We recently connected with JuNene K. and have shared our conversation below.

JuNene , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Muhimu may look like it’s a bit difficult to pronounce (moo-hee-moo). It means essential in Swahili. Essential things needed for life are food, water, air, sleep and shelter but it’s our responsibility as individuals to use those things wisely. My company Muhimu Oils simply translates as Essential Oils. The reason behind this was 2 fold. I wanted to introduce the approach of saying something another way which translated for me into doing things another way. The medical field how we have always known it, treats our illnesses. That’s how its always been since the beginning of time. If something is wrong with you, you go to the doctor. I wanted to introduce the idea of being your own healer. What if we worked harder to “prevent” than we do to “treat” sickness? Insert my second reason right here. I feel that herbs and oils are essential. They help heal our dis-ease and put us in a place of wellness; which is not just the absence of sickness but the presence of health. Being able to educate people from all walks of life about this is my passion.

My Kickstarter Business Story

My brother had blood clots in his legs and they traveled to his lungs causing him to have a heart attack and a stroke. He lost consciousness for 24 minutes. All of his brain lobes were damaged which made him vegetative. The doctors advised my family to pull the plug. They said his quality of life would not be optimal. All I could think about was that his brain stem wasn’t damaged; currently working on my 2nd degree in psychology, that meant possibility in my head. I must admit I’ve always been a brain nerd, wanting to know how thoughts, words and experiences merged together to create behavior or the blocking out of instances. So I went to work. I found out what essential oils could be diffused to help restore synaptic connections. That’s brain talk for sending and receiving information through the body from the brain. I had a diffuser going in his room 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, we read to him in shifts around the clock, we played recordings of our voices so he would recognize and remember, we rubbed the bottom of his feet with special oil blends that I created, we had frequency music playing while he slept, we sang to him and spoke to him as if he could speak back. He never got an infection because I created certain supplements for his water drip. He had 1 bed sore in the hospital that quickly turned into a stage 4 wound that I healed with natural products. He spent about 4 months in the hospital and then 1 year and a half at home where he was cared for around the clock. Why is this story relevant? This is why I started Muhimu Oils, because through the research and determination to help heal my brother, I learned ways to restore synaptic connections using essential oils. My brother lived almost 2 years passed the time the doctors said he would. This story infuses the work that I do and makes my mission to educate, motivate, stimulate and emancipate everyone that I touch to be your own healer. It’s my battle cry to the senior man or woman that you don’t have to take 13 pills everyday for the rest of your life. It’s my strong advice for the new parents or single mother that if you start your child off naturally you carve a path for wellness. It’s my head nod to the teenage that the stuff that is harmful isn’t as cool as the stuff that heals. It’s my reintroduction of information to the Christian community that we have been given the power to heal ourselves.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Absolutely! I am JuNene K. I create oil blends based on ailments or desired mood. These blends are either used in the diffuser or as roll-ons for the body. I also blend body butters, exfoliators, sprays, tinctures, teas, incense and infused crystal.

I think what sets me apart from the other people that sell essential oils and natural products is that I use them as my mode of living. I am a Social Emotional Specialist and Certified Life Coach. I help people manage their emotions, I am also currently working on my Doctorate Degree in Natural Medicine, so I create products that are specific to ailments or dis-eases and consult with clients on how to change from a lifestyle that is dependent on medication to merely treat the symptoms to a more natural way to eradicate the root cause of dis-ease. I also use my products in consulting with clients about life issues. If I can suggest an incense to burn while you are sleeping that will help you really rest, that one thing improves you overall as an individual just because you were able to get a good night’s rest.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

Starting out I did everything by myself. I had to create the product, create a name for the product, create the label, pour the product, label the product, price the product and then get people to come buy the product. Whew! It is a lot to do that with an inventory of almost 100 products. I quickly learned that if I was the only one doing things then the business would be contingent on me doing. What happens when I can’t do? So I started outsourcing, I connected with those local businesses that had products that aligned with my mission and I purchased some products wholesale instead of creating them. The key thing to note is the products had to represent me as if it was made with my hands. Now I am breaking into manufacturing my products as I just secured my first retail space. With demand comes the need for more supply.

How did I do it? A simply google search and networking with other people who were doing something similar if not the same as me and really believing that if my products touched the right hands, it would do what it was intended to do.

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

I would say what has worked most effectively for me is being authentic and touching people where they are. Everyone has some type of dis-ease, something that they want to get rid of to be better. Being able to connect with each person and offer them something that can help them be the best possible version of themself is paramount. It’s the most organic way to grow a customer base, by solving a problem.

I also think having the knowledge that comes along with my current studies makes this connection stronger. People listen to you when they are convinced that you know what you’re talking about. Knowing my product(s) and what they do sharpers my voice and thereby my impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.muhimuoilsonline.com
• Instagram: @muhimuoilsonline
• Facebook: @muhimuoilsonline
• Twitter: @muhimuoilsTX

Image Credits
Jameson Ray Photography