Tressa Wright-Jones was enjoying a career at Augusta’s paper mill when she decided to take a year off. One year turned into three, and NFILA, which stands for Nuggets Found in Life’s Atlas, was born.
“I had a stint in the military a long time ago, and I worked out at the paper mill here for 14 years. In 2018, I decided to take a year off. I was also a single mother for the past 20 years, so I was just ready,” Wright-Jones said. “The nuggets found in life thing came through a conversation with a friend when I was thinking about what I wanted to do to help people. At first it was a podcast about life advice, and then I found a lily farm on Lumpkin Road. My idea was to buy it, open storage sheds all around the property with the products I carry in them, and the lily farm would’ve been there too.”
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While the lily farm didn’t work out, Wright-Jones said her main goal has always been the same: to help people become more self-sufficient — troubled young adults and the homeless, especially. With the revenue she gains from the shop, Wright-Jones aims to donate and work toward helping those causes.
“In the beginning, I can make charitable donations to organizations in town until I have the footing to start helping out in a more direct way, like a 501(c),” she said.
However, Wright-Jones is already helping one community in the area: local creators and artisans, where most of her products come from.
“There are so many people creating their own products in the area, and I wanted to help them get more exposure,” she said. “I wanted to get more local and avoid ordering out of town.”
Wright-Jones carries CBD products, crystals and other holistic remedies and products from nearly a dozen local vendors. Hand-made soaps, coffee from Stone Roastery, incense and more are some of the local products on offer.
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“I saw a need for people to understand and have access to natural remedies that heal our body,” Wright-Jones said. “We offer authentically-natural, ethically-sourced, handcrafted products from local vendors and artisans. All our products are geared towards a healthier way of living, through herbal remedies, crystal healing and the arts.”
Wright-Jones’ shop, which has been open since June 2021, is located at 1513 North Leg Rd. in Augusta. Visit the shop website to learn more.
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com.
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