We were lucky to catch up with Lucy Toussaint recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lucy, thanks for joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

I would have to say what my parents got right was instilling in me to always be proud of my heritage and an understanding that giving up was never an option. My parent’s resiliency to keep pushing forward even when faced with obstacles, and their unwavering commitment to family has left a lasting impression on me. My business’ foundation is built on the love that I have for my Haitian roots and it’s all because of my parents. As a child, my mother and father ensured that their children understood what hard work looked liked and what being proud of your heritage meant.

Growing up, my mother would always share stories of her healing methods and how these methods were passed down from her mother and her mother before that. I can remember as a child that my Mother would send my sister and I to our back yard to pick herbs that would be used for teas and baths. I would watch my mother make her baths and teas for herself or for one of my siblings if they were ill. Little did I know that these healing modalities would be an intricate part of my business, Rue & Dagger.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

It all started in 2016, where I returned back to the love of herbs and spirituality. I began searching for what my purpose was and found myself back in Haiti and reconnecting with my ancestral land. The road to this reawakening was difficult yet rewarding. I knew that I wanted to be of service to my community, but at the time it was not clear on how I would be able to achieve this. I wanted to help heal others by infusing my Haitian roots and my American background” I felt that there was a need to keep my ancestral healing methods alive and therefore Rue & Dagger was born years later.

The products that I provide are based on healing the Mind, Body & Spirit. We have products such as crystals, herbal tea blends, herbal body oils, and herbal salves. We also offer doula services, postpartum baths services, one-on-one herbal tea consultations and will soon be offering herbal courses. The issues that we solve for our clients are creating products that assist with your physical needs, your spiritual needs and assistance on you becoming your best self. Lastly, I also create handmade jewelry that doesn’t fit into any one type of style. My aim is to share my creative and divinely inspired pieces with the world so you can feel beautiful and stand out from the rest.

I am most proud of when clients tell me that their lives have changed because of my services. I feel honored and appreciative.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

The way I keep in touch with my clients is by e-mail and this is done every week. I love sharing stories and providing information on an herb, or other stories about my products and how it could be impactful in your daily life.

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

The lesson that I had to unlearn was taking things personally. I am in a field of service and that doesn’t always mean everyone will be receptive. It had nothing to do with my competency or who I am as an individual.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rueanddagger.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rueanddagger/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rueanddagger
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RueDagger
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rueanddagger?si=TxLp195fUyuf8tY4
• Other: Follow my journey to becoming a certified doula and my blog👇🏿 https://www.instagram.com/thathaitianhealer https://at.tumblr.com/thathaitianhealer/ei7vgrjlhcts https://rueanddagger.com/pages/what-is-a-doula https://bio.site/thathaitianhealer

Image Credits
Self Portrait: Felecia Moorer