We were lucky to catch up with Kyndall Osibodu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kyndall, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

One November Sunday, my husband and I were heading downtown Brooklyn and got stuck in traffic. After not moving for over an hour, we decided to park in the garage. When we finally made it outside, we saw people running in the streets and people cheering on the sidelines. It was the NYC marathon and it was absolutely thrilling. I fell in love with running that very day.

Soon after, I laced up my shoes and found a training program for newbies. I loved how running made me feel, both mentally and physically stronger. But I did not love the physical aches and pains. Upon researching pain relief options, I learned many runners turn to and sometimes even overuse pharmaceuticals. Looking for a natural alternative and having just taken an herbalism class, I decided to make my own herbal muscle balm. After garnering positive feedback from family and friends, The Runner’s Apothecary was born.

The Runner’s Apothecary is a recovery and wellness brand for runners, other athletes, and other humans who move their bodies. Our mission is to create opportunities for athletes to ritualize recovery in movement and in life.

We find joy in movement, play with plants, and prioritize collective care. We are a runner’s recovery club for everyone. All paces. All faces. All laces.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Accessibility and collective well-being have always driven my career choices. I entered the workforce as a high school educator. After my work in the classroom, I transitioned to community organizing focusing on the impact of the school-to-prison pipeline on Black girls. I worked with some of the most amazing non-profit leaders sheperding this work, and noticed that many of them struggled financially and in their health. I thought about how to support the material realities of these leaders and transitioned into philanthropy. I still work in the sector to support the wellbeing and leadership of young people.

I started running to manage stress and to prepare for the physical demands of motherhood. The Runner’s Apothecary grew out of my desire to use and offer natural body care products as allies and tools for recovery.

We offer three products currently:

– Recovery Rocks: Magnesium flakes + Himalayan pink salt infused with willow bark + other herbs to aid in easing the mind, softening the skin, and relaxing the body.

– All Season Body Balm: A cocoa butter based body rub infused with arnica, camphor and other herbs to aid in your post-workout or end-of-day recovery routine.

– LipNip Balm: A soothing balm for chafed nips + lips, whether from long-distance running or nursing.

– And additionally, accessories– a self-massage ball and a water bottle holder to support hydration and myofascial release.

All of our products are plant based and include no additives. We encourage athletes of all walks of life to see plants as allies to their recovery routines.

We are most proud of elevating the power of plant wisdom and being thoughtful with our formulations. We want to encourage people to consider food as fuel and as medicine and holistic modalities as helpful tools to recovery.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I started my business by creating a CBD topical. For the first year, I learned as much as I could about cannabis. I joined an accelerator program that covered everything from regional licensing requirements to restorative justice campaigns. I tested different product offerings. I sought out legal representation and tax support. Unfortunately, I realized it was not a sustainable business model. The licensing and tax requirements were costly for small businesses. I saw so many small CBD businesses shutdown. And most disappointing of all, the restorative justice efforts for communities of color and those most impacted by the war on drugs were minimal.

Pivoting away from cannabis required me to create an entirely new formulation. While I hope to offer CBD products in the future, for now I’m grateful to provide homeopathic offerings that still point to the power of plants.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

My business is self-funded. I still work my day job and used my income from work and consulting to fund my start up costs. I enjoy my philanthropic career and see my business as complimentary to the creative work I want to do in the world. Lastly, I am in early motherhood and I appreciate that I am able to grow my business at a sustainable pace.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://therunnersapothecary.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunnersapothecary/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyndallclark/

Image Credits

Jovelle Tamayo (Headshot)