We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sekoiya Burroughs a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sekoiya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I would say that my Mama had the biggest impact on me growing up. There was no one else that I wanted to be like. She was a hard worker, yet still made time for my brother, sister & myself. Not only that, but she made time for herself. I don’t remember a day she didn’t look her best. My great grandma would call her America’s Next Top Model, & that’s exactly how I saw her too. My Mama wasn’t a person to talk about her feelings. Her love & care always showed in her aura, teachings, smile, butterfly kisses, sing along car rides, gifts, home cooked meals & cakes. My mom was a boss, mom, giver, the best cook, fashionista & she didn’t change based on the rooms she walked in. She was always the same. She had a quiet yet strong confidence about her. She knew who she was.

My Dad also had a quiet yet strong confidence about him. I remember that proud feeling of being able to go to the barbershop that he owned. He was a businessman through & through. I appreciate the moments he took me fishing, hunting & cooking for me, which I thought at the time was his weird food. I remember him telling me how the grocery store meat was no good & unwrapping his fresh meat from the butcher. To look at him, you would think he was the meanest person, but he was just a laid back, no games type of guy. He was so easy to talk to. My grandma would sometimes tell me, you’re just like your Dad, so serious & no sense of humor. But ironically, one of my favorite things about my Dad was his laugh.

At 30 I realize just how much my Mama & Dad have impacted me in life. They were some of my greatest examples that hard work pays off. They both have shown that being yourself is the best way to live. Because of them, I know how to handle my business, give back to others, cook for myself & family & to stay true to myself no matter what room I walk in. I also carry their quiet yet strong confidence. I know how to be kind without being a pushover, because of their firmness. My Mama taught me everything a girl needs to know, along with etiquette, hospitality & self-care. My Dad taught me it’s okay for a girl to get dirty, catch her own food & have patience. At 30 all of these aspects have made me into the woman, wife, & wellness entrepreneur that I am today. And one day, I look forward to holding one of their greatest titles as a parent.

Sekoiya, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I consider myself a Jane of all trades. But, I have always enjoyed being in a kitchen & helping others in any way that I can. I ended up in health & wellness from my own personal challenges with allergies, painful & irregular menstrual cycles, headaches, etc. I started with changing my diet, then I began to learn about sea moss & herbs. Certain herbs like sea moss, nettle leaf & elderberry were things where I noticed an almost immediate difference in my body when taking them. The more I learned the more I wanted to share with other people who might have the same problems. I became a trusted source for my family & friends & began to make my wellness products for sale. My motto is know your ingredients. I stand by premium, best quality & minimum ingredients in all of my products. I now offer a range of natural products from wildcrafted sea moss gel, organic elderberry syrup, non-toxic body butters, & wholesome recipes. I believe that health & wellness are everything & that it’s a lifestyle. So it applies to everything from what you eat, drink, put on your skin, hair, your clothing, etc.

What sets me apart from others is my commitment to simplicity. My attention to detail, caring for the wellness of others as I do for myself. I don’t want to add fruit to sea moss to make it tasty for others, I don’t want to add fragrance to make you smell like candy. I want to give you the minimum ingredients at top quality that will get the job done without the side effects of hormonal imbalance, eczema, or things of the such. I create out of simplicity, intention & wellness.

I’m a wellness enthusiast passionate about making healthy living simple.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to learn that everything does not work for everybody. When I was first getting into things I was heavy into the vegan alkaline lifestyle. Though that may work for many I felt as though it was high stress for me. I believe the best route when improving your health is to just listen to your body. Eliminate as you see fit for yourself. As I stated before just “know your ingredients.”

I can personally say that I was on & off with eating habits just because of how strict I was being on myself, yet still not seeing all the results that I wanted. It wasn’t until I kept a food diary for 30 days & really listened to my body & what actually affected it food wise that I really started to improve & regulate my hormones.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Yes, if I could go back I absolutely would choose the same profession. Because it is simply what I enjoy doing and the joy of hearing how it has helped others. Knowing that I can be a person my family & friends can count on when it comes to wellness really brings me comfort. Health is indeed wealth!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sekoiyaskitchen.org
• Instagram: sekoiyalyprincess
• Facebook: Sekoiya Burroughs
• Youtube: sekoiyalyprincess

Image Credits
Sekoiya Burroughs