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

Courtney, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

Nope. I started The Winsome Apothecary right when I was supposed to.

I have often thought of this randomly throughout my years of entrepreneurship. I have even had the nerve to feel bad about “missing time” and “starting late.” Then, I think about where I came from and how I have worked a host of positions (starting at 14 years old) where I was eager to do something other than what I was doing at that moment. Looking back at it, I was placed in every single experience to gather data (as I like to call it) to use for directing my path and to inch closer to my true purpose.

I’ve always had the desire to work for myself, as having agency and autonomy is the most important to me. The 9 to 5s that I worked in the past didn’t allow me the freedom I crave. Also, If I started Winsome before it was time to, I probably would have screwed it up. I endured a tremendous amount of personal growth and power when I stepped out and took a chance on myself in 2021 and I have poured a good amount of it into this business.

Courtney, 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 help heal modern skincare issues the old school way.

The Winsome Apothecary offers a curated range of boutique skin and body care products that combine time-tested home remedies with modern science, delivering radiant and healthy skin for health-conscious consumers.

From our Clean Deodorant to our luxurious body oils, your rejuvenation and wellbeing are our top priorities.

Prior to starting The Winsome Apothecary in 2021 in Queens, New York, I’ve always had an interest in natural remedies and received this gift from my loving Nana, Hattie, who was black-indigenous, grew up in South Carolina, and learned to use the harvests of the earth as her medicine cabinet. I was always in awe of Nana Hattie’s abilities to heal and help others with simple ingredients and knew I wanted to do the same one day – and is doing so through The Winsome Apothecary.

We are different – our products are made with ingredients that you could consume (if it weren’t for the essential oils used in them) and is the way skincare should be: natural, sustainable, and simple.

The Winsome Apothecary is Leaping Bunny Certified. We honor and respect all creations of The Universe big and small.

Social issues such as domestic violence awareness/prevention and adult literacy are important to us and we commit to volunteering with and donating to community organizations doing the work in these areas.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

At this moment, going out and actually making connections with people through markets and events has been an effective strategy for Winsome. Although we sell our products online and at a few venues, nothing beats listening to, speaking with, building relationships, and hearing from customers and potentials. A positive and lively interaction from the Winsome team yields a lasting impression on folks that have resulted in invitations, requests for products, referrals, etc.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When I first started The Winsome Apothecary, I funded it solely through my freelancing business (I’m also a private reading and ESOL tutor for k-12 and adult learners). I was able to put away a certain amount of money each week to build up a cushion to begin a business savings account for Winsome, buy materials, and fund events. When Winsome began to generate a profit, I then reinvested that money back into my business and was able to move away from funding it myself and explore business credit, grants, and loans (for the future).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thewinsomeapothecary.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_winsome_apothecary/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneywigginswinsome/

Image Credits

Audrey Tappan