Today we’d like to introduce you to Amara and Bukola Aigbedion.
Amara and Bukola, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My (Amara) love for DIY projects and teaching arts and crafts came to a head in 2017, while unable to return home to Houston during Hurricane Harvey, I happened to be visiting a good friend in Baltimore for her wedding shower. Stuck in my friend’s guest bedroom for a couple of weeks, I decided to help her and her (now) husband make all the wedding favors for their guest list. We held the first Love & Make trial workshop one evening with a few other friends/couples who came by to help. I had an amazing time teaching my friends how to hand-craft over 250 personalized candle favors. I watched how the couples bonded with each other and told stories of how they met. In the end, we all had a fun, intimate, and rewarding experience.
As soon as I got back home to Houston, I relayed the experience to my sister-in-law and co-founder, Bukola Aigbedion and asked her to partner with me. Bukola has a strong business mindset and, a passion for aesthetics and creating memorable experiences via parties and events. Over the course of several months, we put our heads together, held more trial workshops and honed our skills and eventually launched Love & Make.
Has it been a smooth road?
The biggest struggle for us has been figuring out how to balance a new business venture with our family life, friendships, and 9-5 careers. We are both professionals outside of Love & Make. Bukola is a pharmacist with three children while I am a software sales manager and health enthusiast. We found that as entrepreneurs we truly get no days off. During the week after performing at our day jobs, you can find us working late on branding and perfecting our workshops. On weekends, we are traveling to mobile events or teaching in the workshop. Work-life balance is difficult sometimes but we are happy to have a family that supports us 100%.
Having a strong business partner/team is also important. As co-founders, our strengths, skills and natural talents compliment each other. Even though Bukola and I were friends before starting the business, being business partners is a lot like marriage, we had to learn each other tastes, temperament and how to compromise in order to create a brand/business we are both proud of.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Love & Make DIY Workshops – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Love & Make is a new Houston-based, DIY inspired start-up founded by sisters-by-marriage, Amara & Bukola Aigbedion.
We offer the chance to step outside-of-the-box and make something unique and memorable with your friends & colleagues! Each guest will have a fun, creative experience and leave with a wonderful “smell” on their face!
Currently, we specialize in candle making workshops but will launch our bath bomb, soap, and jewelry making classes by late 2018. All are welcome to come and enjoy an exciting and comfortable environment for celebrations (birthdays/showers/etc.), for fellowship/networking, or just to make a gift that is unique, personal, and smells amazing!
Our workshops will be open to the public on the weekends at our new workshop located in the charming area of Rice Village. However, we are happy to host private events and parties throughout the week.
Love & Make is also mobile! We will happily travel to your location anywhere in Houston, or its surrounding areas.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
We love the diversity of Houston. It’s one of the best cities for trying new things, food and music. We found that our workshops appeal to a wide variety of diverse backgrounds.
We also love the culture and vibe of Texas. Houstonians care about each other and really do have southern hospitality. Also, with the natural disasters that have affected the city in the past, there is a sense of camaraderie here.
We dislike how spread out the city is considering we have minimal public transportation options. It can sometimes take over an hour to get from one place to another.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6136 Village Parkway Houston
Houston, TX 77005 - Website: www.loveandmake.com
- Phone: 832-743-5210
- Email: info@loveandmake.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/love_and_make/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveandmake1/
Image Credit:
The 6 professional looking pictures are by Janice Shin (from janiceshinphotography.co). The other 3 pictures (with the three couples, three ladies and the hand holding a candle) are by us, Love & Make.
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
