Meet Seida Abate | Founder of Njolie & Co.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Seida Abate and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Seida, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My work life balance has changed drastically over time. I am a new mom of an almost 2 year old so naturally I have had to quickly learn how to manage my time and allocate it to different areas of my life. It has strengthened me and my multitasking abilities. Managing a business and being a stay at home mom takes a lot of patience and time management. I think it is important to tend to all things, but also stop and give yourself grace to rest. I believe with everything in life, you must fill your cup first so that you may be able to show up for your loved ones and responsibilities fully charged. Once I prioritized my self care, everything around me started flourishing. That is what having a balance is for me. To strengthen your mind and body, use your foundation to build good habits, and utilize those good habits to build a better quality of life.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I created Njolie & Company about seven months before I launched the official website. Fragrance to me is a connection to some of our sweetest and dearest memories in life. Being able to recall details in those moments and bring them to life is what having a candle is all about. I thought why not curate luxurious scents that I adore and share them with others so that they may be able to attach a special moment in time to them. There is power in emotion and I use that as inspiration for each scent I have created thus far. Cashmere and Palawan are my signature scents and belong to the Noir Collection. Cashmere reminds me of home with my mom and all the elders back where I am from in Ethiopia. It is popular in an Ethiopian household to burn bakhoor around the home and during coffee ceremonies. Cashmere much like bakhoor has deep earthy notes mixed with sweet and a nice base of smoked oud. Palawan on the other hand offers a much flirty and playful aroma that transports you to brunch with friends.

I also wanted to create a luxury item with sustainable values and although some may believe that sustainable luxury is a contradiction, I believe that they have the same qualities such as premium materials used to create a long lasting product. Our candles at Njolie & Co. do just that. We use a prime soy blend wax that is non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Our candle containers are recyclable and reusable and our packaging prioritizes biodegradable contents. We are always actively looking for a new way to incorporate sustainability throughout our journey.

I have just started my journey with Njolie but I am excited to see how far I am able to reach. I want to make an impact on peoples lives and that is what helps me overcome challenges and stay consistent. I have learned that with consistency, there is always progress. Whether that progress is small or large in scale, it is still a step in the right direction.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am new to Houston but being an adventurous soul, I have my eyes on a few places. I love deep diving into art so I would schedule for us to visit the museum of fine arts and maybe take a pottery class during the week.

Food is always at the top of the list of things to do so I would take my friend to restaurants like Bungalow Downtown where we can eat good and enjoy a rooftop view or speakeasy. Another good restaurant with great food is DAlba in the Houston Heights area. I love a good aesthetic especially when the food taste and quality matches.

Brunch and day partying is a must if you are going to visit Houston. Places like Tiny boxwoods offer good eats and scenery while Phil and dereks and Bisou provide good vibes and a great time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to shoutout my husband for supporting me throughout my journey thus far. I would also love to shoutout my daughter and my immediate family members for being my biggest motivators in this new chapter of my life. I do this for them all. Each person encourages me in different ways and inspire me to be a better wife, mom, sister, daughter every single day.

Website: NJOLIE.COM

Instagram: @NJOLIESCENTS

Facebook: NJOLIE & CO.

Image Credits
@Jx_photographyllc took shots of candle by water with mango and black candles side by side with brown leaves next to them.