Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Melissa Sandoval, Founder of Wethington Holistic Arts, located in Albuquerque, NM, USA.

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

Wethington Holistic Arts is a traditional healing arts micro-business in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Our work primarily focuses on plants as medicine, with all our products being handcrafted with love and healing intention. Our customers span across the generations, most of which have exhausted all mainstream routes for finding relief and are surprisingly just now seeking alternative and complementary possibilities. Our customers love us because we are open and share our gifts of knowledge that have been passed down from our ancestors and mentors.

Tell us about yourself

I grew up on a farm in Northwestern New Mexico, so working with the Earth is in my blood. It wasn't until I was in my 30s that I formally studied plant medicine and embraced my calling as a healer. Honestly, what motivates me is pretty cliché – I like to help people. It lifts my spirit when customers have come to me and said that they couldn't find anything to help them with their anxiety, eczema, etc., and that my product or recommendation is the only thing that has worked for them.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

It is still a work in progress, and always will be, but my biggest accomplishment as a business owner is starting to change the culture and thoughts behind using plants as medicine. By sharing my knowledge freely, without the expectation of receiving something in return, I have established trust in my community. I look at the work I do as complementary and love having a synergistic relationship with western medicine. So, when I'm presented with thoughtful questions, I know a mindset shift is occurring.

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

One of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner is not taking anything personally. Of course, it's easier said than done when you pour your blood, sweat, and tears into a business and, like me, you make each one of your products by hand. I don't think an entrepreneur can separate the self from the business. However, acceptance that a customer will purchase/use your product when they are truly ready to receive what you have to offer is valuable to a business owner's mental and emotional health.

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

  1. Find something that feeds the soul - Choose a business that is truly going to nurture your spirit and do something that you are passionate about. Your customers are going to see right through you if your heart is not in it.
  2. Focus on quality versus quantity – Whether it is quality in a product or your customer service, do it! Repeat customers come back based on how they are treated and/or how they feel using your product.
  3. Value your time and pay yourself – When you are doing something you love, it can be easy to not pay yourself. It can also be difficult to pay yourself a stipend if you are just getting started because you are investing in materials, rent, etc. YOU are your #1 asset, and you need to treat yourself as such.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.wethingtonarts.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wethington.Holistic.Arts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wethingtonholisticarts/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WethingtonArts
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wethington-holistic-arts-98a23b17a/

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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