Forged vs. Fostered
The story of how one couple used their history to create their future
Born and raised in Brazil, Pasquale Di Sessa found joy in the outdoors. From surfing to playing sports, being outside was ideal. His Italian grandmother, Agnese, helped shape his experiences into memories by imparting her wisdom about food and nature throughout his childhood.
“Surfing taught me to respect nature and test my limits.”
Quite a bit north, Nicola Di Sessa lived a childhood colored by the arts and refined by her father. Her suburban Long Island childhood was marked by her fascination with music, art, and, with her proximity to the Big City, fashion. She views her father, Joe, as the cornerstone to the life she strives for and lives now, citing him as her model of commitment to wholesome living.
“[I] was influenced by [my] father’s disciplined and health-conscious lifestyle.”
Pasquale moved to the States in 2016 and quickly began to realize the lack of access he had to products that reflected his love of nature and its ingredients. During the dog days of Covid, Pasquale and Nicola’s worlds collided and they began their journey of building their family, and turning their passion project into a family business. Pasquale imitated the experimentation he observed his grandmother use in the kitchen and began making soap for him, Nicola, and their son. Soon this hobby turned into tallow balms and tallow hair clays and what we now know today as Earth Wave.
“We wanted clean, trustworthy products for our family. When we saw how hard they were to find, especially without synthetic fragrances, we started making our own.”
As the Di Sessas continued to hone their craft, they relied on their varied backgrounds to fuel their family and business initiatives. Nicola credits her father’s example throughout her upbringing for her commitment to choosing an active and mindful life. His habits and discipline have motivated her to become a yoga teacher and make healthy decisions for her home and family. Whereas Pasquale’s path to a simpler life stems back to the practices of his grandmother. Pasquale naturally absorbed the way his grandmother cooked and cherished nature during his childhood. Her lifestyle did not seem unconventional at the time, but the way she lived instilled in him a deep respect for nature and how it can provide for us.
“Pasquale also draws deep inspiration from his grandmother—her resilience, discipline, and connection to natural living left a lasting impact on our values and the way we run our business.”
With backgrounds in marketing, advertising, and fashion, the couple blended their learned skills with the habits they gleaned from their childhoods to meet the gaps they saw in the food and beauty industry. Today, they both attribute their passions and spirit to their faith, and they identify the moment they became parents as the accelerator of their faith and purpose. Pasquale says, “Becoming a father shifted me spiritually” and Nicola agrees that “...the experience of becoming a mother deeply shaped [her] path.” Together they combined their faith, work experience, and new love of creating tallow based products to provide self-care products for their family and eventually all of their customers at Earth Wave.
“Through every challenge, we lean on our faith and seek information in areas we’re still learning.”
Earth Wave is not just a passion-project turned family business, but it is a reflection of the values and priorities of the Di Sessa family. The Di Sessas are shaped by their vastly different upbringings in separate countries, and together they blend their pasts to create the life they want now for themselves, their son, and their soon-to-be-here baby. From surfing and yoga to gardening and baking, the Di Sessas prioritize nature and movement in all that they do. Nicola says, “Meeting Pasquale brought our shared values to life.”
“Earth represents being grounded and connected to nature. Wave reflects our goal to create a movement.”
Now, they strive to continue to learn and grow personally while simultaneously strengthening and enhancing their business. Their personal goals and business ambitions are simple and aligned: “Grow Earth Wave sustainably, serve more people, and build a strong, trusting community rooted in good values.”
Pasquale was raised on the ocean and food made lovingly with whole ingredients. Nicola watched her dad’s daily devotion to being the best version of himself through his lifestyle and habits. The way we choose to live can be naturally engrained in us or forged through the choices we make. Some of us have grown up with Cheeto hating moms and others of us still cook with Pam (no hate 😉). But whether you have been a ‘crunchy’ or you are just reading this for fun, it is never too late to learn, take action, and create a fuller life through the way we eat, move, communicate, and care for ourselves and others. It doesn’t matter where we are, what we are used to, or how we are raised- we all have the opportunity today to make intentional decisions that honor our bodies and give us fullness of life.
“It’s not just about products, it’s about honoring your body, simplifying life, and trusting nature [and God] to support your well-being.”
