Nova Essence Inside Out has provided self-care products and services since 2023, but the e-commerce business now has a mobile truck at its disposal.
Alyssa Chambers, the founder of the business, introduced Winnie’s Way Candle Cafe to the public on Sunday, Aug. 30, at Martin Bunky Reid Park.
“It was amazing,” she said. “Beautiful turnout for my first major event and lots of love and community vibes.”
Chambers called Nova Essence Inside Out a “self-care destination.” The company’s shop includes an assortment of candles, melts and butters. Nova also offers multiple variations of event services, which now include the mobile candle cafe to deliver these services.
Chambers was born in Queens and spent the majority of her childhood in Westbury. After graduating from the district’s high school, she attended Pace University to get her bachelor’s degree and then Mercy University for her master’s degree.
Chambers said her time as a resident assistant in college was where she learned the importance of community building.
“I’m very involved in my community and the church within Westbury,” she said.
After school, Chambers began working at Morgan Stanley. As an intern, she started developing Nova, which stands for “Natural Optimistic Vivacious Ambiance.” She said she designed the company’s website and began to learn how to operate her own business.
“It was a lot of a learning curve, but that’s actually something that I love to do,” she said. “I like to learn on the spot and just go in and see what happens and figure it out.”
Chambers said candles were not her initial focus for the business, but once the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down in 2020, she took on candle-making to pass the time.
It wasn’t until 2023 that the business took off after Chambers said she had fallen into a dark place.
“I like to say that my business is what saved me,” she said.
Chambers said she experienced a great deal of change during the pandemic and that she felt like she no longer had a support system around her. She said Nova’s success became a turning point for her.
The name of the mobile candle truck follows that same thought process as Winnie the Pooh was Chambers’ favorite character as a child.
“I saw Winnie the Pooh, and all the characters in the show have their own mental challenges, but when they’re all together, they find that safe space, and that’s really what Winnie’s Way Candle Cafe is supposed to be: a safe space for anyone,” she said.
As Nova Essence has grown, Chambers has been featured by CNN, MSNBC, CBS and The New York Times, and she even spoke with Forbes about how the United States’ tariffs have affected small businesses.
