wellness brand Nova Essence IO, sources supplies for her business from China--and is facing an uncertain business future amid Trump's trade war. Chambers joined ForbesWomen editor Maggie McGrath to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing her business in this precarious economic moment.
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00:00Hi, everyone. I'm Maggie McGrath, editor of Forbes Women. President Donald Trump announced
00:09sweeping global tariffs last week, and within this environment, small business owners who depend on
00:16foreign countries for their supplies are wondering, what does this mean for my supply chain and my
00:22revenue? I'm joined right now by someone who is asking those very questions. She is Alyssa Chambers.
00:28She is the founder and CEO of NovaEssence.io, and she is here now. Alyssa, thank you so much for
00:35joining us. Thank you so much, Maggie, for having me today. It was a pleasure being here.
00:42I know as a founder and CEO, you're very busy. You founded your company in 2020. It became an LLC
00:48in 2023. So you've been in business for a few years. Can you tell us, before we talk about
00:53what's happening right now, just a little bit about NovaEssentials.io?
00:58Of course. So NovaEssence was founded on the basis of creating a transformative wellness
01:05experience, where we're beyond just our products. We're about founding the principles of self-care
01:11and ensuring that women from all walks of life takes the time to prioritize themselves,
01:17because as women, we prioritize every other people in our lives. So NovaEssence is that reminder to say,
01:23take care of yourself so you're able to pour out into others. And NovaEssence stands for a natural,
01:29optimistic, vivacious ambiance. Just giving that reminder to just keep that positive mindset and
01:34spread the light everywhere we go.
01:37When you talk about spreading the light, keeping a positive outlook, what exactly are the goods that
01:43you are selling to consumers through your company?
01:45Of course. So we sell aromatherapy candles that are affirmation-based. So the affirmations on every
01:52candle is that reminder when you light it of, I am loved, I am blessed, I am confident, and I am
01:58enough. So there are four candle bases that we sell. We also sell aromatherapy mist that also has the
02:05same affirmation as the candles. And along with that, we do body butters and wax melts. Our wax melts are
02:10called mellow melts. So it's like a little tiny, cute wax melt that, you know, you mellow out, you, it melts
02:15down. And it's also that like, active reminder of like, as a wax melt is melting and like, soothing out, that's your
02:22reminder to soothe out as well. So every product ties into the concept of taking care of yourself, reminding
02:28yourself who you are, especially in those moments when you do probably feel a little bit low. You know, you just
02:34light the candle, say, I am loved, and you repeat it to yourself, and you just believe it.
02:37So your company is all about lowering anxiety, feeling loved. And we're in an environment where
02:44anxiety is a little high. Can you talk about your experience specifically? We've known since
02:51basically the election that President Trump wanted to institute tariffs. How have the last few months
02:57been for you leading up to last week? Were you doing anything to prepare? Or were you waiting and
03:02seeing what the actual policy was going to be and therefore didn't know until last week?
03:07So I'm always in the mindset of preparation. So with the current administration and everything,
03:14and what's going on in preparation for that, and in my mindset for my business,
03:20now the essence being in a phase of growing and wanting to expand more. This is where the concept
03:25of leading, it takes a village, so leading on my community more. And I actually launched recently
03:30a crowdfunding campaign to lean on my community to see people that believe in the vision of Nova Essence
03:38and the fact that we're not just a product. We're about that reminder to take time, take a moment to
03:44breathe, right? Like you said, there's a lot of anxiety, a lot of uncertainty that's happening around
03:50us. So in this case, with Nova Essence leaning on our community, it's like crowdfunding is an aspect where
03:56we're preparing for any type of cost increases. So that way, while we're leaning on our village,
04:03if we raise funds or when we raise funds, that money can be used so we don't have to impact our
04:08consumer. Meaning that where we're sourcing our supplies from, those extra funds coming in
04:14can help with restocking where we can keep our actual product price at the same level and not have
04:20to increase it based off of the current environment. And then the other flip end of observing and
04:26waiting, right? So I feel like right now, as we're preparing, we're also observing. We're looking to see
04:32and not acting emotionally to say, okay, well, all of this is coming. Supplies are going to increase.
04:38Oh my gosh, like we already went through inflation. So this is the expectation that I've already had in
04:43my mind. And strategically, I'm like, okay, let's not respond emotionally. Let's observe, see what's
04:48happening right now with policy. Things can always change for the better, right? So there's all of
04:54that hope in the back of my mind. But in the event of these are the steps I'm doing. So the customer
04:59and the consumer, my clients are the last person impacted. We'll get back to that consumer impact,
05:06but I want to talk more about where you source from. As I noted at the top of the conversation,
05:11there are dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens of countries that are the recipients of
05:18these reciprocal tariffs. And in conversations I've been having with sources, it's been a lot
05:23of talk about Vietnam, Cambodia, China, right? Countries that help provide a lot of consumer goods
05:29to the U.S. Where are you specifically sourcing from? Is there one or two countries that you are
05:36looking at and whose tariffs, tariff rates you are most concerned by?
05:41China. China. I feel like China at this point in time, that's where I supply most of my candle jars,
05:49like the candle wicks and everything. All of those, like my new details when it comes to like
05:55making a candle, I'm sourcing that from China right now. And being the fact that the international
06:01cost per unit when it comes to the jars versus U.S. price is a very big difference. And just to give you
06:07some metrics like, for example, I'm just going to go back a little timeline. So in 2020, when I first
06:14started, a pack of 12 candle jars for my supplier in China was about $15, right? $15 to $18. We fast
06:21forward 2020, great inflation and everything goes up. Expectation is that, okay, it went from the same
06:27pack of 12 glass jars going from $15 to $18 to now $21. Now, 2025, here we are with tariffs and everything
06:36adding on. The fear is that the price of the same pack of 12 candles, and this is just a seven ounce
06:45candle jar, it's going to go from that $18 point price point to now a $25, $30 price point. And that's
06:51only just 12 candles, right? My typical restock supply for like the inventory and demand that I get
06:59is between throwing in 50 candles a month. So imagine having to do like the increase in price
07:06between $18 for a pack of 12, and that's just for a set of candles, and then doubling that to then
07:11create 50 of those. And just to compare, like, that's the China supplier price. When I look at like
07:19Nixki or Candle Science and how much they charge for like a single candle vessel being like $12,
07:25that's already mind blowing to me, because now I'm like, okay, when I think about the strategy
07:30in the event that these tariffs hits China's really hard, and the price of those goes up,
07:35what is my next strategy to see what other suppliers there are in US, right in the US?
07:42And either way, it does work out some more expensive US based supplies, makes a pack of 12,
07:50the same pack of 12 that I was talking about is $67, right? Compared to me planning a pack of 12
07:58right now at $21, right? So that's just something getting an idea of like how the tariffs will impact
08:03the supplier from China. And then if I would have to then think about going into US, how much more
08:10like that would cost me.
08:12So you're looking at from that $15, almost a more than 4x increase if you were to go with an
08:20American supplier, which part of the thesis behind these tariffs is bringing jobs and manufacturing back
08:25to the US. Or it sounds like on the upper end of the tariff math on from your Chinese supplier with
08:33with those tariffs, that would be 2x. So it's a huge increase either way that you're staring at,
08:40but the lesser of two evils would technically then be to stay with the Chinese supplier.
08:46Exactly. And then another concern is like, okay, there's a cost, but then there's also shipments,
08:52timing, delays, and all of that happening. And to give you a real life example, I had an event this
08:58past weekend, I put an order in for my supplies. It was like one last minute order, but it was in
09:05advance where I usually get for like two days or so. My orders didn't come in time. So I didn't have
09:10any supplies like to restock one of my specific candle scents for my pop-up shop that happened this
09:15past Saturday. And it was a little disheartening because I was excited to like make the candles and
09:21have that offering for the crowd that I was going to vent at. But because of the delays and the timing
09:27of everything, I was like, okay, it's just something that I'm going to also have to factor in when it's time
09:31for me to restock how much time in advance I would have to put these orders in. Yeah.
09:36And I'm sure that I don't want to put words in your mouth. But given the founding date of your
09:41company, I imagine this is not the first time you've had to navigate supply chain issues. So
09:47was there anything you learned during 2020 2021 when everyone was talking about toilet paper and
09:54supply chains that has been useful in this moment? Or does this moment feel entirely different to you?
09:59This moment feels entirely different. I think the difference, the biggest difference is like it's
10:05happening all at once. Like I feel like before and then also bringing it back to like when I started
10:10my business in 2020, I didn't have the same demand and like services and products that I offer now.
10:17So being that we've grown from where we were to where we are, there's more demand, there's more
10:21products. That is a real concern where I'm like, okay, delays is not the same how it was back in
10:292020 with this toilet paper not being on the shelf or not having any like supplies that way. So it's
10:34definitely a different scenario, I would say, in this case, when it comes to tariffs and supply chain
10:41logistics, all the above. Yes.
10:44So you are crowdfunding in an attempt to not pass that cost on to the consumer. So are you
10:49in your head committed to not putting any additional cost on the consumer? Or is it going to be a little
10:55bit here a little bit there to make up the revenue?
10:59Right now, very much committed to not passing the cost on to the consumers, because me
11:04personally, I as a consumer, especially when it comes to groceries, look at the price of eggs, right? You
11:10know, needed to buy eggs, and then think about the suppliers where they're getting in what's going on in
11:17that space. And like how much the increase in eggs, I don't want to be the person where my price is already at a
11:22standpoint of 20 plus, and then having to add on to that and then losing clients because they're like,
11:28oh, they have to choose between a crate of eggs at $12 and a moment of self care at $20, right? So
11:36typically, right now, it's between crowdfunding, and strategizing partnerships in my local community,
11:42whether it's other small businesses where we can start sharing costs, right? If it's some other person in
11:48in the wellness community that I have a network in partnership with, any event that I have any party
11:54favor service I have figuring out ways to basically share the wealth, or share the costs in this in
12:01this case, so that way, the consumer is a last person impacted like it, it would have to be a very
12:07dire need in order for me to like adjust my price to impact the consumer. It's to the point that I'm
12:13like literally willing and able to give like free shipping for people just to get give people a
12:20break. I think we're in a time, like you said, anxiety, all this uncertainty, but we're also in
12:25a time where people just need a break. There's been so much happening so quickly. And if I can give
12:31people a break by not changing the prices and giving free shipping, that will be awesome.
12:35Among the founders and entrepreneurs and small business owners that you talk to,
12:41do you think your perspective is the standard? Is this an approach that others are taking? Or
12:47are you zigging where others are zagging?
12:50So my perspective I found out recently is not what other people's perspective is when it like this whole
12:58concept of it takes a village. Usually the primary answer when I asked about like other businesses,
13:05they're like, they're just going to have to adjust their price. They're going to have to figure out
13:08a new supplier. And it all leads back to eventually impacting the consumer, right? I'm taking a
13:15different standpoint of like, how can we avoid that impact of the consumer? What other ways our
13:19partnerships and leveraging our network can we use in order to not impact the consumer? And as small
13:26businesses, I think it's really important for us to come together instead of be apart, you know,
13:30stronger together than apart. And that way we can strategize to say, okay, I'm a candle maker,
13:37and I do wellness events and workshops. And I have a partner, partner in studio, for example,
13:42like Killer Body Fitness. They're a unique boutique, unique all women's gym, right? So coming together
13:49and joining forces with them to say, okay, I'm having an event. Usually it takes about X, Y, and Z amount,
13:56like $500 for a venue. But being that I have a personal network with the owner of that gym,
14:03she's not doing it for $500. She's like, she envisions the same vision I have. She's also trying
14:08to give that same relief to people that I am as well. So we come to meeting of the minds and we're
14:14like, okay, what's an average way we can decrease this cost and coming to an agreement of $200, right?
14:20Same thing with the mobile candle cafe of trying to find some place to park the van that I'm
14:27purchasing for my mobile candle bar. Same owner of the same studio, I was looking for a parking space
14:34for it. These parking spaces are very expensive. Found out $450 a month to $500, $600 a month.
14:42Gave her the spiel of Nova Essence and my business and what I'm trying to do. And she had the same
14:46reaction instead of charging $300. She gave me $100 discount just in the belief of what we're aiming
14:52towards together. So that's just saying like it takes the village community building and stronger
14:58together. That's an important mindset in any moment of trouble, but I think especially now.
15:04And I'm wondering, you are a female founder, you have what I imagine is a predominantly female clientele.
15:11Do you feel like female founders and female consumers are being disproportionately impacted
15:17in this moment? Well, yes, I do. If you think about the fact that there's
15:25not that many female owned businesses already, you know, like that's something that like female
15:30owned small businesses. So that's something that is already disadvantaged. So then you take that piece
15:36of it all and then you're put in this environment of tariffs and having struggles of funding your
15:42business. Like funding businesses is always a main topic of like entrepreneurs in their mind, right? Like
15:48how are they funding their business? Are they bootstrapping? Are they reaching out for help?
15:52Are they getting investors? So definitely, I feel like in the female entrepreneurship community,
15:57I have seen in other parts of my network that people are, you know, they're re strategizing,
16:04they're readjusting for the fact that they're unsure of what's the future is going to hold for
16:10their business because of like, the struggles they're already seeing the decrease in their
16:14clients because of the current environment that we're living in. So it's going to be an adjustment
16:19factor, I feel for female entrepreneurs and female owned businesses. But this is just the beginning.
16:26This is just another challenge to overcome. And that's something that I keep in my mind, like,
16:31this is one other challenge that will be an obstacle overcome. And there will be another
16:36story to tell for another. That is a refreshing perspective in a moment when a lot of the interviews
16:43I've been doing have included the words catastrophe, and terrible and anxiety, which I've used here.
16:50But Alyssa, before I let you go, I do have to ask, is there anything else you would like to share
16:55with the Forbes audience about your perspective as a small business owner in a moment when global
17:01tariffs are about to take hold? Yes, my favorite quote, where there's a will, there's a way,
17:09nothing is impossible to a willing mind. So that is something that I stay true to in my business
17:14practices, my professional, professional practices and personal practices, like life itself,
17:21that this is another challenge to overcome another obstacle. And if you are willing and able,
17:26and you know, for like, you believe enough in yourself, and what it is that you're doing,
17:32you're going to be able to push through this. Alyssa Chambers, founder and CEO of Nova Essence IO.
17:39Thank you so much for joining Forbes and talking to us about your experience. We really appreciate your time.
17:45Thank you so much, Maggie, and it was a pleasure speaking to you all.
17:57Thank you so much, Maggie, and it was a pleasure speaking to you all.