Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Donna Cleary, a herbalist, based in Brooklyn, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I'm a Herbalist and run my own Plant-Based Healing/Herbalism shop in Brooklyn, NY. My neighborhood is diverse, with a large Caribbean population who grew up using herbs as medicine. There is also a large population of folks, including Millenials, disenfranchised with Big Pharma and who are curious about using herbs for their health.

Tell us about yourself

When I first graduated from college with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a board-certified Registered Nurse, I worked in a Harvard-affiliated hospital in Boston for 13 years. I spend 3 years on an acute medical floor and 10 years working in clinical research. I loved the work, the patients, and the knowledge, but I didn't feel it was my calling. When I was given the opportunity, I became an at-home mom. I also started studying art, focusing more and more on it as the kids grew. I eventually went back to school for my Master's in Fine Art, graduating in 2014.

In 2017, I was awarded a residency in Ireland. I had been curious about Herbalism and did a search online about Irish Herbalism. That's when I discovered that both sides of my family belonged to families of Herbalists who ran their own Herbal Medical Schools during the middle ages. A light bulb went on, and I threw myself into Herbalism, studying for 3 years before starting my own business. I've had my own Herbalism business for 5 years, moving to Brooklyn in 2021.

I absolutely love what I do. I love being able to guide people toward health. I love creating and making my own tinctures, salves, teas, etc. - blending herbs and knowledge with a big dose of reiki healing. I love educating people. I love being my own boss and managing my employees. It's definitely work, but it's the kind of work I look forward to doing.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Surviving COVID. At the time, I had moved to a small shop in Soho, Manhattan, with some friends who ran other businesses, dividing the space between us. That was October 2019. Five months later, the city went into lockdown, and NYC was closed for 3 months. My cohorts did not want to return after the lockdown, so I took over for 6 months. But the location we had chosen and COVID meant that there was little to no business.

So I pivoted and started focusing more on my online presence and was able to sustain the business. I closed the shop at the beginning of 2021 and worked exclusively online for 6 months until I found my new shop in Brooklyn. I am now able to walk to work and have the entire space to myself. I love my community, and they love my shop. It's funny how things work out.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

That everything depends on you. It's both a positive and a negative. Your success, if you get paid, and whether you're able to sustain yourself in a city like New York is completely your responsibility. I think about or am working on my business 24/7. It's an obsession. The good news is that I love everything about what I do, and it doesn't usually feel like work. (Unless I'm still up at midnight making my tinctures, salves, teas, elixirs, etc., for the shop. Which happens sometimes.)

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Make sure you love what you're doing because you can never truly step away when you're a solopreneur.
  2. Find a niche and be informed. Become an expert, and people will find you.
  3. Stick with it. There will be highs and lows, times when you're on top of the world, and times when you worry about your next paycheck. If it were easy, everyone would do it. It's not easy, but if you find something you love to do, it's worth holding onto.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website:
https://www.spiralherbalremedies.com/
https://www.donnacleary.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donna.t.cleary/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnaclearyartandherbalism/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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