We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bobbi (barbara) Kolonay a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bobbi (Barbara), appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I started a private Geriatric Care Management practice in Pittsburgh PA in 2002. Although I had worked 20 years prior as a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, I only knew modern medicine methods of prescribing medicine, invasive procedures and diagnoses based upon illness methods to help my clients. So, I traveled the world (China, India, Peru, Amazon rainforest) studying indigenous medicine, got certified thru Jane Buckle as a clinical aromatherapist, became a Reiki Master, studied under Juliette Blackenspour in Asheville (now Chestnut School of Herbology) to initially start my herbal journey along with attending over 10 herbal in person seminars and taking uncountable immersive herbal on-line classes. As a natural consequence of using herbal medicine I wanted to grow my own medicinal herbs, so becoming a beekeeper became a natural extension to assist in my plant pollination. I used all the methods and theories above in my very successful Holistic Aging practice in Pittsburgh. I was able to help older adults AGE WELL and it was a very gratifying 20 years – yet time to now focus on myself, have more fun and work less. In 2022 I retired from being a NP, sold my business and moved to Leland NC.
I wanted to continue practicing herbalogy and beekeeping in NC, while no longer seeing clients, diagnosing or treating.
I started a small Apothecary out of my home where I make numerous types of medicine from herbs, including tinctures, teas, lotions, creams, soaps, bath salts, and, raw local honey and raw honey infused with herbs – all designed to help people heal naturally and get to the root cause of the problem. I educate individuals on the use of herbs, teach classes on making your own herbal medicines and teas, in individual centers or homes, and for UNC, and sell my products to anyone interested or events. I have an instagram site and facebook page (wanted to keep it low key so no web site)
My business is called Bobbee’s Apothecary

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?

I would say what puts me apart from other herbalists and beekeepers is my knowledge of medicine (from 40 years of being a NP, and having a private practice where I was a clinician diagnosing and treating using both modern and traditional medicine).

Most people seek me out when they have tried modern medicine that had bad side effects, was too aggressive or didn’t solve their issue. I wish they would use herbs as more of a preventative method or try herbs before considering medications or invasive procedures. I consider myself a teacher of herbal medicine, helping others to cultivate a relationship with herbs and a kinship with mother earth.
Herbs can be used for improving your immune system (elderberry is perfect for any type of virus) digestive, respiratory, nervous and endocrine. systems to mention a few! There are numerous ways to prepare herbs to use as medicine and specific herbs that work with individual – all herbs have energetic properties and you can match the herbs energetics to the persons constitution. For example,cooling herbs cool the body, remove heat, reduces redness and bleeding; a person who is cold all the time would not benefit from cooling herbs.
I just started this business last year and have so many repeat customers I cant keep track.

We’d appreciate any insights you can share with us about selling a business.

I sold my 20 year geriatric care management practice to an elder law attorney for 3K more than my EBITDA! The process was not fun, but I had all my ducks in a row making it easier. it took 8 months of negotiations with varying parties, lots of ups and downs while running a business…but totally worth the effort in hindsight as I am currently living off the sale of my business!
If you are considering selling your business you need to prepare for this journey as soon as you start your business. Establish your business as a LLC or a business entity as soon as possible to get the maximum business deductions. Use a business accounting system like quickbooks and assure your categories of service/products is as tight as possible, along with your profit and loss structure. pay off all your debt. Hire a consultant to review your docs prior to even considering a sale. Don’t take a salary until well into your business (take distributions). poor money back into your business, pay employees well and reward retention and product promotion.
After trying to sell my business on my own for 6 months, I hired a firm that specialized in selling businesses of my size. They had a relationship with a business acquisition attorney that you will need during the negotiation process.
What sold my business was the profitability of my company over time, even during covid, which was apparent by review of my books, the longevity of the company, the retention of quality staff, and the fact my name was known in the area.
I recommend taking classes thru the SBDC on starting your business, if you have not and selling it to become familiar with the stages of the process and terminology.
if you are unfamiliar with the term EBITDA = is short for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. It is one of the most widely used measures of a company’s financial health.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I retired and moved to Leland NC I knew I wanted to continue working with herbs and being a beekeeper. Within 3 months of living in Compass Pointe in Leland, people had found out what my interests were and were asking for help. I knew I didn’t want to see clients and treat individuals anymore and didn’t want a time consuming business like I had the past 20 years. I have always loved the teaching part of my past career, had always had a deep connection and respect for Mother nature and a desire for others to learn how to help themselves heal vs always looking to a medical provider.
I have always followed my instincts so within a year had opened up Bobbee’s Apothecary in my home. My goal is to connect people with plants and the earth through teaching herbal medicine and beekeeping. Through the sale of my products, my goal is to empower people to start working with herbs in their everyday life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: bobbees_apothecary
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092973646069

Image Credits

Bobbi Kolonay – I took all photos