Self Care Co.

Tomorrow I step away from my business for the first time in 9 years. Am I scared? Of course.

Since 2017, this business has been such a huge part of who I am. It’s been my purpose, my passion and, at times, my entire identity.

But I also know how incredibly lucky I am to have a team I trust completely to look after my precious baby while I take some time away.

The truth is, I couldn’t keep showing up every day feeling anxious, overwhelmed and unable to be in the studio without having a panic attack. So, for the first time in a very long time, I’m choosing me.

I don’t know exactly what the next month will bring, but I do know this: I can’t wait to find myself again.

Thank you for being here. I’ll see you on the other side. 💛

I’m taking one month off from my business to find myself again.

Over the last few years my body has shown me symptoms that I quietly ignored. My nervous system has been in a constant state of fight or flight. There are moments where I feel peace, but my body has been telling me to stop for a while now.

I have missed best friends weddings, family birthdays, and precious moments with my wife and friends - all because I pushed myself too hard and didn’t take time to rest.

The biggest problem with running a business is that the stop button doesn’t really feel like it can be pressed unless there’s an emergency. I don’t want to wait for an emergency to pause and put my health first.

How did I get here? Years of overworking to distract myself and cope with traumatic events in my life. Unfortunately, overworking doesn’t process trauma - it just represses it, until it screams to be heard.

Will SCC stop? No - the studio will still be open 💛 One of the best things to happen to Self Care Co. is meeting Benjamin, who is now our studio manager. He’ll be looking after online orders, wholesale, and our pop-up shop while I’m away. We are immensely lucky to have a team who seamlessly hand-craft hundreds and thousands of candles throughout the year.

A wise soul once told me to rest, don’t quit. And that’s what I’m doing.

I’m feeling so grateful, and aware of my privilege to take this time for my health. It wasn’t a decision I took lightly - but the risk of not taking it felt far greater than the risk of taking it.

I’m hoping these few precious weeks of silence and healing bring me back to myself. I know I’m strong, and able to thrive as a business owner - I’ll see you on the other side. Thank you all so much for allowing me to do what I love and for being there every step of the way.

Until then, thank you so, so much for your support. Online orders mean more than ever right now, and my wonderful team will be holding down the studio while I’m away 🙏💪

If you’re struggling too - please don’t suffer in silence. Reach out to someone, anyone. A friend, a family member, a professional. You are not alone in this, and you deserve so much support 💛

9 years!!!! How did that happen?

So many highs, so many lows, so many moments where I questioned if I was mentally strong enough to run this business. So many moments I wanted to give up. So many times I wanted to build a global movement and shout from the rooftops about how much I want to de-stigmatise mental illness.

This business has been by my side through the most mentally unwell I have ever been - and all the way to now, the healthiest version of myself. 4 years alcohol free and each day finding a way towards hope.

I could not have done any of this without every single one of you reading this. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you for giving me my life back. Thank you for believing in me when I didn’t. Thank you for the confidence, the hope, the faith. Thank you for your messages over the years in some of my darkest moments.

I love that we are creating light in the physical form of candles - but also together, here, in this online community.

Thank you so much for your support, it means everything.

The future feels light. I hope that altogether we can slow down, connect with each other more in person, and keep spreading kindness for many more years to come.

Love,

Nicole # # #

I have always dreamt of creating a terracotta candle. This trip made it so real..

The rosemary on the hillside, the lemon tree in the intense heat, the way the light in our bedroom moved slow across terracotta in the afternoon. The kind of stillness that reminds you of who you are.

Two scents. Day and night. Hand crafted by our small team of candle-makers and hand thrown to perfection by my incredibly talented friend .ou.nd 🫶

Only 111 units through the Summer months ahead.

We’re still finalising and perfecting the blends - we won’t rush this beautiful process - but they’re nearly there and we cannot wait to share them with you.

The waitlist is opening very soon - we’d love for you to be part of it. These will go quickly 🌿

Keep your eyes on this space. More very soon 🌙

Lots of love,

Nicole x

A few years ago, I made the decision to move my business out of London and closer to home in Somerset. My studio is now a 60 second walk away - if I squint hard enough, I can literally see our production room from my bedroom window.

Leaving London after 7 years was one of the best decisions I’ve made for both my life and my business. It’s now been 2 years since we made the move to the countryside and, ironically, the slower pace I thought I was searching for never quite arrived. Instead, we’ve been busier, more in demand, and growing faster than ever before.

I still remember the day the van arrived from London packed with all of our candle making equipment. I had just said goodbye to my London team and suddenly it was only me, standing in this huge empty studio in Somerset, trying to carry the weight of the business I’d built from my tiny kitchen years before.

The overwhelm hit hard.

I sat alone with my head in my hands in one of the empty rooms feeling grateful, exhausted, terrified and completely unsure of what was to come next.

Fast forward 2 years and we now have a dream team of 10 freelancers, and the most successful two years we’ve had since launching the business 9 years ago.

From the outside, moving here changed everything for the better. And it did. But personally, I’ve realised success doesn’t automatically create peace. That’s something you have to intentionally build too.

So this year, we’re focusing on slowing down properly. Perfecting our craft. More in person marketing. Less time online, more human connection. Less noise, more community.

Building something that feels good, not just looks good from the outside.

Community: I would love to know in the comments, how are you doing? How long have you been following? What would you like to see on here moving forward? 💛

Stay tuned 🤝

Love,
Nicole

💛

This time last year, I was being assessed for autism and ADHD..

For years, something didn’t quite click, at school, in my personal life, and even in my business. Everything just felt… harder than it seemed for everyone else, and I couldn’t understand why.

I was bullied throughout high school. For five years.
To the point I had to be moved to the other side of the school, just for being different.
I didn’t understand it at the time.
I just knew I didn’t fit.

At 33, I was diagnosed and suddenly, everything made sense.

Everything I thought was “wrong” with me… wasn’t wrong at all.
My brain just works differently.
For a long time, I believed that difference meant I wouldn’t succeed.

I was wrong.
You can succeed. You can build something. You are able enough, even when your brain tells you otherwise.
And that’s why this matters to me.

I want to walk into schools and be the person I never saw.
To show neurodivergent girls and women what’s possible.

To remind them they don’t have to shrink to fit in.
And to encourage more women to build businesses in a way that actually works for them.

Because I didn’t see this at careers day.

If you work in a school, college or university, I’d love to speak to you 💛

Hey, my name is Nicole 💛

9 years ago I was jobless, struggling with severe anxiety, and barely leaving my house.

I started making candles in my tiny kitchen just to get through the day and distract myself from intrusive thoughts and panic attacks.

It was the only thing that made me feel calm when everything felt like it was falling apart.

I started this page to document my mental health…
and it slowly turned into a mood boosting candle business built on helping others feel less alone.

I’m 33 now, and still on the journey - just with more tools in my pocket.

If you’re struggling, you’re not alone in it, you are so deeply loved - please give yourself a big hug if you are reading this 🫂

Thank you for being here on the journey with me - this year we are heading into our 9th year of business, so it’s feeling extra special 💛

Come and say hey in the comments and let me know how long you have been following for 🥹

Lots of love,
Nicole # # #

Photo by my lovely friend 🙏

I find it so hard to share my private life on here these days. A huge part of me wants to preserve and protect everything I have because it feels so precious. Especially my little family. My wife and dogs are my world… but the truth is, this business wouldn’t be here without them - their unconditional love is what gets me through the really tough days.

Running a business whilst navigating marriage, a new diagnosis of autism/ adhd, recovering from chronic fatigue and balancing humongous business growth has been incredibly challenging over the last few years.

Shout out to my kind, highly emotionally intelligent, incredible team who are making so much magic possible behind closed doors.

My biggest lesson is that fundamentally what matters most is:
Health
Family and loved ones
Building my dream

For many years my priorities were backwards and I had to learn from some incredibly huge lessons.

Life is going so fast right now - I’m on a mission to slow it down. In business and in my personal life.

Anyway I just wanted to share some realness - it’s so easy to look at people’s lives and think it’s all glossy, but everyone has a story behind closed doors.

Thank you eternally for the support you give us, we have so much exciting stuff coming this year!

Watch this space,

Love,
Nicole