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

LaTia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

My business came to me by accident. I have been on a personal health and wellness journey since 2008, due to my own issues with physical and mental health. I struggled to feel good in my body and was constantly feeling ill with various ailments. I slowly started eliminating things from my diet, incorporating holistic health practices such as meditation, breath work and healthy eating among other things. Fast forward to 2017, I moved back home to Connecticut after the passing of my father. His death was a major turning point in my life and I knew that I needed to use the knowledge that I had accumulated over the years to help others. I wanted people, especially MY people to see that there was better ways to live and that diet and lifestyle play a key role in our overall wellbeing. In Summer 2020, after being vegan for several years, I hosted a group of my closest friends and family over for what I called my Plant Based Summer Soirée where I prepared a full vegan soul food spread with many of the foods they were all familiar with but veganized. They were all amazed. During that event I prepared 3 beverages to enjoy with the meal and they were the stars of the day. People started asking me about the handcrafted lemonade and tea they had at the party and wanted me to make it for them again, so I did. From that point, someone posted a photo on facebook and the demand was solidified. I began making my handcrafted beverages for family and friends, and my creativity began to explode. Before I knew it I had 5, then 10 then 20 (and beyond) different flavors. I was creating a healthy alternative to mass produced, chemical filled drinks that most people bought at their local grocery store. I was giving them herbal medicine in a way that was palatable. I was bring health to my community in a way that they could enjoy it. It felt empowering and liberating to finally find my purpose.

LaTia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Fruitful Ascension Wellness also known as Fruitful Ascension Tea & Apothecary is a multifaceted wellness brand that includes LaTia’s Teas our line of handcrafted teas and lemonades, along with pop-up tea tastings, mobile apothecary, self-care events and retreats, plant based cuisine/catering and holistic health coaching. Fruitful Ascension is also expanding into herbal mixology using our handcrafted creations and high quality spirits.

Fruitful Ascension is partnered with ION Restaurant in Middletown Connecticut. ION is the premier place for vegan cuisine in the state of Connecticut and features LaTia’s Teas on a weekly rotating basis and includes a cocktail counterpart using the highest quality and local spirits. Partnering with ION has been a huge success and has exposed the vegan community to our beautiful handcrafted creations.

Fruitful Ascension is also deeply invested in bettering the community and co-hosts Melenated Momma Monday a FREE community event serving the entire state of Connecticut. Melenated Momma Monday is in collaboration with two of CT’s top birth workers and serves pregnant women and moms of color where we explore the complexities of motherhood and offer a safe space for community conversation and healing. This monthly offering focuses on yoga, meditation and plant based cuisine and nutrition.

LaTia Holley, creator and founder of Fruitful Ascension is a certified health coach who trained at IIN the Institute for Integrative Nutrition based in NYC. She also trained with acclaimed herbalist Adriana Ayales, creator of Anima Mundi Herbals in Astro Herbalism and continues to build her craft as an herbalist and medicine woman.

Healing spaces are also a foundational part of Fruitful Ascension. Mostly focused on women, LaTia has co-hosted countless events that focus on womb healing, self-care practices, yoga, mediation and physical nourishment. In 2022, she co-hosted her first co-ed event, an adult field day which included physical activities/games along with meditation, plant based BBQ and community conversation which was absolutely healing and amazing. Men and women had the opportunity to sit and genuinely connect and collectively heal.

As Fruitful Ascension continues to grow I see expansion into a brick and mortar location as well as more events.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It’s truly hard to pinpoint one moment or story about resilience but each day as an entrepreneur tests your resilience and your will and commitment to yourself. As a holistic entrepreneur I tend to approach things, including potential business relationships, from a heart-centered and very authentic place. My dream has always been to collaborate with other entrepreneurs, especially other women and people of color, and share in the success together but have learned the hard way that in business you cannot just take someone’s word, you cannot assume that people are being genuine or that they think with a collaborative mindset just because I do. I have had people take advantage of my kindness and also try to copy my products. I have had to cut my losses and sever those ties and continue down my own path while remaining true to myself.

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

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Contact Info:

• Website: Www.fruitfulascensionwellness.com
• Instagram: @latia_holley @fruitful.ascension
• Facebook: Fruitful Ascension Wellness

Image Credits
Jared White