We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jerilynn Walker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jerilynn below.
Jerilynn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
It all started 20 years ago when I decided I wanted to learn how to make soap. I liked the idea that I could make useful things from scratch and control the ingredients included. There was a learning curve of course, but once I got the hang of it, I started to incorporate plants from my garden, like sage and rosemary. It made pretty green bars of soap that I shared with friends and family. I improved my technique over the years and added new plant materials and clays to widen the range of colors and effects. I then also got the bug to make my own lotion and lip balm. I’m sensitive to some chemicals and ingredients, so again I wanted to be able to control what was included. Herbs were a big thing in my life too, so it was completely natural for me to include herbal infusions in my lotion and balms. I experimented with essential oils, types of containers to use, the making process and what I might call this adventure if I ever took it to the next level. I slowly started to sell a few things I made in my kitchen at night and on weekends after my regular day job to friends and acquaintances.
I realized pretty quickly this is what I wanted to do full time. After a few years and some major life changes, which included moving across the country and quitting my job, I became a master gardener for the USU Extension Service and enrolled in formal herbalism classes with The Herbal Academy. I wanted to learn as much as I could about gardening and using herbs in my everyday life and business. During this process I realized this would be a lifelong learning process as there is so much to know, to learn and grow from.
In 2018 my business, Simple Nature Herbals, became a reality when I finally had the courage to create an Etsy shop and an Instagram page, post a few things for sale and sign up for my first craft fair. It has evolved a lot over the last few years, and no doubt it will continue to change and grow in the future.
Jerilynn, 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?
Today, Simple Nature Herbals, offers a natural alternative for bath and body products. I like to create products that are heathy for people, pets and the environment, especially people with sensitive skin or prone to skin problems. I include herbs in every product I make, use only natural ingredients and make everything from scratch in small batches where I can control the quality. I am open about every ingredient I use and why it’s included. My descriptions of products go into great detail on what each ingredient does, what it’s good for and what it offers. I don’t use synthetic ingredients, and use ingredients with respect for the environment and sustainability. I grow most of the herbs I use in my products right in my own garden. I prefer to sell my products locally in small boutique shops, which I feel gives the buyer satisfaction knowing what they purchased supports small local business and creators.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Like most businesses, the pandemic required lots of change and forward thinking. When it first started in 2020, all the craft markets I was signed up for closed down. I had no choice but to do all my business online for a while. Certain products flew off the shelf almost as fast as I could make it, soap being a great example. Then people craved self-care items, like bath teas, bath melts and body butter. Lots of people got pets during the pandemic and my catnip toys were a big hit. Things calmed eventually, but big craft markets weren’t really coming back, so I looked to small brick and mortar businesses where I could have my products on shelves locally. I found this was a great advantage to me because I had more control over my time and productivity levels.
Also during this time, raw materials and containers became hard to find and shipping times and prices sky rocketed. For example, I used to put my body butter in small glass jam jars, with the intention that the customer could reuse the jar when the body butter was gone. Those jars became scarce when everyone decided canning was the new thing to get you through the pandemic, so I had to find alternative containers. While I am not a fan of plastic, I chose to use plastic containers because of their availability, they were technically still reusable and they were lighter and easier to ship, saving money on shipping costs which allowed me to keep my prices the same.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
This might surprise you, but teaching classes has put me and my business in touch with so many people. A few years ago, myself and a fellow master gardener and friend of mine started to teach basic herb classes in the community. It’s developed over the years and we teach all about planting, propagating, harvesting, storing and using herbs in everyday life. I usually take a few of my products to the classes to sell if any wants something, but I also get to promote the local botanical gardens where I volunteer at, the small businesses where I sell products, all while imparting some of the herbal knowledge I’ve gained from others before me. It’s a win-win for everyone. The face-to-face interactions, the questions, comments and explanations are a great way to get people to know more about my products and what they can do. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy teaching others what I have learned. I’m hoping to expand on this to include more hands-on classes in my workshop where people can learn to make their own herbal products and take those things home with them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.simplenatureherbals.etsy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplenatureherbals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplenatureherbals