We recently connected with Kim Gros and have shared our conversation below.
Kim, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
My first career was as an environmental attorney in DC. I was always passionate about protecting those who couldn’t speak for themselves and I really wanted to make a difference in the world. I specialized in international environmental law so being involved in policy-making and raising awareness at a large-scale level is how I thought I would achieve that. Unfortunately, after years of working in that field, I became discouraged when I realized I wasn’t making any difference.
So I quit my legal job and moved to NYC in search of that fulfillment, but ultimately, in search of myself. I started exploring all the interests and hobbies that I had had as a child. I reconnected to parts of myself that had been hidden deep down in order to fit into the legal world . I realized I couldn’t go back to having a 9-5 desk job, working for someone else. It wasn’t necessarily something my friends and family understood, even though they were very supportive. It’s during that time that I went to an intro workshop on Herbalism.
As a child, I spent all my time in my grandmother’s garden, helping her with yardwork and taking care of the animals. I felt I was a part of nature then. But as an adult, nature became something I’d visit during the weekend or while on vacation. It became a separate entity from me. I realized I longed to get that feeling back, the one that makes you feel like you belong, like you’re part of something bigger than just your own existence. I always saw myself as the kind of person who’d know the names of the plants and trees while out on a walk. Knowing someone’s name is the start of a relationship in a way. They’re not a stranger anymore, once you know their name. I feel the same way about the trees and the plants. Knowing their names has been the start to developing a relationship with them and learning about their personalities.
This led me to enroll in Arbor Vitae’s School of Traditional Herbalism to become a clinical herbalist. I regained that connection to the natural world, but I also came to the conclusion that if I couldn’t have a positive impact at a global level, maybe I could achieve it at a local level. Helping people one-on-one with their health and wellbeing helps me feel that I’m making a difference now, one person at a time. I can educate people on how to be better “earthlings”, which hopefully in turn influences the people around them, or at least the next generation.
Quitting a job that was financially secure and moving to another city was a major risk I took, but I learned so much about myself and what living a meaningful and fulfilling life looks like for me. I’m excited to get up in the morning now because I know that my little contribution is making a difference.
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.
I’m Kim Gros, and I am a clinical herbalist and crystal healing practitioner. My practice is called Moonstone & Mulberry.
I help clients deal with any health issues using herbs, diet, and lifestyle recommendations, in one-on-one virtual or in-person sessions. As a holistic practitioner, I take my time talking to clients to get to the bottom of their health concerns. That’s why initial consultations are 90min long. My clients then receive a protocol that is tailor-made for them and their needs. Think of me as your Herbal Matchmaker. I really make sure my recommendations will fit into my clients’ lifestyle. Sometimes, this can include teaching a client how to make their own herbal medicine. One-size-fits-all is not in my vocabulary!
I studied Western Traditional Herbalism, TCM, and Ayurveda, and combine the three in my practice. I’m particularly passionate about women’s reproductive health and mental health in general. I’m also continuing my education in order to extend my skills to helping animals in the future.
I’m proud to offer a non-judgmental safe space for people to open up, to be heard, but most importantly to be themselves. That alone is often a healing experience for people, to be seen as a whole. Healing is much broader than simply taking medicine. Sometimes, the medicine is in “the doing”, like having an artistic outlet, or changing our perspective. Anything can be medicine…
When I’m not working with herbs, I’m playing around with crystals. I offer in-person crystal healing sessions, as they are amazing tools in shifting the energies in our bodies. They are gentle and you can feel the results right away.
In addition to working with clients, I created a line of small batch herbal remedies that I make by hand using high-quality organic ingredients only. They are sold in select retail locations in NYC and online soon. I’m constantly working on new products and formulas but I’m open to requests as well!
Lastly, education is something I’m very passionate about, so I love hosting workshops on herbalism and/or crystals where students can get also get some hands-on experience. I’m a very practical and down-to-earth person so I like to teach people how to use things they already have at home so they feel they can implement what they’ve learned right away. Using natural remedies is our birthright so it should be accessible to everyone, not just those who studied it.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Even though I’m a firm believer in life-long learning, especially in my field of work because there is so much to know, I believe that doing this job out of a genuine willingness to help people is what’s key to success. Money should never be the motivator in my opinion. You can tell when someone really cares about doing a good job and that’s what keeps people coming back. Because of that, I will never turn down someone who needs help but who can’t afford my services.
But how do we define success? Is doing well financially being successful? Some (or most) people would probably say yes. That’s not how I define it. If what I’m doing is helping even just one person, then that’s success for me. Some other things that I consider being successful: doing something that makes me feel like I’m making a a difference, knowing that I’m leading a meaningful life that is positively impacting other lives (and the natural world), sharing things I’m passionate about with others, being able to be authentically myself through all of it… If all those things also mean I can make a good living, even better!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I was in my final year of school to become a clinical herbalist, my grandmother got sick. I decided to move back to Belgium to become her sole caregiver for the remainder of the time she had left, not knowing how long it would be. That meant I had to attend the online classes until late at night because of the 6 hour time zone difference, sometimes even from her hospital room. She was bedridden and unable to be alone so taking care of her was a 24/7 job. I flew back to NY multiple times that year for school, which took a lot of organizing each time to have someone cover for me.
During that year, I didn’t miss a single class, nor a single homework deadline. I even managed to write and submit my final project on time, while she was rapidly deteriorating. It was a 40-page thesis on how to support someone going through immunotherapy. I initially only focused on herbs but quickly realized that some of the things that were providing her the most support were much simpler than that: cuddling my dog, going to all the doctor’s appointments with her to help translate the medical lingo, the luxury of simply spending time together… She passed away a couple of weeks after I graduated.
In a perfect world, I would’ve used my final year in school to slowly set up my own practice in order to have a smooth transition after graduation but life had a different plan for me. I had to move back to NYC first and deal with the grief before I was ready to fully be present to help others. Getting to where I am today with my practice has been a lot harder than I could’ve ever anticipated but there’s a lesson to be learned from every experience and I am grateful for it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.moonstoneandmulberry.com
- Instagram: moonstoneandmulberry
