We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Newsom recently and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Actually, this is funny…. When I was a stay at home mom with my kids used to garden, make soap, useful salves, pour candles, and wild harvest herbs. My house looked like an old cottage, with herbs hanging from the ceiling and the windows. I had bottles of all sorts of tonics and tinctures on shelves through the house, and soap for days maybe years. My husband would get off work daily and run into something physically. He would tell me that I needed to find a place for my items. I used to tell him that if I knew how all these herbs are useful and there were people like me that would be interested into the natural soaps lotions salves etc that I made. I just didn’t know how to start. My husband would then just walk away frustrated.
One day, he was washing dishes, and a bundle of peppermint fell on his head. He was so livid. He yelled for Mr to come to him from the other side of the house and gave me my last warning, “find something to do with these, or I will…”
Back then I knew I was on to something, but we were still new to the area, and I didn’t know where to go or what to do.
I went to my computer the only thing I could think of doing is to make a list of my herbs and the benefits that they have. After I finished the herbs, I moved to the tonics and tinctures talking about the the inspiration behind them. What the ingredients were, Any feedback I got from people. Then the salves, the lotions, soaps doing the same for each. Finally the candles. Before I knew it I had a catalog. I ended the catalog putting prices of what I thought they’d be worth and started to print. The very first catalog was about 10 pages front and back obviously, for someone who doesn’t have a business this was a lot of paper so I only printed one, putting it carefully in protective sleeves and a 3 ring binder from the dollar tree. As I finish this little catalog, my husband comes into the room, and tells the that the catalog is nice but now what? I had no idea.

As I laid in bed that night I decided the next day while the kids where in school I can go to herbal stores in the area to see if they would be interested in carrying my things.
The next morning I got dressed, got my children ready for school, and dropped them off, my youngest in head start and my oldest in 1st grade. When my youngest in yet in conventional school my time was ticking before 12, so there I went.
All week I was rejected by every place I went to. Finally on a Friday I decided I would try one last day, and if I couldn’t find any takers I was going to give up and throw it all in the trash. I went to Chesapeake, Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, and nothing. When I was on the highway I was crying so much I pulled over in Norfolk to take some breaths and relax for a second. I go to the K-mart on military highway, and walk around for a little bit. After, I got back into to car and decide to just drive around. Just down the street I found a flea market area with a little shop that looked open. I get off the road and go the the suite that looked open, and sure enough it was. Not only was it open it was a little herbal shop. I parked my van, got out with my catalog in hand and go inside. I told the lady about my beliefs with herbs, and all natural stuff and show her the catalog. The lady Mrs. K, puts in an order and asks me to bring it on Sunday close to the end of the day. In my excitement I go home to tell my husband and pack the few things that she ordered.

When Sunday came I bring the items the time she said to and got my first payment. That Monday I had more luck, putting my things into a little shop called Cosmic chameleon. And a few weeks later into a spa. At this time I was also selling essential oils to complement the herbs.

About a month goes by and I go to the very first shop with Mrs. K. I am checking on the stock and seeing if she needs to order any more. She doesn’t. But I noticed a worker at the flea market was working on a unit. I start talking to the worker and asking how much it is to rent tables. I asked him what I needed to do or what I needed to have. It’s easy he says just come in on Saturday morning and set up. I’ll come by and collect your table fee. And this is how Aries Apothecary actually got it start.
Since the tables I quickly moved into a unit stayed in that unit for almost 3 years. While in that unit, I started becoming more diverse on what I was actually bringing into the shop. My supply and demand was still pretty low, but I had to supplement some of the herbs that were being bought so fast. I could not keep up with demand, also at this time included seven day, candles and incense and started making my own tea mixes. In 2016 I moved into my very first brick and mortar. That was an interesting journey until 2018 when I got to move into the location that I am now.
The location I am in now is roughly about 2500 ft.² and we are packed wall-to-wall with items. I have a very large herbal wall along with a very large area with house blends of tea mixes. The incenses wall has grown exponentially along with the soaps and candles . From this, we decided to start carrying books, stones, statues, and a huge array of spiritual needs for all different pantheons. I am still a family owned and operated business. With my two children now working at the store or they have products they sell in the store. Including my children I have three other employees and four contractors. We are happy to announce we have always been LBGTQ+ excepting and very diverse with our customer base.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

For those that have never been to Aries Apothecary. We have a huge, herbal wall, a huge candle wall, tons of soaps and incense. Goth clothing, witch hats, evil eye, accessories stones, backpacks bags, statues, cloaks, wands, and so much more. On staff, we have an aromatherapist an herbalist, a Wiccan Priestess, Kemetic expert, Viking Priestess, a Priestess of Hecate, a Santeria Priest, full moon rituals, new moon rituals, readers, Yoga Teacher, Classes almost nightly for both spiritual and fun and tons of community involvement.

I think the diversity of the store is what really sets us apart from many other shops in the area. We believe that we make our own decisions, because they are spirit guided or driven. However, we are always there to aid and assist with questions that a customer may have. Now there are times that we cannot answer all questions no matter who we contact. Aries Apothecary has no problem sending customers or clients to another store to help the clients needs to be met. One of my old mentors once told me that there was enough money in Hampton Roads for everyone to share. she is gone now but her words live on.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I had no initial capital. The capital came from my house. My very first shop I used bookshelves that I stole from my house will borrow it actually. Lol a desk that I used for my register. A cash box that I used from garage sales and a Adding machine

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the hardest lessons that I’ve had to learn in the past few years, is that help will always have a price. Before Aries Apothecary was able to stand on its own 2 feet it was already starting to get bigger than I can handle by itself. I had volunteers that would help me with a knowledge that the store could not afford to pay a wage. And with these individuals, it was OK. However, a very short time later, I tried to do the same thing with a few other individuals, and it backfired on me. I lost a very near and dear person who started as a volunteer and became a close friend. because of allegations that were said by one of the new individuals. The second individual was no better, there was a lot of drama that followed them around. After a while, these individuals left and started to slander my name. When these individuals were brought on, I had mentioned that I couldn’t afford to pay that the store was not yet making money other than to order supplies. They did ask what the other individual was getting paid and I mentioned that they were not on a wage. They were there for work experience and knowledge, so they agreed that they would also just volunteer. After a while I was manipulated into giving a wage that I really could not afford And was being blackmailed to increase wages, telling me that they would give my whole cells and my sources if I did not. Looking back on, very sad that I allowed myself to get manipulated in this way, but I am very happy that they are gone. I do not like confrontation .

Contact Info:

• Website: ariesapothecary.com
• Instagram: Aries Apothecary, LLC
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/AriesApothecary