We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Allie Cuozzo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with ALLIE below.

Alright, ALLIE 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?

My mother has owned a small business in the same location for 24 years! The way she creates community, shares stories & builds a business that thrives because of repeat customers is remarkable! She also does things her own way, has a brain like a calculator, a quick memory, a very strong intuition & has a work ethic that I try to emulate. She very organically came into owning this business (a consignment shop in suburban Massachusetts). In the 90’s, my mom would support Paula, the owner at the time, with folding, washing & organizing the clothes in the shop. When Paula died suddenly from cancer, my mom kept the doors open & would send checks to Paula’s daughter. Very quickly, the arrangement shifted & Paula’s daughter arranged for the store to be owned by my mom, Diane. She has done it for so long because her store is a hub for stories & support, care & creativity. That’s something that I uphold with Earth Allies despite not having a brick & mortar location!

ALLIE, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

We offer fresh, organic teas & flower drops (sweet floral medicine!). To step into a product line that’s all botanically based was inspired by our work as clinicians. We saw patterns of gut-related imbalances, menstrual cycle woes, skin issues & mood/mental difficulties. This is why we developed a biome-based line of support to welcome people to reach towards the pantry as ways to lean into natural ways to uplift, soothe, balance, & create healing routines in the form of yummy tea. Because the veils of herbalism are still being lifted, we wanted to welcome people into plant-based medicine in an approachable way. Cue- flower drops. These are fresh flowers that we gather at peak aroma & cold-process to make something sweet & a touch romantic! It’s gorgeous nature in a bottle, non-alcoholic, uplifting & joyful. We all arrived where we are today in an artistic & scientific crossroads. Everything we offer is created from our hands & often times the soils we tend to. Years ago, I was living in Oakland when I broke my skull & face, lost my sense of smell & hung out on the emotional landscape of sadness & pain. I started leaning into herbs & mushrooms to ease the burden that breaking initiates & I sensed a type of emotional & physical well-being that wasn’t possible in the western medical system where I initially received treatment. This led me to move from Oakland to Sonoma & study at California School of Herbal Studies. My body & all its subtleties were supported in this community, in the garden & in the vast wisdom of my teachers & the plants. I have always been a part of a team whether its with work or my background in athletics & so beginning to practice herbalism in a team-setting was a no brainer! That’s when three of us: Hilary Go, Isabella DeCredico & myself put the foundations down for what Earth Allies is today: a source of education, clinical care, & joyful, yummy products for the pantry.

Can you open up about how you managed the initial funding?

Plants give you super powers. This is my opinion. Yet for me drinking a quart of licorice, nettle & fennel tea with a touch of rose makes me feel like I can take on anything in a day. Because of this power & all the abilities that herbalism afforded me to tend to myself really well, I was able to offer care to others. A lot of care! I created the initial capital through a full time nanny job in Boston, a two nights a week after-that-other job for a family in Boston, too; a weekend caregiver role for a family in Cambridge; a writing & design job for a Dutch/California herbal company & my own freelance design projects (I was a Designer before my career in botanical medicine).

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Recognize that you are a part of that very team so managing yourself is your priority especially your well-being. When leaders tend to their own lives with softness, flexibility, poise & power, you can offer that out in the world whether it’s to your colleagues, co-owners, clients or the person making you a delicious latte. Other gems: Practice empathy. Offer to help. Ask for help. Take all the responsibility. Create systems where people can thrive & then when something isn’t thriving, what is inevitable, dig around at the root cause… it’s often the system & not the person. Create ways to celebrate the tiny wins & the big wins, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tryearthallies.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_earthallies/

Image Credits

Adrian Chang