We were lucky to catch up with Aranyani Notestine recently and have shared our conversation below.

Aranyani, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I have found that the best quality related to success is bravery. Starting something new and seeing it to completion takes a certain level of bravery because there are no guarantees as to how it’s going to turn out. The power of your vision and the ability to keep going, especially in the face of challenging circumstances that may arise is not for the faint of heart. This can be said of any creative project, healing journey or business plan. I started my business three years ago with no idea how things would turn out, and it is still in development as I work within my circumstances to develop my brand. There have been many lessons learned along the way, and instead of giving into to doubt it has taken a lot of bravery to keep going.

Aranyani, 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 started Ādara Collective in 2020 on the very beginning of the shutdowns due to Covid 19. I was in nonprofit fundraising & development for a decade before that, but something inside of me became more and more pronounced: my roots and my passion for community. So I quit everything to start a herbal healing and counseling LLC. I began in a small shed at the bottom of my garden and began offering herbal workshops to the community as well as a listening ear to those struggling with physical/mental/ spiritual issues.

I had grown up in the holistic community, watching my parents teach meditation and heal people using the Ayurvedic tradition of healing. Initially I had turned away from all this to pursue my own career, but something called me back to that in 2020.

My philosophy was that: the human body was designed to heal itself, and given the right conditions it would do so. But what are the right conditions? This is what I began to figure out, and it’s not a cookie cutter answer. Essentially the human body will heal once the habits and daily behaviors of the client are examined to see what (if any) inputs are causing harm. If an input is causing sickness the first step is to address that, and begin the process of detouring/detoxing from that behavior or substance, WHILE adding new inputs that support the health of the person. These new inputs could be medicinal, or they could also be behavioral, social, or mental.

Sometimes an illness is simply an imbalance in chemistry, and the right herbs/minerals are there to help once we figure out the issue.

For example: A negative experience in childhood or in teen years may be the “thing” that is causing someone much physical illness in the gut, because the negative emotional stress response keeps playing itself out in this persons body; creating an increase in stress hormones which increase acidity, weakening the organs over time. If they go to the doctor, the chances of uncovering the root cause is slim. Medications may be applied, which will usually only exacerbate the problem or “cover it up”. My approach is to talk with someone first, spend time observing their mannerisms, health, demeanor and approach to social interactions. Luckily, I have been blessed with the gift of a strong intuition that aids me in working with people to get into the root of dis-ease.

My mission is to help my clients see the magic in this process for themselves, so that in time they can diagnose their issues better and not just treat the symptoms.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What is the most important factor in business? I believe it is trust.

Cultivating trust requires that you be genuine. Much of what has characterized big business in the last century has been a veneer that often times fades and reveals the truth that most large corporations are only out for themselves.

Because I am running a business focused on addressing health and root causes of disease, I realized early on that I had to be my most genuine self, and display that person whenever possible. It can be scary at first, because every human being desires to be accepted. Being genuine takes practice, and it also requires that you trust the people you are around. So I have cultivated the community around me with genuine people who really desire the health and well-being of the community and themselves. Once you surround yourself with like-minded people, the reputation comes naturally.

When you show people your true colors, the canvas becomes richer as the community also sees the example of those who are living in authenticity.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

After moving from northern California in 2020, I began working on property and the business in North Carolina. It was very hard at first, starting over in a new place, and I made many mistakes. I had overspent much of my budget on developing the property, and developing the business on top of that prove to be very difficult for me. I did not have much help at the time so much of the burden fell to me, which brought up my own stress responses related to success and finances. After two years working on this project, I realized I had to focus on one thing or the other. So I sold the property and moved back into the life of a renter so that I could keep working on the business….at the time it felt like a bit of a failure. I had lost money on the property sale, but all I could do was look forward. I knew what I was here to do, and I pressed on even in light of the losses. In the six months after I did this, my business partner/ life partner showed up, and opportunities really began showing themselves as we began developing Ādara Collective together. Thank you for your support!

Contact Info:

• Website: adaracollective.com
• Instagram: adara_collective
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aranyaniazevedo