We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lake McCullough . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lake below.

Lake, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

I’ve been interested in making concoctions with plants since childhood. But I didn’t think about turning that into a business until I realized I had literally no ability to be a cog in someone else’s wheel. I was fortunate to have the support of my parents and community as I pursued my Master Herbalist Certificate and created a model of what I wanted my herbal apothecary to look like.

After fourteen years in business, my education is still ongoing and my business model continues to evolve. I have found that being humble, informal, and approachable is key. I also like to keep things small. I have chosen not to have employees, and I don’t have a plan to sell my business to a national brand for millions of dollars, so I call what I do “substance business ownership”. I think there should be a sustainable place within our culture for craftspeople, artisans, and folks who make a living getting their hands dirty.

The most important aspects of the success of my business, especially at the beginning, included keeping my costs modest, and being willing to work hard for very little. I’m grateful to have a bit more operating capital now, but I haven’t forgotten the skills I developed to make things work on a shoestring.

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

I’m a Colorado native who grew up appreciating the mountains and high deserts of the southwest corner of the state. My mother is an artist, and she taught me about being fully present in nature and appreciating native plants. My dad is a teacher and geologist, and he imparted an understanding of how stuff (especially natural stuff) works. They both imparted in individualism that pretty much ensured I would have to create my own business and make my own way.

I opened my herbal shop in 2010, and continue to enjoy this role in the community. I wildharvest native botanicals to make soaps, salves, teas, and tinctures, and I also lead a free native plant identification class in the summer months.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I first opened my shop, it seemed like business consultants were flocking around like sparrows. I had very little business experience, and I thought I needed to defer to those who were more knowledgeable. Then I listened to an episode of PBS Newshour, where they interviewed a successful female business owner, and she said that her lack of beginning experience was her greatest strength! She said that being unaware of business orthodoxy allowed her to do things her competitors had never considered.

So I happily unlearned some of the ideas that I felt I had to absorb, and I’ve never regretted it. I’m confident in how I run my shop, even if it makes less money to trickle down to third-party consultants and advertisers.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

In the alternative health field, which is based on openness to unconventional methods, there can sometimes be a surprising lack of open thinking among practitioners. I think it is very helpful to question my practices, methods, and recipes, and to be open to unconfirming information from clients. If someone has tried a product and it didn’t work for them, I want to know, and sometimes I reevaluate the recipe. But beyond that, I want the customer to feel comfortable to tell me it didn’t work in the first place. I want people who know nothing about herbal remedies to feel able to approach me and ask “Does this stuff really do anything?”

In science, a question without an easy answer is a good question, and I think it would be great if more alternative practitioners were open to good questions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.earthsensepagosa.com