Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessica Chambliss. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jessica, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Being a boss is NOT for the weak! There are so many factors that play a significant role in your success that you really don’t have much control over. You can “do everything right” and then the sky opens up and rains all over your tent! (We spend a lot of time selling our products at different farmers markets around the city.) The weather is the real boss!! Crazy winds tend to blow everything away…causing products to break. The blazing sun in the valley causes products to melt. Those perfect 73 degrees, calm, chill days are literal gifts from God! With all the rain just easing up over our beloved city, I must say, my sales have taken a tumble. This panel discussion couldn’t have come at a better time. Business ownership is so rewarding but so difficult to do with no loans, angel investors or grants. I have quite literally pulled myself up “by my bootstraps” and funded this entire venture alone. I look back at all my hard work and am so proud of what we’ve accomplished. Working a regular job was a miserable existence. While it provides set stability, it also comes with a ceiling. Unless you’re in sales, you’ll receive the same amount of money every time you’re paid. There’s magic in never knowing what the weeks sales will bring! Its uncertain. but so very rewarding!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Nova Sage, LLC is a black, queer, woman owned holistic wellness company. As a black woman working in the business of holistic health, it is my number one priority to work within and support my beloved community. So many older black people are skeptical of navigating holistic, healthy alternatives, while the western medical system continues to rapidly fail them. It is my goal to continue demystifying unconventional health practices in my community.

Just 3 years from obtaining my LLC, we’re now located in 2 physical stores, we’ve participated in over 200 different markets/pop-ups and we’ve sold over 200k in products online! Our growth is gradual and extremely fulfilling!

We use the mineral-rich all mighty sea moss to power our skin and hair care. Sea moss acts as a vegan collagen on the skin. It also helps fight inflammation, combat hyperpigmentation and soothe minor skin irritations. Because it is so rich in iron, it assists the user with hair loss. Our creams and butters are naturally preserved and stored in glass jars, promising an extremely fresh product.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My partner (in love and business) and I have known each other for over 25 years. We have about 60 years of friendship between our families. Our grandparents were best friends, our parents were best friends and our aunts were best friends. We started casually dating in 2019. She ended up moving to LA but had a pretty uncomfortable living situation at the time. This led me to invite her to live with me! Then BOOM! Covid happened and we were stuck in the house like everyone else. During this time, we named our apartment the “incubation station”. lol We started experimenting with new skincare recipes and ideas. In 2014, while living in Atlanta, I started making medicinal creams for hair growth and minor skin irritations. However, during covid, my genius partner suggested we add sea moss to the recipe and our incredible business was born!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

For the 2.5 years, I have been funding my business independently. Almost 100% of the proceeds are funneled back into production costs keeping our small business afloat. While this sort of independence has been fortifying, we’ve found ourselves on a financial hamster wheel; working tirelessly in circles without much forward movement. In order to ramp up our production, I need to hire more employees. We need to move our production from my home into a commercial kitchen, and we need a budget to begin marketing and advertising our products online. Given our financial situation, I’m unable to scale my business in the aforementioned ways while also maintaining the costs associated with our current production volume . Our business made about 140k last year with hardly any online presence, no marketing, and no advertisement. Imagine what we could do with this small business grant!
We have yet to receive funding. I am doing it alone but I know things will change in no time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://novasagellc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novasagellc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/novasagellc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-chambliss-56701457/